Zach Shallcross on ‘The Bachelor’ Season 27: ‘Drama’

Pouring his heart out! Zach Shallcross got candid about the upcoming season of The Bachelor, teasing how many times he used the “L” word during the show.

“Saying ‘I love you’ carries a different weight to it,” the tech sales executive, 26, told People on Friday, January 20. “For me, there is only one real love, the one that you want to spend your life with. You can have feelings of love for multiple people, but to me, there can only be that one true love at the end.”

While he couldn’t reveal his fate on the series, Zach gushed that his journey has “been better than [he] could have ever expected it,” adding that he is “just so happy with all of it.”

The Bachelorette season 19 contestant also hinted how the season will unfold when it premieres on Monday, January 23.

“It might not be the most dramatic season, but it’s the most emotional season that they’ve ever had,” he said. “But that’s not to say that this season will not have some drama. There’s no shortage of drama.”

Zach Shallcross Bachelor — ABC/Nino Muñoz

Zach even admitted, “There was a few instances where I think everyone could have handled something better [sic].” However, he clarified that he “handled everything the way that felt right.”

“I was following what was right for my heart and my gut,” he concluded.

Bachelor Nation fans first met Zach during Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey’s season of The Bachelorette, which aired from July to September 2022. After spending a night in the fantasy suite with Zach, Rachel, 26, shocked viewers by sending him home.

Why Did Zach Shallcross, Rachel Recchia Split on Bachelorette? — ABC/Craig Sjodin

Despite the heartbreak, Zach opened up about “the biggest takeaway” from his time with the flight instructor, noting that he “tried to maintain [communication] throughout this season” as well as “really encouraging all the women to be open with how they’re feeling with everything.”

“Having that constant line of communication, always being open and vulnerable through it all so that there aren’t any chances of a blindside,” Zach added.

When it comes to his “full personality,” the Anaheim Hills, California, native claimed fans will see more of his character because he “wear[s] it on [his] sleeve.”

“With last season, that necessarily wasn’t the case,” Zach confessed. “I think I’m going to surprise some people with who I am.”

Overall, though, the reality TV star admitted that there is a newfound pressure being the one who hands out the roses.

“It was this feeling of excitement and kind of disbelief that I’m here, but also a little feeling of sadness of I will be sending home some women tonight,” Zach said. “That’s the hard part.”

The Bachelor season 27 premieres on Monday, January 23, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.