Zach Shallcross, the star of Season 27 of The Bachelor, discussed his experience on the show.
As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, Zach Shallcross has had quite a journey on his quest for true love. Shallcross first appeared during the previous season of The Bachelorette, where his heart was broken by Rachel Recchia. But now, of course, Shallcross is back and playing in the 27th season of The Bachelor, and during Monday’s season premiere, the ABC star had his fair share of drama. In the episode, Shallcross shared a long public kiss with Greer Blitzer (before giving her the first impression of dandruff) and said goodbye to Madison Johnson after initiating a kiss with Shallcross.
While chatting with THR, Shallcross discussed a variety of topics, including how he felt about the unflattering reactions when he was revealed to be the show’s protagonist, why he gave Blitzer the coveted rose, his take on a partner’s political views , and how his uncle Patrick Warburton helped him prepare for television.
Initially, Shallcross revealed his thoughts on the reaction of the show’s fans to the news that he was the new bachelor. He said, “Where do I start with that? It was already shocking when I learned I was the Bachelor. It never really settled down. It took me a while to think, ‘Wow, like this is really happening to me.’ And then you see the reactions from viewers and fans; there are supportive ones and then there are the not-so-supportive ones. That was definitely hard to get used to. But it’s crazy to me because I just lived this experience and am very happy. The often visceral response from the fans is a bit intense. It was pretty unique just seeing the whole range of different reactions, for me or against me. “
Zach Shallcross said that “open communication is so important” in relationships
Then when asked about his feelings about the importance of religious and political views in a relationship, Shallcross said, “All of that really plays an important part in a healthy relationship, and having the chance to be on the same level with it is important .”. Does it ever have to be the same? No. But that open communication is so important, and what fans saw last season was that there was no real communication. It turns out on this really important night, and it’s not like anything you could have expected, and it was a shock. It might be a good idea to have an idea of the politics your partner is into. I’m not a big boy in politics at all. I literally give two shits — sorry for the cussing. Of course it plays a role, but communicating it is the most important part.”
The current star of The Bachelor also revealed why Greer was his choice of the rose for first impression. He said, “What I’ve been looking for is where I can find some peace – someone who just puts me at ease. You’re constantly going on and on, and it’s a different conversation here and there, and you go all the way around the mansion. With Greer that night, she was able to put me at ease and not make me feel like I was just being pulled in a million different directions, and it’s overwhelming. With her, it wasn’t that much. Then I thought back to giving a first impression rose, it was a really good first impression of, “Okay, I can relax. I can be calm with her, “which I really appreciated.”
The ABC star also revealed the advice he received from his uncle to get into television. Shallcross said, “Uncle Pat gave me some advice. The most important thing is that he is always supported [me] because he knows how overwhelming it can be to be on TV. But he just always said, “Hey, stay calm. Don’t let what people say about you determine how you feel about yourself.” So that was the most important thing.”
New episodes of The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.