Photo: Craig Sjodin/ABC
Zach Shallcrossis looking back on his teenage years — and one particularly “ridiculous” moment he experienced in high school.
Shallcross — who was chosen to lead the 27th season ofThe Bachelor, which premiered on Monday — appeared on the newest episode ofThe Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast, where he shared more about himself and his upbringing.
“My parents said I was actually a pretty easy kid to raise,” the 26-year-old explained to hosts Ben Higgins andAshley Iaconetti, noting that he was such a good kid growing up that he would “mostly rat” himself out if he ever did anything wrong.
However, the one time he didn’t rat himself out, Shallcross said he got in so much trouble that his punishment included going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
“It wasn’t until high school that I was at a party and one of the kids decided to take a picture of our beer pyramid and send it to our math teacher,” theBachelorstar recalled. “Obviously, a great idea.”
Zach Shallcross.Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty
Shallcross, who was attending a Catholic high school at the time, said he had already accepted a football scholarship to play Division I football at California Polytechnic State University, and was about to graduate when the photo was sent.
“I was like, ‘Dude, why the hell did you send it to the teacher?’ And he’s like, ‘Don’t worry, he’s one of the cool ones,'” recalled Shallcross. “That next day, I was brought into the president and the principal’s office for a conversation.”
“The punishment ended up being, since I had a few beers at a party, I had to go to a few AA meetings,” he continued. “I had to meet with a priest weekly and I had my own supervisor following me around school to make sure I wouldn’t leave campus to go, I guess, get a drink. And I’m like, ‘Guys, I’m like, 17, take a break.'”
“It was ridiculous. So I went to AA a few times as a kid,” he added.
Craig Sjodin/ABC
Schallcross’ new journey to find love onThe Bachelorcomes after his whirlwind relationship withRachel Recchia, where his seemingly sweet romance took a sudden turn for the worseafterTheBachelorette’s Fantasy Suite episode.
After being tapped as the new Bachelor, Shallcross gave PEOPLE a glimpse of what fans can expect of his second attempt at finding love.
“It might not be the most dramatic season, but it’sthe most emotional seasonthat they’ve ever had,” revealed Shallcross. “But that’s not to say that this season will not have some drama. There’s no shortage of drama.”
Fans got a taste of that dramaduring Monday night’s premiere when Shallcross sent one woman homebefore the first rose ceremony due to their lack of chemistry. His decision resulted in her crying and declaring that she was “heartbroken.”
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The Bachelorairs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
source: people.com
