‘The Bachelor: Winter Games’ Contestants Clare Crawley, Benoit Beauséjour-Savard Are Engaged
There was a big surprise on The Bachelor Winter Games as two contestants got engaged. The two players who were unlucky in love shocked viewers.
A Huge Finale
On Thursday night's The Bachelor Winter Games: World Tells All special, French Canadian Benoit Beauséjour-Savard popped the question — en français, naturally — to Clare Crawley. Crawley, a four-time Bachelor contestant and fan favorite, enthusiastically said "Yes!"
"It's overwhelming, it's crazy. Going on these Bachelor shows is a huge risk and you don't know the outcome. It's scary, but it's a risk that you have to take to get the good in the end," she gushed.
Her fiancé was equally enthusiastic, further espousing the good thing about the dating shows they both featured.
"I didn't expect this. I was heartbroken on The Bachelorette: Canada but going back on this show I had an open mind. I was realistic that there might not be someone for me. But like you've seen on TV, I had the biggest crush ever on her. [But then] it wasn't a crush, it was developing into something really deep and strong," said Beauséjour-Savard.
The two had instant chemistry on the spinoff show, but a love triangle ensued with German contestant Christian Rauch. Although nice-guy Beauséjour-Savard was very clear about his feelings, Crawley initially pulled away so she could get to know Rauch better.
Things didn't work out between the two, and a heartbroken Beauséjour-Savard had already left the house. He reconnected with Crawley via text message once the show was over, with the French-Canadian thinking he'd missed his chance.
Thankfully, the opposite was true, and the couple soon started texting constantly.
"We spent hours and hours each and every day talking to each other," he said.
A Huge Shock
Winter Games teased the big moment before the show's air date. They shared a photo of Crawley's engagement ring on Twitter. However, the owner was kept secret, with viewers even being misled into believing Dean Unglert and Lesley Murphy had gotten engaged instead.
The ring is a custom-designed Neil Lane creation, which Beauséjour-Savard said was exactly what he wanted.
"He [Neil Lane] did the best job ever. It blows my mind. It was the first time that I had to shop for this, and it will be the last one for sure," he said.
Although the French-Canadian only considered proposing a week beforehand, he made sure to clear it with Crawley's family on Facetime prior to popping the question on TV.
Thankfully, they were ecstatic for the couple. Beauséjour-Savard even gained extra points by shouting out Crawley's late father during the proposal.
The newly-engaged couple still live pretty far away from each other, with Beauséjour-Savard in Montreal and Crawley in Sacramento. So, before they get started with wedding plans, they'll need to decide on a home base.
Longtime Bachelor Nation viewers knew to expect a big surprise in the tell-all finale episode, maybe even a proposal. However, the news that Clare and Benoit had secretly rekindled their romance off-screen was a big twist.
Winter Games was the inaugural season of the spinoff show, which is Olympics-inspired and features fan favorites from both American and international versions of The Bachelor.
Although contestants must compete in winters sports challenges throughout, the main focus, as usual, is on finding love. Four couples ultimately survived the show, but the big engagement was still the biggest talking point.
