“This is so odd”: The Bachelor 2023 fans slam the meatball competition between Cat and Zach

The Bachelor season 27 aired its first episode on Monday, featuring Zach Shallcross as the lead with 30 beautiful women.

After welcoming all the ladies into the villa, Zach had a one-on-one conversation with the women. When he sat with Catherine “Cat” Wong, she insisted on having a meatball competition between them. The challenge was to fit as many meatballs as possible in the mouth.

Fans found the challenge “odd.” They claimed that producers should not have included the segment as it made them feel disgusted.

For those interested, Cat won the challenge as they had five meatballs, while Zach could only fit three.

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Fans compare Cat with The Bachelorette’s James Clarke

Although The Bachelor fans found the meatball segment disgusting, they claimed that the challenge reminded them of The Bachelorette contestant James Clarke, who was nicknamed “Meatballs.”

Some fans wondered if Catherine “Cat” Wong annoyed the producers that they let her do the segment.

Take a look at fans’ reactions:

Catherine “Cat” Wong is a 26-year-old dancer from New York. She didn’t get her first kiss in The Bachelor season 27 episode 1 but was able to feed Zach some meatballs.

Her ABC bio reads:

“When it comes to living life to the fullest, Cat likes to just go for it! Cat is a free spirit who isn’t afraid to be silly and always tries to keep a positive attitude. Cat loves living in New York City, is passionate about dancing and enjoys a picnic in the park.”

It continues:

“Cheese and crackers in Central Park with Cat? Sounds like a dreamy one-on-one date to us! Cat is ready to find someone who accepts her for who she is and will make her a priority. Cat believes true love is within reach, and we hope she’s right!”

Some of the fun facts listed in the bio mentioned that she loves hot dogs and is not a fan of dinner dates. She was also a sailing instructor during her high school days.

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The Bachelor season 27 suitresses

In addition to Cat, The Bachelor season 27 welcomed 29 suitresses. Here are the 30 women:

• Aly, 26, from Atlanta, Georgia.
• Anastasia, 30, from San Diego, California.
• Ariel, 28, from New York, New York
• Bailey, 27, from Nashville, Tennessee.
• Rebecca, “Becca,” 25, from Burbank, California.
• Brianna, 24, from Jersey City, New Jersey
• Brooklyn, 25, from Stillwater, Oklahoma.
• Cara, 27, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Cat, 26, from New York, New York
• Charity, 26, from Columbus, Georgia
• Christina Mandrell, 26, from Nashville, Tennessee
• Davia, 25, from Charleston, South Carolina
• Gabriella “Gabi,” 25, from Pittsford, Vermont
• Genevie, 26, from Baltimore City, Maryland
• Greer, 24, from Houston, Texas
• Holland, 24, from Boca Raton, Florida
• Jessica “Jess,” 23, from Winter Springs, Florida
• Kaitlyn “Kaity,” 27, from Austin, Texas
• Katherine, 26, from Tampa, Florida
• Kimberly, 30, from Los Angeles, California
• Kylee, 25, from Charlotte, North Carolina
• Chandralekha “Lekha,” 29, from Miami, Florida
• Madison, 26, from Fargo, North Dakota
• Mercedes, 24, from Bloomfield, Iowa
• Olivia L., 24, from Rochester, New York
• Olivia M., 25, from Cincinnati, Ohio
• Sonia, 29, from Long Island, New York
• Vanessa, 23, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Victoria J., 30, from Fort Worth, Texas
• Viktoria E., 29, from Vienna, Austria

The official synopsis of Zach Shallcross' The Bachelor 2023 episode 1 read:

“Zach’s Journey to find love begins! Thirty hopeful women arrive at the mansion looking for love and to make a lasting first impression with our newest leading man. The pressure is on and despite their best efforts, not all will come up roses."

Hosted by Jesse Palmer, The Bachelor will air new episodes on Mondays on ABC at 8.00 pm ET. Viewers can also watch the episode on Hulu the following day.