Bachelor Fans Are Convinced Ariel Spoiled Her & Zach's Relationship Status

After a positive COVID test sidelined Zach Shallcross in London, Ariel Frenkel was ready to pick up exactly where they left off in The Bachelor’s Feb. 27 episode. Lucky for her, Zach chose the 28-year-old marketing executive for a one-on-one date in Estonia that he described as “relaxing spa day” — but there was a twist. As seen in a sneak peek, the pair stepped out of their comfort zones and into a traditional nudist sauna. Having already shared that Zach always makes her feel comfortable, Ariel assured him, “We’re in this together,” before they kissed.

Perhaps the first clue about Zach and Ariel’s relationship status after The Bachelor is that she posted a clip of the date to her Instagram Stories on Feb. 27, writing, “Especially excited for tonight’s episode,” along with a red heart emoji. Even before then, fans suspected that the New York City native had already spoiled her engagement to Zach on social media — here’s why.

First, Ariel posted a series of photos taken in Austin, Texas — i.e. where Zach currently lives — on Jan. 27. (For context, The Bachelor wrapped filming in November.) Though the visit could have been coincidental, rumors really began swirling when fans spotted Ariel wearing what they believed to be an engagement ring while dining at an Austin steakhouse days later. Of course, Ariel did not respond to speculation in the comments section of her Jan. 31 post, which included one follower writing, “I just ruined the show for my wife by showing her the ring.”

Otherwise, Ariel hasn’t offered many more clues about what she has been doing after The Bachelor. Though she’d been spending time in Los Angeles, she posted on Feb. 14 that she “didn’t move” to the West Coast. Aside from her January trip to Austin, she’s also recently traveled to Miami and attended a Chanel party in Paris. Professionally, Ariel is a freelance marketing consultant, according to her LinkedIn, which also lists the New York City-based Financial Times as an employer.

Spoilers ahead! According to photos obtained by Reality Steve, Zach got a glimpse at Ariel’s life in NYC when they traveled there for Hometown Dates on Nov. 2. Among the locations they visited were Sarge's Delicatessen & Diner in Manhattan’s Murray Hill neighborhood and Washington Square Park. However, the blogger also reported that Ariel ultimately finished third when Zach sent her home from the cast’s final international stop in Thailand.

Zach made clear in the Bachelor midseason trailer that he found love — and had a Neil Lane engagement ring in hand — something he’s also teased in interviews. “I’ll tell you this: I found love, absolutely,” he told Extra in a recent interview. “Now, I can’t go into what that looks like. But I did find love.”

Regardless of what that means, it still appears that Zach didn’t find love with Ariel — or at least not enough for him to get down on one knee. If that spoiler is true, she certainly had Bachelor Nation fooled.