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Warning: This story contains spoilers from the first six episodes of Netflix’s Perfect Match season 3.
Clayton Echard knows his journey on Perfect Match season 3 didn’t go quite to plan, but he’s standing by his actions.
In episode 3 of the new season, Clayton’s ex Rachel Recchia entered the villa, sparking some curiosity and heightened emotions for the two after they first attempted to find love on The Bachelor. After deciding to match up for the night — a decision that was initially met by some hesitance by Rachel — Clayton ultimately ended things hours later, claiming his “intuition was telling me that this is not going to work between us.”
In an interview with PEOPLE, Clayton, 32, clarifies why he ended things and reiterates that his intuition was a massive factor in his decision.
“I’m glad they showed that… I was hoping they were going to,” he says of speaking about his intuition. “I don’t really think there’s a specific answer other than it was a feeling.”
“When I woke up, my heart dropped, and I felt this pit in my stomach and I realized, ‘That wasn’t the right decision,'” he explains. “At that point, I gave it the day, made sure that that was the correct feeling and that it didn’t go away. And it didn’t. And so at that point I thought, ‘This is hard, but it’s only going to be worse if I try to drag it and take more time.'”
The reality star adds that he “was very decisive” and knew he had to act quickly.
“I just had to end it,” he says. “I never had any intention of hurting her. Unfortunately, in dating shows, there’s emotions attached, so it’s hard to get out unscathed.”
Netflix
Clayton also anticipates that Bachelor Nation fans will have mixed opinions about their brief Perfect Match reunion.
“I think it’s going to be a split,” he says. “I think there’s going to be half people that understand, there’s going to be a large swathe of people that are going to attack me for it. But truthfully, I did what I thought was best, and I stand by that.”
“So the negativity that comes my way, if that’s how people feel, that’s fine,” he adds. “But I did what I thought was best. And so I stand by that.”
He’s also not ruling out the potential for finding love on reality TV down the line, despite his lucky turns on The Bachelorette, The Bachelor and Perfect Match.
“I’m open to anything. I don’t know if dating shows are maybe my forte, but maybe if the right one comes around, I’ll give it a shot,” he says.
Craig Sjodin/Getty
Early on in Perfect Match season 3, Rachel sobbed after Clayton broke the news about their split.
After Rachel’s entrance and their matching up in episode 3, things took a turn in episode 4. Clayton sat Rachel, 29, down and explained that he needed to talk to her so he didn’t “drag something out.”
Rachel immediately connected the dots and grew emotional as she told her ex, “I can’t do it again.”
But Clayton insisted his intentions were pure. “My intuition was telling me that this is not going to work between us, and I don’t want to hurt you,” he said. “That’s why I’m having this conversation as soon as possible.”
He later added: “My intuition kicked in today and I’m like, I can’t do this.”
Rachel broke down in tears as she asked him, “Why would you even put me in this position?” She then ran off, only to be consoled by her fellow female costars.
“He literally did it again. This is the third time he’s done this to me,” she said. “He does not give a s— about me.”
Brenda Islas/NETFLIX (2)
After the dramatic ordeal, Rachel spoke to PEOPLE about why she decided to give Clayton a second chance despite him hurting her in the past.
As fans know, Rachel and Clayton initially tried to find love on The Bachelor. At the time, Clayton was the leading man of season 26, and declared that he was in love with his three finalists — Rachel, Gabby Windey and Susie Evans.
He then decided to send Susie home, but later realized he wanted to pursue things with her — and broke up with Rachel and Gabby. Clayton went on to date Susie afterwards, but they announced their split in a joint Instagram statement in September 2022.
Speaking to PEOPLE about their short reunion on Perfect Match, Rachel says she’s not sure “if I ever really felt comfortable” about giving Clayton another chance.
“I was doubting myself the whole time, but I think I never really got a full answer leaving The Bachelor. And there’s always been this ‘what if?'” she shares. “Even for the audience, everyone still wonders ‘what if?’ And I think I knew that no matter what, I was going to get my answer. And I did.”
After Clayton ended things with Rachel, he decided to leave the villa after realizing there were no other potential matches for him to explore. He exited, content that he was able to finally get closure with Rachel, while Rachel went on to match with Love Island USA alum Scott van-der-Sluis.
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The first six episodes of Perfect Match season 3 are now streaming on Netflix. Additional episodes will drop weekly through the finale on Aug. 15.
