The Bachelor's Susie Evans Reveals What She Told Clayton Echard About Engagement

Clayton Echard and Susie Evans have started dating again but their future is still TBD as the couple discusses that bombshell Bachelor finale.

By Cydney Contreras Mar 16, 2022 3:33 PMTags

First comes reality dating show, then comes marriage... right?

Not so fast. Bachelor stars Clayton Echard and Susie Evans are taking things one step at a time after revealing they're dating again during The Bachelor: After the Final Rose.

"We've had a lot of fun together but it's tough doing this and watching it back," Susie told Nick Viall on the Viall Files podcast. "We have a lot to learn about each other and we have a lot to learn about ourselves still. Like, we're still growing and learning from this."

She noted that Clayton really "struggled" with the show and fan reactions, so they've decided to take time to themselves to process the show ending. The couple plans to see where the relationship stands in three months, with Susie explaining that she wants to "make a point to do a pulse check."

"Neither of us are dating for fun or just to like have a chill relationship for a couple of years," she said. "We're like let's see if this can work. Let's talk realistically about this." 

photos
The Bachelor Season 26: Women Tell All Moments

And realistically, she doesn't see herself getting engaged any time soon. She told Nick that she warned Clayton: "If you surprise me, I will say no."

ABC/Craig Sjodin

"We can obviously laugh about it now but that's not something we're talking about," she added. "And we have realized that if we would've gotten engaged, it wouldn't have been for us. So we're like, let's not do it." 

Susie shared that she feels like they need to build a stronger foundation and make it past this "overwhelming" chapter in their relationship before they make any big decisions. And though there's room for improvement, Susie credited Clayton for his efforts, saying, "He wants to grow, he wants to be a good partner." 

ABC/Craig Sjodin

As Susie and Clayton seek to move on from their Bachelor journeys, runner-ups Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia are preparing to embark on new ones. The women will appear side by side on the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, premiering July 11 on ABC.

And to learn about how Susie slid into Clayton's DMs after the show ended, click here!

Get the drama behind the scenes. Sign up for TV Scoop!