'The Bachelorette': Who Is Zach Jackson?
He's the latest to score a one-on-one date with Bachelorette Clare Crawley.
If you thought a post-pandemic recast, an especially skeezy villain, early dismissals for multiple contestants, and, of course, that mid-season Bachelorette switcheroo were already plenty of drama for Clare Crawley's season of The Bachelorette, you've got another think coming. According to Reality Steve, things will only get messier on the newest episode of the show (Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC), when Crawley taps Zach J. for a one-on-one date that is expected to provoke extreme reactions not just from viewers, but also from the Bachelorette herself.
Here's what you need to know about Zach J. and the drama he's stirring up on national television. (Spoilers ahead, obviously!)
Who is Zach J.?
Zach Jackson (not to be confused with Zac Clark) hails from Yakima, Washington, but currently resides in St. George, Utah. He's the founder of both a CBD company and a cleaning service company. According to his official ABC bio, the 37-year-old is "obsessed with gum and Chapstick," hates jazz music, and knows the difference between there, their, and they're. Refreshing!
Not so refreshing: He's the one whose entrance to the show involved getting down on one knee and fake-proposing to Crawley with a farting ring box.
Outside of his questionable taste in humor, Jackson's best qualities, according to Jackson, are that he is "empathetic, fun, and clever." He's apparently had a "major crush" on Crawley since her days as the certified badass of Juan Pablo's season of The Bachelor. Unfortunately, it seems those dreams are about to come crashing down in the space of a single date.
Zach Jackson and Clare Crawley on night one of The Bachelorette
What happens between Zach J. and Clare?
In a preview posted ahead of the Oct. 27 episode of The Bachelorette, Reality Steve predicted that Jackson and Crawley's solo date is "probably going to stir up a lot of discussion." The date gets off to a good start with some spa time for the couple, then takes a turn when they take a dip in the pool. "It's during this time that Zach has some uncalled for aggressive behavior towards Clare that triggers her," according to Reality Steve.
Put another, milder way, ABC's synopsis of the episode mentions that "Zach J. is excited about his individual spa date with Clare, but his inability to relax might end in disaster."
However you phrase it, Crawley ends up leaving the date early, per Reality Steve. When she doesn't show up for the dinner portion of the date, host Chris Harrison pops by to tell Jackson that "it's best that he leaves." With that, Jackson joins Brandon Goss and Yosef Aborady in getting sent home without a rose ceremony.
Though Reality Steve stayed mum about the details of Jackson's "aggressive behavior," he added, "The bottom line is I already know that the reaction will be mixed on it. Some will say it's not a big deal and Clare overreacted, and some will say that it absolutely is a big deal. I don't think there will be much in between." If that doesn't have you clearing your schedule to tune in, I don't know what will.
Has Zach J. said anything about it?
Not yet, but keep an eye on his fairly active Instagram for updates.
