Bachelorette's Clare Crawley Speaks Out After Season Is Postponed by Coronavirus

Season 16 of "The Bachelorette" may be postponed to COVID-19, but star Clare Crawley seems optimistic she'll find love again -- even if she has to wait a little longer.

On Friday, Crawley, who, at 38, is the oldest lead in this show's history, took to Instagram to react to the news that production on her season of the ABC dating reality series has been delayed.

"Well hello! Talk about most dramatic season ever!" the Sacramento hair stylist captioned a photo of her with host Chris Harrison. "In all seriousness, Everyone's health is the most important priority at this time, and as I'm sure you've heard, we are pressing pause for now on filming The Bachelorette. 🌹"

"We are taking it day by day and even hour by hour as this is so unpredictable," she continued. "All I know for sure is that my heart is so full from all the love and support this far, and am still so excited for my journey to begin! I've waited 38 years for these moments, what's a little bit longer, right! 😉❤️xoxo"

Harrison also spoke out about the show's production delay and explained some of the thought process behind the difficult decision.

The host, 48, first confirmed the news. "Hello, Bachelor Nation. It is with a heavy heart that I come to you tonight, because right now, at this very minute, I should be standing on a very wet driveway with a very excited woman, ready to change lives," Harrison began in a Instagram video. "But in fact, lives have been changed, because I am here to confirm, which you probably already know, and that is production of The Bachelorette has been postponed for two weeks, at least."

Harrison said after two weeks they will "reassess where we are in the world" and "figure out if we can move forward."

"I was consulted about this," he continued. "It was not only the right thing to do, it was the only thing to do. But that doesn't mean this decision wasn't hard to make, because this will affect a lot of people. Like it is for everybody around the globe, the ripple effect of this is massive -- first and foremost, for my bachelor family, the crew. There are hundreds, hundreds of people, from audio to camera, producers, AD's [assistant directors], art department, hair, wardrobe, driver, security, catering, you name it. This is massive. Jobs will be lost, paychecks will be lost, and there's just no way to avoid that, and that doesn't avoid the fact that this was still the right thing to do and the only thing to do."

After thanking those men who had "given up time in their lives to go on this adventure," Harrison addressed Crawley. "To my friend Clare, you're still my Bachelorette and hopefully we're still going to get the opportunity to help you find love and make his work."

The ABC star then spoke about COVID-19, which is now a global pandemic, and urged fans to remain "vigilant" and practice safe hygiene and social distancing.

"So, I just wanna say, Bachelor Nation, I'm with you," Harrison said. "There will be a time again, where we all laugh about trivial things -- about finding love, about the drama. This too shall pass. But in the meantime, let's all be smart, let's all be vigilant, let's all be caring and loving in every way possible."

"First and foremost, that is washing your hands, being smart, social distancing, not going to crowded restaurants and bars, as much as that's going to hurt everybody in our society," he concluded. "We have to take those extra steps and knock this thing down. The faster we do that, the faster we are all back to crazy things like rose ceremonies and hot tubs and all the great things that come with it. God bless you all, I'll be with you every step of the way and I hope to see you soon."

According to TMZ, filming on Crawley's seasons was to begin on Friday and they had hoped to start things up again on Sunday. However, Warner Bros. Television -- who produces "The Bachelorette" and other shows in "The Bachelor" franchise for ABC -- released a statement on Friday announcing they would be suspending production on over 70 shows due to coronavirus fears.

Earlier this month, ABC announced that Crawley, who finished second in Juan Pablo Galavis' season in 2014, will be the new Bachelorette. At 38, she's the oldest lead on both "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" ever, and says with age comes "more learning and knowing what I want -- and knowing what I won't settle for."

This will be Crawley's fifth time on a "Bachelor" property. In addition to her season with Juan Pablo, she appeared on the first two seasons of "Bachelor In Paradise" and competed in the "Bachelor Winter Games."

Season 16 of "The Bachelorette" is scheduled to premiere on May 18, but it's unclear if the production delay will impact the premiere.

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