The Bachelorette Showdown We've Been Waiting for Is Finally Here: Inside Shawn and Nick's "Bitter" Rivalry

A source spills on the two frontrunner's heated confrontations in Monday night's episode of the ABC reality hit

By Tierney Bricker Jul 01, 2015 6:42 PMTags
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Though  there's still five suitors remaining, does anyone else feeling like this season of The Bachelorette is a two-man race between Shawn Booth and Nick Viall

From the very first episode, Shawn has been the frontrunner, earning Kaitlyn Bristowe's first impression rose. Too bad his relationship with the Bachelorette hit a major obstacle when Nick, the runner-up from Andi Dorfman's season, surprisingly showed up and joined the competition. And his chemistry with Kaitlyn was instaneous, leading to a shocking hookup weeks ahead of the fantasy suites.

Shawn's already made it very clear how much he dislikes Nick on the ABC reality hit, mostly referring to him as "the other guy," and their rivalry is only going to intensify once he finds out about the night he spent with Kaitlyn. 

As teased in the promo for next Monday's episode, Kaitlyn "comes clean" and reveals to Shawn that she slept with Nick.

Shawn? Yeah, he doesn't take the news so well. 

In fact, Shawn is so "distraught" over it that he interrupts the rose ceremony that follows Kaitlyn's reveal. But it's not just because she had slept with someone else; it's the someone else that really bothers Shawn. 

"Shawn just couldn't get over it. He was obsessed," our source says. "He was more upset that it was Nick than anything else. He asked Kaitlyn, ‘Why him?' He didn't understand why, out of all the guys, it was Nick she had to sleep with."

And while fans have definitely seen Shawn's dislike of Nick throughout recent episodes, they'll finally see Nick reach his breaking point in next week's episode.

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"Nick felt he had tried to get to know him and was rebuffed at every turn," our insider spills. "He didn't have any respect for the way Shawn was handling himself. Shawn never gave him a chance."

And fans shouldn't expect to see the two men bury the hatchet anytime soon, as our source says, "Nick and Shawn never end up making peace on the show. It's one of the most bitter rivalries the franchise has ever seen."

Anyone care to make Team Nick and Team Shawn t-shirts?!

The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

—Reporting by Beth Sobol