Alayah Emerges as the New Villain on ‘The Bachelor’

The episode begins in the aftermath of the group date, where Hannah Ann accuses Kelsey of “bullying.” As you can imagine, emotions are running high, since they both feel like victims. While Hannah Ann is upset because she’s “not a Champagne stealer,” Kelsey doesn’t like being called a bully.

When they sit down for a chat, Kelsey says that she will not tolerate being called a “bully.” Hannah Ann explains that she didn’t know what else to do, since Kelsey was saying derogatory things about her.

“Using unkind words to you, I apologize for that,” Kelsey says. “But that is not bullying. It’s not.” Um, it kinda is.

Kelsey goes on to say that she’s not mad about the Champagne because she doesn’t even like it. At the end of the conversation, Kelsey and Hannah Ann agree to disagree, so the drama continues. *Pours glass of bubbly*

Meanwhile, Victoria P. is thrilled when she receives a date card for a one-on-one. Weber arrives at the mansion in a vintage red car (classy) and drives her to his hometown of Westlake, California.

Before they begin the date, Weber reveals that Victoria P. needs to “look the part.” So, he takes her to a country store, where they get decked out in cowboy boots, hats and flannel. While there, Weber teaches Victoria P. a line dance…in the middle of the store.

The 500 Days of Summer moment makes more sense later on, when Weber takes her to a line dancing bar, where they take center stage.

Sure, Kelsey picks up the moves, like, super quick. But it’s important to point out that Weber can really move. Not only does he know every dance, but he also looks good doing it.  

Later that night, they sit down for dinner in an airport hangar (#Fitting). During the meal, Victoria P. opens up about her rough childhood, which involved taking care of her sister, living in shelters and searching for food on a daily basis. Weber totally eats it up and thanks her for being so honest.

After the pilot tells a lame story about a shooting star, he gives her the rose. In an interview with producers, Victoria P. says she’s “already falling for him.” Let the games begin.

Back at the mansion, Alayah is annoying, well, everyone. At one point, she’s wearing a pilot’s hat, holding a glass of wine and talking about her future with Weber. “I’m testing out that pilot’s wife life, dude,” she says.

Alayah is also very open about her acting abilities, claiming she’s “very good at putting on face when I need to.” (Whatever that means.)

When the date card arrives, it’s addressed to Kiarra, Sarah, Tammy, Kelley, Shiann, Savannah, Sydney and—you guessed it—Alayah.

The next morning, Demi Burnett arrives at the mansion bright and early, and she’s accompanied by two “Henchwomen” holding pillows. Right on cue, Demi directs the “Henchwomen” to wake up the contestants with a full-blown pillow fight. (Feathers and all.)

When they gather in the living room, Demi singles out the women who are going on today’s group date. She hands them each a bag and says Weber will arrive within the hour.

The contestants open their present only to find—whaddaya know—lingerie. That’s because today’s date involves a fighting competition…but this isn’t any ordinary trip to the boxing ring. Instead, the contestants are tasked with engaging in a pillow brawl, titled “Demi’s Extreme Pillow Fight Club.”

The best part? Alayah is crowned the winner.

At the after-party, Alayah is the first person to steal Weber away, and it doesn’t sit well with the other contestants.

In particular, Sydney is extremely bothered. After pressing Alayah about her pageantry career, Sydney accuses Alayah of using her training to get ahead. “You sound so rehearsed,” Sydney says. “With cameras, you’re just, like, so on.”

When Sydney sits down with Weber, she wastes no time clearing her head and says she thinks Alayah is “fake.”

So, Weber does what no Bachelor has done before and calls a group meeting. He puts Sydney on the spot and explains the conversation they just had.

“I want to just squash this now,” Weber says.

Sydney immediately names Alayah, who denies any wrongdoing. Alayah doesn’t understand why Sydney would tattle on her and claims that she “ruined” her night. When Alayah pulls Weber aside, she opens up about her feelings and gets emotional while talking about Sydney’s accusations. Per usual, Weber doesn’t know who to believe.

When they return to the group, Weber gives the rose to Sydney. Yikes.

The next day, Chris Harrison arrives at the mansion and explains there will be no cocktail party before the rose ceremony. Instead, Weber wants to clear up some drama. The pilot immediately pulls aside Sydney and apologizes for putting her in an awkward position.

Next, Weber holds individual meetings with Kelsey, Natasha, and other contestants, who share their thoughts about Alayah. Overall, it’s not good.

When Alayah sits down with Weber, she explains that she’s having a hard time because she’s never had her “authenticity called into question.” Weber says that his biggest fear is getting fooled by someone who’s not here for the right reasons. When the pilot asks if she understands where the contestants are coming from, Alayah plays dumb.

“I choose to be happy,” she says. “That’s just me.” Alrighty then.

Things get even more awkward when Victoria P. reveals that she knew Alayah before coming on The Bachelor. To top it off, Alayah asked Victoria P. to keep their friendship a secret from producers.

When Weber confronts Alayah, she knows she’s caught red-handed. She explains that she thought it would hurt her chances on the show, which is why she asked Victoria P. to lie. Weber calls her manipulative, saying, “That doesn’t look genuine.”

At the rose ceremony, Weber begins handing out roses and stops when there’s only two left. After walking off camera, the pilot returns with Harrison, who removes one of the flowers. Weber gives the remaining rose to Mykenna, ultimately sending home Jasmine, Alexa, Sarah and Alayah.

Will Weber regret his decision? And will we see Alayah on Bachelor in Paradise? Guess we’ll have to wait until The Bachelor returns to ABC next Monday, January 27, at 8 p.m.