Tyler Cameron Says Matt James 'Dodged a Bullet' Not Going on Clare Crawley's Bachelorette Season

Matt James was originally cast on Clare Crawley's Bachelorette season before he was announced as the leading man for season 25 of The Bachelor

Tyler Cameron, Matt James, Clare Crawley. Photo: Paul Bruinooge/Patrick McMullan/Getty; Inset: Craig Sjodin/Getty

Tyler Cameron thinks Matt James' Bachelor Nation casting switch-up worked out for the best.

As fans will recall, James, 28, was originally included in Clare Crawley's cast for The Bachelorette. But when her season was delayed by several months due to the ongoing pandemic, James was announced as the first Black male lead for The Bachelor's 25th season, which is currently filming.

In a new interview with E! News, Cameron — the runner-up of Hannah Brown's Bachelorette season — said that his best friend and roommate "dodged a bullet" by not going on Crawley's drama-filled season.

"That boy dodged a bullet," said Cameron. "That boy is on his own. Just 'cause it's a mess. It's just a disaster. You know what I mean? It's nothing about Clare. It's a mess, you know? Just to be able to jump and skip and be the Bachelor, like who, I mean, of course, good for him, so I am very happy he's not there."

Cameron went on to say that he "would have loved a showdown" to occur between James and Crawley, 39. "They would have probably made that the first one-on-one date. They would have had to hash it out. Matt would have probably gotten kicked out and it would have been hilarious," he said.

Matt James, Clare Crawley. Craig Sjodin/Getty Images; Bob D'Amico/Walt Disney Television

As seen on Crawley's Bachelorette journey, which is currently airing, the California native fell hard for contestant Dale Moss, 32, beginning with episode 1; their romance ultimately brought her season to an abrupt conclusion (of sorts). Though Crawley's exit — and replacement with Tayshia Adams — has been rumored for months, the switch was made official during a teaser that aired after last week's episode.

While the rest of this season will pivot to focus on Adams, 30, as the new lead, ABC Entertainment's Rob Mills recently appeared on former Bachelor Nick Viall's podcast and confirmed that fans will get to see a glimpse of Crawley embarking on her relationship with Moss.

"She just couldn't do it anymore," he said of Crawley's departure. "I think she was sort of going crazy a little bit."

Mills added, "Tayshia will be part of the season starting next week. This is where, as Chris Harrison says, The Bachelorette will blow up."

Tayshia Adams and Clare Crawley. ABC(2)

Meanwhile, James is currently filming his Bachelor season at a resort in Pennsylvania. Last month, ABC unveiled all 43 women who could be competing for James' heart on the show's Facebook page.

In June, James said that the reception to his historical casting has been overwhelmingly positive. "It's been nice, 'cause, to be honest with you, I've heard from a lot of my Black friends that aren't Bachelor Nation faithful, that are excited about me and are honored I'm in the position I'm in and have this opportunity to just represent what it's going to look like to have diverse relationships and tell those love stories," he said during an episode of The Bachelor: Greatest Seasons—Ever! to host Chris Harrison.

"I couldn't be more excited about that," James added.

The Bachelorette airs Tuesdays (8 p.m. ET) on ABC, while season 25 of The Bachelor is expected to premiere in early 2021.