Former Brigham Young University quarterback Bret Engemann will no longer try to win Clare Crawley’s heart on “The Bachelorette.”
Initially, Crawley’s season was supposed to debut on May 18, but the coronavirus outbreak halted production on the show in March — just hours before Crawley was supposed to meet her suitors, according to Entertainment Tonight.
Now, four months later, filming is set to begin once again. And there’s some noticeable changes in the lineup, including the absence of Engemann.
Engemann played for BYU from 1999-2002. At 42 years old, the Provo, Utah, native was the oldest contestant in the running, the Deseret News previously reported. With Crawley, 39, being the oldest “Bachelorette” star in the show’s history, fans criticized the initial group of men for being too young overall, according to Entertainment Tonight. At his age, Engemann seemed to be one of the more promising contestants.
So why is he no longer in the running?
The former BYU athlete said he chose to leave the show because production delays created a new schedule that no longer worked for him, according to the news blog Monsters and Critics.
“I couldn’t make it happen with the delayed timing,” he wrote on Instagram in a response to a fan. “My sons needed me to help coach during football season and I would have missed the first few games if I went on the show. Just bad timing for me.”
The new “Bachelorette” lineup, announced July 15, features 42 contestants — 25 new names and 17 stayed from the original list, according to Entertainment Tonight. Another noticeable cut is Matt James, 28, who will now be the first Black “Bachelor” in the show’s history, the Deseret News reported.
The ages of the new cast members range from 25 to 40, with the majority of the men in their 30s, according to Entertainment Tonight.
Chris Conran, a 27-year-old former Utah Valley University baseball player, remains in the cast of men who will date Crawley, who was the runner-up on season 18 of “The Bachelor.”
”For me, it just is more years under my belt, more learning and knowing what I want, what I don’t want,” Crawley told “Good Morning America” back in March. “I want a man who is strong, but is willing to take off the body armor, open himself up and be vulnerable, and I think that is some serious strength right there.”
As of now, “The Bachelorette” is expected to air on Tuesdays this fall, although a premiere date has not been set.