Clayton Echard Reveals What Reality Show He Hopes Will Call After Becoming the ‘Villain’ on ‘Perfect Match’ (Exclusive) originally appeared on Parade.
Clayton Echard is revealing which reality show he’s hoping will call after his stint as the “villian” on Perfect Match.
The 32-year-old reality star — who rose to fame on Season 18 of The Bachelorette and later became the lead on Season 26 of The Bachelor — opened up about pining for a particular reality series as his next while chatting exclusively with Parade.
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“I would love [to do] The Traitors,” he says. “I think dating shows at this point, I feel like I’ve worn myself out. I’m like, ‘Look, I would love for people to see the psychological thought process of what I go through or just play that game with Traitors.’ That’s actually a show I’ve been really, really wanting to get on because I’m like, ‘I want to play the game,’ you know? I want to be a Traitor.”
Though he says he’s open to appearing on other shows, Echard reiterates that he’s done with reality dating shows for now. However, he’s totally ready to keep playing the bad guy.
“I’m like, ‘Look, pass me on a villain show at this point, because I’m just a villain in the eyes of reality television, as I can make it work that way. At the end of the day, the people closest to me know who I am. I know I have work to do. I know I’m not a finished product. I know that I make mistakes. So could I always be better? Absolutely.”
He adds: “But maybe this will be [when] The Traitors goes, ‘Look we need a villain.’ Aright, well, then so be it. You want me to be the villain? I’ll be the villain for reality television. If that’s the persona I’m going to have, then I’ll just accept it.”
Echard was cast alongside ex Rachel Recchia in Season 3 of Perfect Match, which premiered on Netflix on Aug. 1. Recchia, 29, was one of the finalists on Echard’s season of The Bachelor, but was broken up with by Echard after realizing he still had feelings for another eliminated contestant, Susie Evans.
Fans can catch episodes 1 through 6 of Season 3 of Perfect Match on Netflix now. Episodes 7 through 9 will hit the streaming service on Friday, Aug. 8, while the season finale will air Friday, Aug. 15.
Related: Match’ Season 3 Has the Hottest Reality TV Stars: See Their Instagram Handles
Clayton Echard Reveals What Reality Show He Hopes Will Call After Becoming the ‘Villain’ on ‘Perfect Match’ (Exclusive) first appeared on Parade on Aug 7, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
