#‘The Bachelorette’ twist: Two female stars in Season 16

By Nellie Andreeva, Deadline

It looks like we are up for another first in “The Bachelor” franchise — a season that starts with one titular star and ends with another.

Speculation has been growing that Clare Crawley, who had been tapped to headline “The Bachelorette”‘s upcoming 16th season, has left the show, which has been filming in a quarantine bubble at an isolated location under COVID-19 guidelines. No one is commenting but I hear Crawley’s exit will be incorporated into the season’s storyline as she reportedly fell in love with one of the contestants and did not want to continue with the dating process, leading the other bachelors on.

Multiple reports have tipped “Bachelor” nation fan-favorite Tayshia Adams as Crawley’s successor. She reportedly has joined the production after undergoing quarantine. Word is that some of the contestants previously eliminated by Crawley, are coming back to vie for Adams’ heart.

Crawley seemingly confirmed the switch as her account briefly liked a tweet about Adams being the “Bachelorette” on Sunday before unliking it Monday morning. (“The Bachelor”/”Bachelorette” casts are not allowed to have phones for the duration of the shoot.)

ABC’s “The Bachelor” franchise, produced by Warner Horizon Unscripted TV, is known for its major plot twists. The franchise also recently made history casting its first Black bachelor, Matt James.