Clare Crawley Seen Filming The Bachelorette at La Quinta Resort: It's 'a Protective Bubble': Source

The batch of contestants was previously released on the show's Facebook page, introducing Bachelor Nation to 42 potential suitors

Published on July 17, 2020 06:23 PM

Lights, camera, action!

Clare Crawley was seen filming her season of The Bachelorette in California on Friday following a production shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A source tells PEOPLE the season is being filmed at La Quinta Resort in Palm Springs and the "entire resort is shut down and nobody but the cast and crew is there."

Crawley, 39, was photographed filming scenes of her arriving at the resort to meet her suitors.

The star looked casual, sporting a black tank top and red workout leggings. She carried a brown duffel bag and wore a face mask to protect herself amid the ongoing global health crisis.

"The resort is essentially a protective bubble," the insider says. "Nobody is coming and going. The cast and crew arrived before filming began and spent a few days getting used to all the necessary protocols."

"It is a smaller crew, and people are wearing masks and keeping a social distance," the source continues, adding that there have been "multiple rounds of testing for cast and crew and there is a medical team on site enforcing the protocols and administering tests."

"Obviously the show's premise is based partly on close proximities, so there is an abundance of safety and caution," the source says.

The insider shares that La Quinta was chosen because "it is so spread out" and "mostly outdoors."

The source also reveals it's not clear if this season will include travel and hometown visits like in other seasons.

"At this point, travel is not guaranteed. State restrictions keep changing, and nobody wants to get on a plane right now. Time will tell whether there will be hometowns or whether they will drive to other locations. Everything is on a day by day basis," the insider adds.

A premiere date for Crawley's season of The Bachelorette has not yet been announced. It is still expected to air in late September/early October, according to the source.

The sighting comes just one day after Crawley's contestants were released on the show's Facebook page, introducing Bachelor Nation to 42 potential suitors.

Among the group, 25 are new names, while 17 remained from the original group. The men range in age from 25 to 40.

Of course, loyal fans already knew one original contestant would not be included in the new group: Matt James. In June, James was announced as the franchise's next leading man, making him the first-ever Black male lead. James, 28, lives in New York City with Bachelorette star Tyler Cameron, where the two friends, who met in college, run the charity organization ABC Food Tours together.

"This is just the beginning, and we will continue to take action with regard to diversity issues on this franchise," ABC said in a statement at the time. "We feel so privileged to have Matt as our first Black Bachelor and we cannot wait to embark on this journey with him."

Earlier this spring, host Chris Harrison warned that Crawley's season would likely feature a cast shakeup after production was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

RELATED: Chris Harrison Reveals the Bachelorette Shut Down Right As Clare Crawley Was About to Meet Her Men

"The thought that 25, 30, 35 guys, everybody that was able to take time off and come on The Bachelorette, is going to be able to come back again — because we don't have a set time of when we're going to come back," he said. "Obviously with this virus, who knows when this thing is going to blow through. So the idea that everybody is just going to be able to take off work and do this again? Probably very slim."

Crawley was announced as the next Bachelorette on March 2 during an appearance on Good Morning America.

"I want a man that will take off his armor," she said at the time. "I want a man that is strong but is willing to take off the body armor, open themselves up and be vulnerable I think that is some serious strength right there."

Updated by

Aili Nahas