Former Bachelorette Michelle Young Gives Ex Clayton Echard Advice in Deleted Scene From His ‘Bachelor’ Premiere

usmagazine.com:

Surprise guests! Shortly before Clayton Echard met the 30 women vying for his heart during the season 26 premiere on The Bachelor, a few VIPs met up with him at the mansion and dished out some words of wisdom.“Well, hello there,” former Bachelorette Michelle Young said as she greeted the Missouri native, 28, in a deleted scene from the Monday, January 3, episode, walking up to her former suitor by the pool. “It’s good to see you, too!”After briefly chatting with the newly engaged Minnesota native, also 28, Clayton confided in his ex — whom he attempted to win over on season 18 of The Bachelorette — about his nerves going into his first night as the lead.“I’ve felt a whole rush of emotions, you know, like, I’m so excited but I’m also so nervous too,” the orthopedic salesman explained. “Like, the closer I get to it starting, I’m like, ‘Oh.’ I’ll take a few deep breaths and hopefully that’ll be enough.”To help calm Clayton’s nerves, the elementary school teacher reassured him that this process “does work” and flashed her Neil Lane engagement ring, which she received from her fiancé, Nayte Olukoya, during the December 2021 finale.“You are so ready for this.

I can tell that you’re ready,” Michelle told her former suitor. “You’ve been ready, you have a wonderful family supporting you.

I’m supporting you, I’m cheering you on, and, like, everyone’s going to want Clayton to find his person.”Michelle then brought out two more special guests — her students Kelsey and Luke — who shared their well-wishes for Clayton amid his new reality TV journey.

The kids wanted to “check in” with him and see how he was feeling before the limo arrivals.“Once you got sent home, I knew you were going to be the next Bachelor,” Kelsey told the former