In Monday’s premiere episode of the Bachelor, Zach Shallcross shared a lengthy and public kiss with Greer Blitzer before giving her the first-impression rose, along with him saying goodbye to Madison Johnson after she initiated a kiss that was not well-received.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Shallcross discussed how he felt about some less-flattering reactions to the news that he was the show’s lead, why Blitzer earned the coveted rose, whether it’s important to know his partners’ politics, and how his uncle Patrick Warburton helped prepare him for TV scrutiny.
Shallcross said that it was a strange process to see the show’s fans reacting to the news that he was cast as the new Bachelor. He admitted to seeing the whole array of different reactions, either for him or against him, and that it was a tough thing to get used to.
Shallcross also discussed how the situation with Rachel during The Bachelorette impacted how he approached his own relationships in terms of making those conversations happen sooner.
He said that all of those things do play an important role in a healthy relationship, and having the chance to be on the same plane with it is important. He added that the communication of it all is the most important part.
We also learned that Shallcross did not have a game plan going into the night, but rather, his biggest concern was speaking and meeting with as many women as possible. As viewers saw, there were a lot of quick connections where the physical connection was there immediately, and Shallcross was not one to hide his emotion or what he was feeling.
When discussing why he gave Greer the first-impression rose, Shallcross said that he was looking for someone to make him feel comfortable. He said that Greer was able to make him not feel like he was just getting pulled in a million different directions, and it was not so overwhelming.
Lastly, Shallcross spoke about what he is most excited for fans to see as his season plays out. He said that he thinks fans who are into finding true love will love it, but if viewers are into unnecessary drama, then he isn’t the guy for them. He said that viewers will see all of him, including the good, the bad, and the goofy side that hasn’t really been shown before.
