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'The Bachelorette' Season 16: Did Clare and Dale know each other from before? Fans say couple is 'pretending'

Fans were annoyed with Clare and Dale trying to convince the audience that they hadn't spoken to each other prior to the show

The premiere episode of 'The Bachelorette' Season 16 has left fans feeling a myriad of emotions. While they were happy to see the oldest bachelorette of the franchise, Clare Crawley, try to find love, they, however, didn't appreciate how her interaction with her rumored beau- Dale Moss was portrayed.

On the show, Clare was shown meeting Dale for the first time, when he stepped outside of the limo. As soon as he stepped out, Clare admitted in her green room interview how she knew that she had met someone special and how she knew in her gut that he was her husband, etc. She was all googly-eyed around Dale. Later, while she was having one on one interactions with her suitors, before handing out the first rose impression, she was shown telling Blake Moyens how she was grateful that he broke the rules set by the showrunners and contacted her even before the filming began while they were quarantining. 

Clare made it a point to emphasize how Blake was the only guy to reach out to her and appreciated him for risking his chance of appearing on the show by reaching out to her. She went on to thank him for it and spoke about how it was a very difficult time in her life, due to her mother's poor health and him checking on her meant a lot to her. Later, while she was talking to Dale, he just casually enquired with her about her mother's health.

When fans heard that, they immediately realized that Dale might have been in contact with Clare even before they began filming and called out the couple for trying to fool everybody as if the two didn't already know each other before meeting on the show. A fan tweeted, "I love the thought of Clare and Dale conspiring to trick America into thinking this is a love at first sight situation #TheBachelorette."

"Dale and Clare pretending they haven’t been talking for weeks: #BachelorNation #TheBachelorette." Another wondered: "How is Clare going to talk about breaking the rule like her and dale didn’t  #TheBachelorette."

Another fan pointed, "Dale said “how’s she doing” about Clare’s mom like they have had this conversation before #TheBachelorette." "Clare telling Blake Moynes that he was the only one to reach out to her pre-filming as if we don’t know that she and Dale have already lived through half a romance novel together. #TheBachelorette," joked a fan. "Oh so we’re supposed to believe that Dale didn’t talk to Clare pre-season?! #TheBachelorette," questioned a fan.

'The Bachelorette' Season 16 airs every Tuesday at 8/7c only on ABC.