Bachelor Fans Want Serene To Date Another Alum From The Show

Serene Russell is no longer in the running for Clayton Echard’s final rose. Shortly after telling the cameras that she was in love with Clayton and certain that he was her person, he sent her home during the rose ceremony following hometown dates. Clayton explained that he simply had to follow his heart and that he had stronger connections with the other women. Serene responded that she had “nothing else to say ” and rode off in her limo. But her journey in Bachelor Nation may not be over.

Following her elimination, Twitter immediately began playing matchmaker for Serene and coming up with names of men from the franchise she could date instead of Clayton. The two prevailing picks were from Michelle Young’s Bachelorette season: Brandon Jones and Rodney Matthews. Serene doesn’t currently follow either of them on social media, but Rodney does follow her. Perhaps she’ll get a chance to meet them and see if there’s a connection on Bachelor in Paradise this summer? She captioned a recent Instagram photo of her sunbathing on a boat in a bikini “summer things,” so she may already be looking ahead to her next step.

Beyond that, the 27-year-old teacher and model has been reflecting on her time on the show. After her final Bachelor episode aired, she posted a lengthy Instagram caption recounting what she took away from the experience. “I didn’t leave this with my person — at first I thought I left empty handed; but I left having learned how to give myself grace and let go of things not meant for me,” Serene wrote. She went on to say that she was indeed heartbroken, but that she’s proud of the person she became because of it: “A woman who knows it’s okay to be human. A woman who learned showing vulnerability isn’t a weakness. A woman that knows what she deserves and isn’t afraid to ask for what she needs. A woman who ultimately, isn’t afraid to love.”

Serene concluded that she’s still learning and growing, but that she’s confident the right person for her is out there: “a person who will see all of me, my experiences, my scars (and my sunshine too) and it’ll be exactly what he’s been waiting for.”

She elaborated on what she’d learned from being on The Bachelor during an appearance on the Talking It Out with Bachelor Nation podcast, where she spoke to Mike Johnson and Bryan Abasolo. “It’s been about learning how to say what I need from people, or letting people know how I’m feeling,” she said, explaining that there were occasions when Clayton was unaware if she even liked him because she simply wasn’t expressing herself. “The most helpful thing for me is really to slow down and let people know how I’m feeling.”

It doesn’t appear that Serene has begun dating anyone new since filming for Clayton’s season ended in late 2021 — or at least, she’s not in a relationship she’s decided to share publicly. For now, it seems like she’s taking some time to work on herself. Maybe Brandon or Rodney will be waiting for her at the end of that journey.