Clayton Echard and Rachel Recchia’s experience on Perfect Match turned out to be just as dramatic as their shared Bachelor Nation journey.
This post has spoilers for the first six episodes of Perfect Match season 3.
Rachel, 29, was picked as a new arrival during the second episode, where AD Smith and Ollie Sutherland hand-selected her for a date with Love Is Blind UK alum Freddie Powell. After their wholesome painting date, she walked into the villa and discovered that Clayton, 32, was already there.
Both Rachel and Clayton were shocked to see one another, with the former Bachelor lead revealing that they last crossed paths “over a year ago” and ended up in a “good place.” (For the uninitiated, Rachel was one of Clayton’s final two women on his season of The Bachelor. He told both Rachel and fellow finalist Gabby Windey that he was in love with and had sex with both of them, but then realized his feelings for eliminated contestant Susie Evans were stronger and ended the series to pursue her.)
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“I’m happy to see you. I was not anticipating having somebody that I knew to be here,” Clayton told Rachel in a private conversation. “It’s really crazy. It’s a rush, and to be honest, even though I’ve moved on from it, [seeing you here has] reopened things.”
Clayton, who was coupled up with Siesta Key’s Juliette Porter, then asked if he could rematch with Rachel that evening.
“This isn’t, like, ‘Oh, I’m meeting you for the first night one.’ We come with a lot of history,” he said. “I just care about you. Like, I do. I feel like I hurt you so bad, [and] I don’t want to do that to you, but I believe everything happens for a reason. I’m here for a reason, you’re here for a reason. I think we should match.”
Clayton added, “I can’t promise you that this will work between us, but I know that I’ve changed. I know that you’ve changed, [and] I know that we have a lot in common.”
Rachel, who was wary about getting hurt by Clayton for a second time, agreed to put aside her hesitation and give the former football player another chance.
The next day, Rachel and Clayton competed alongside their Perfect Match peers in a blindfolded kissing contest. While she was all for their steamy makeout, Clayton actually rated The Ultimatum personality Sandy Gallagher as his best kiss, and they were sent on a date. (Sandy, 27, was partnered with Too Hot to Handle alum Louis Russell.)
After returning from his date, where he got friend-zoned, Clayton told Rachel he had a change of heart about their connection.
“Out of respect for you, I have to not drag something out,” Clayton told a now-tearful Rachel. “My intuition was telling me that this was not going to work between us, and I don’t want to hurt you.”
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The pilot, for her part, started crying as she told Clayton that it was “so mean” to put her in the same position for a third time. Before he could explain what went wrong, Rachel ran out of the room in hysterics.
“I was trying to tell her that my intuition kicked in today, and I’m, like, ‘I can’t do this,’” he later told their castmates after her exit from the room.
Speaking to the other ladies, Rachel stressed that Clayton “doesn’t give a s*** about” her after spouting out the same breakup line he told her on The Bachelor. Rachel and Clayton did not spend the night in their shared bedroom, as they planned to move forward separately.
Clayton and Sandy later opted to send Rachel on a date when they went into the boardroom to pick out new arrivals, choosing to bring in Love Island UK alum Scott van-der-Sluis. The compatible pair also decided to send AD Smith on a date with The Ultimatum’s J.R. Warren.
When Rachel returned home from her date, Clayton stressed that he hoped she “finds happiness” elsewhere. Rachel rematched with Scott, 24, which left Clayton single, and he was eliminated.
“I don’t regret bringing Rachel into this house,” he said upon his departure. “Now, it brings both of us closure.”
Perfect Match season 3 is currently streaming on Netflix. New episodes drop weekly.
