With a record number of contestants, Matt James has his work cut out for him on this season of The Bachelor. He’s been slowly building connections with the women, but one lady who caught his eye early on is Rachael Kirkconnell. On a recent one-on-one, Matt treated Rachael to a lavish shopping spree, where there was a first-hand witness who has confirmed that the sparks between the two are just as obvious in-person as they are on screen.
When Rachael came strolling in after her date with Matt, arms laden with shopping bags, she became the envy of all the other women—and rightfully so. Matt chose to shower Rachael with gifts, which means he must be more serious about her than most of the other women. Aside from the swag, Rachael got coveted one-on-one time with the Bachelor. The date was a taste of the A-list life, complete with celebrity stylist Ty Hunter, who’s well-known in the fashion world for being responsible for some of Beyoncé’s fiercest looks. Rachael easily took home thousands of dollars worth of clothes and shoes, but according to Ty, she might have gotten Matt’s heart as well.
“In between takes they were really into each other,” Ty said to Page Six. “I don’t know who won,” he added, “but I do know that when I was there with the two of them, the chemistry was so strong—it was like, oh my god.” Ty revealed that Rachael tried on on several items, including Christian Louboutin heels and a hand-embroidered dress, and that the mini-fashion show was just as fun as it looked. Though Rachael has been the subject of controversy lately, Ty said she had a “good energy” which made it fun and easy for him to dress her.
Fans are lucky to get an outsider’s opinion on Matt and Rachael’s relationship, because so far this season of The Bachelor has been nearly all drama and no romance, so Ty’s insight is especially helpful. According to Ty, there really seems to be a genuine connection between Matt and Rachael. He commented, “They couldn’t keep their eyes off each other. They were very touchy-feely, and you could see the passion there.”
Rumors circling about this season of The Bachelor would suggest that Rachael is going to go far, which at this point seems obvious, given that Matt specifically chose her for the shopping date. But does she have what it takes to go all the way with Matt? At least even if she doesn’t, she’ll still get to keep the swag.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8pm EST on ABC.
