'The Bachelor' Finale Recap: Clayton Can't Let Susie Go

Susie Evans ended up with Clayton Echard after all during the season finale of The Bachelor, but don’t expect them to get engaged anytime soon.

Susie Evans is not ready to be Mrs. Echard. After Tuesday night's dramatic season finale of , the wedding videographer appeared on podcast to reveal what would make her say no to a proposal from Clayton Echard, whom she reconnected with post-show after initially turning down his ask for a relationship.«We have a lot to learn about each other, and we have a lot to learn about ourselves still. I think we both are still growing and learning from this,» Susie said.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentBachelor Nation got whiplash this week from the season finale of “The Bachelor” Season 26 — which went from breakup to makeup to another breakup and another makeup to a dual breakup, all ultimately for leading man Clayton Echard to end up with contestant Susie Evans, who had actually left the show the week before the finale.If that sounds confusing, it’s because it is.Never, since the two decades its been on-air, has the dating show seen such a change-of-heart from its lead than it did this season: Echard told three women (Evans, Gabby Widney and Rachel Recchia) that he was in love with them, also admitting to sleeping with two of them.After being left alone and single in the final episode, which filmed roughly four months ago, Echard ended up walking away with Evans, despite her turning him down in the shocking finale. And in last night’s “After the Final Rose” episode, instead of a proposal, Evans confirmed she was his girlfriend, accepting Echard’s final rose — but not before he was reamed out by Widney and Recchia on live television with both women calling him selfish, manipulative and thoughtless.

Clayton Echard is delighted by the announcement that both Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia will be the next Bachelorette. The co-Bachelorettes were revealed on Tuesday's season finale of , which saw Clayton have uncomfortable post-split conversations with each of the soon-to-be leading ladies.«I wish the best for them. I was extremely happy when they announced they were dual Bachelorettes,» Clayton told ET's Denny Directo.

Susie Evans had a hard time watching her beau reunite with his exes. The morning after the season finale of , Clayton Echard's final pick told ET's Denny Directo that watching the medical sales rep's conversations with Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia was «heartbreaking.»During the two-part season finale, Clayton reeled from Susie's decision to leave the show, after learning that he'd been intimate with and was in love with multiple women.Clayton came clean to Gabby and Rachel about the same thing, and convinced them to stay and meet his parents, but ended up breaking up with them when he couldn't get Susie off of his mind.Those splits led Clayton to have awkward live conversations with Gabby and Rachel on Tuesday's episode, both of which Susie watched from the wings as she waited to make her couple debut with the Bachelor himself.«It was really tough,» Susie told ET. «We obviously knew those conversations were coming.

Susie Evans didn't wait long to get back in touch with Clayton Echard. On Tuesday's finale of , Susie rejected Clayton's offer to leave Iceland together, but the pair patched things up post-show, and appeared happy and in love during a live, in-studio appearance.The morning after their public debut, Susie told ET's Denny Directo that she «pretty much reached out to Clayton immediately» after her initial rejection.«I got my phone back, called my parents, and then I slid into Clayton's DMs,» she recalled.

Season 26 of The Bachelor concluded Tuesday with a finale twist that brought the ABC series to the top of primetime.

The most dramatic season yet? Clayton Echard‘s Bachelor journey came to a shocking end on Tuesday, March 15, and even former ABC stars couldn’t see the twists coming.

Clayton. On Tuesday night's finale of , Rachel reunited with this season's leading man for the first time since he sent her home in Iceland.On part one of the show's season finale, Clayton confessed that he had expressed feelings of love to each of his final three women, and said that he had been intimate with both Gabby and Rachel.Rachel decided to stay and meet Clayton's family, despite feeling some lingering uncertainty.

Elizabeth Wagmeister Senior CorrespondentSPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead, if you have not watched Clayton Echard’s finale of “The Bachelor,” which aired March 14 and 15 on ABC.ABC has picked not one, but two stars for its next season of “The Bachelorette.”Making history in a franchise first, both Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia will co-star in “The Bachelorette” Season 19, which will air this upcoming summer, premiering on July 11.Windey and Recchia certainly deserve another shot at love, after the back-and-forth heartbreak they endured on Clayton Echard’s season of “The Bachelor,” which wrapped up with its shocking finale tonight.Both finalists on Echard’s season, Windey and Recchia were put through the ringer when Echard told them each he was in love with them and admitted to being intimate with both of them — not to mention, another women in the mix, finalist Susie Evans, who he said he actually loved more than the other two, after asking them to trust him and stick with him ’til the end. After the devastating dual breakup on “The Bachelor” finale, both women emerged as fierce supporters of each other, and won over America’s hearts, as viewers were shocked by the turn-of-events with Echard over the past few episodes.ABC has not provided details as to how exactly the next season of “The Bachelorette” will work with two leading ladies, other than saying, in a press release, that Windey and Recchia will “stand by each other’s side yet again as they set out on a journey to find love.”Jesse Palmer, who made his debut as the franchise’s new host this past season of “The Bachelor,” will return to host the new season of “The Bachelorette.”“The Bachelorette” typically airs on ABC in the spring.

Speaking their minds. Clayton Echard‘s exes Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia didn’t hold back during After the Final Rose on Tuesday, March 15.

Haley Kluge Senior DesignerSPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not watched the March 15 finale of ABC’s “The Bachelor.”Clayton Echard’s run as “The Bachelor” has been less than smooth. His season’s conclusion was no different.During Monday’s penultimate episode, Clayton attempted to salvage his relationships with finalists Gabby Widney and Rachel Recchia. He confessed that he loved and had slept with them both, which had everyone in hysterics and nearly caused Gabby to self-eliminate.Despite the dramatic rose ceremony, both women stuck around and met Clayton’s family in Iceland.

Relationship redo! Clayton Echard and Susie Evans were reunited on The Bachelor: After the Final Rose on Tuesday, March 15, after their emotional breakup — and revealed they are giving things another try!

Clayton Echard's journey came to an end in a way no one could have expected. On Tuesday's episode of the ABC series, the Bachelor said «I love you» to his final woman, Susie Evans, but she did not return the sentiment.Clayton's relationship with Susie turned rocky during Fantasy Suites week, when he admitted to being in love with and having been intimate with both Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey.Susie left the show in tears, unable to accept that Clayton held similar feelings for two other women.

Clayton Echard. On Tuesday night's season finale of , the leading man broke things off with the nurse after realizing his heart was with someone else.On part one of the show's season finale, Clayton confessed that he had expressed feelings of love to each of his final three women, and said that he had been intimate with both Gabby and Rachel Recchia.Gabby decided to stay and meet Clayton's family, despite feeling some lingering uncertainty.