Tayshia Adams caused quite the stir when she became the first lead of The Bachelorette to join mid-season as a result of her predecessor choosing a suitor after just a few weeks. Clare Crawley’s exit made some of the remaining contestants nervous and unsure of what the future of the season would hold. Adams admits that though her transition was smooth, she had her reservations.

“I had a little bit of hesitation just because there was a previous Bachelorette and that hadn’t been the case before in which someone came in who was not what the men were expecting,” Adams told Shadow and Act. “Those fears quickly subsided after talking to all of them [the potential mates]. Through conversations with each of them, despite them having invested feelings in Clare helped my nerves. Many of them even told me they had more interactions with me than Clare because she’d already had her mind made up pretty early about who she’d choose.” 

Not only was she up against men who’d already caught feelings for another woman, but the added pressure of filming during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was hard to ignore. Luckily, Adams says safety precautions were in place to ensure a smooth filming process.

“All of the typical COVID regulations were in place during filming and it was definitely taken into account daily. Once we were in our bubble and there was really no new people besides the crew and myself with the men coming in and out, it was business as usual,” she insists.

Adams, 30, also makes history as only the second Black and second Latinx Bachelorette in the history of the franchise. It’s a feat she doesn’t take lightly.

“I think it’s an amazing opportunity to be the first biracial African American and Mexican bachelorette. I did feel a little sense of pressure but it was really just because I wanted to make sure that I represent for the women who look like myself,” she said.

“I’m really excited, especially for it to happen during this specific year. It’s the perfect time to have a biracial lead in the homes of so many people to see the different stages of falling in love with people of different races and backgrounds. That’d ultimately what true love is and it’s what the dating world looks like in reality, outside of television.”

The Bachelorette airs every Tuesday night on ABC at 8 p.m. EST