'The Bachelor' recap: Victoria Fuller encounters ex Chase Rice on date, Peter Weber lets Alayah Benavidez return angering the other bachelorettes

The Bachelor star Peter Weber had an awkward one-on-one date with Victoria Fuller and her ex-boyfriend Chase Rice and then angered and disappointed most of his bachelorettes by allowing Alayah Benavidez to return to the Season 24 competition with a rose during Monday night's broadcast on ABC.


At the start of the broadcast, the following 15 women were still in the running for Peter's heart: Victoria F., Deandra Kanu, Hannah Ann Sluss, Kelley Flanagan, Kelsey Weier, Kiarra Norman, Lexi Buchanan, Madison Prewett, Mykenna Dorn, Natasha Parker, Savannah Mullins, Shiann Lewis, Sydney Hightower, Tammy Ly, and Victoria Paul.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' SPOILERS: ALL OF PETER WEBER'S SEASON DETAILS, INCLUDING HANNAH BROWN, FINAL 2 PICKS AND FINAL ROSE CEREMONY

The Bachelor episode kicked off with Victoria P. saying she was probably the reason why Alayah went home but she was on the show for Peter and had to tell the truth.

The Bachelor host Chris Harrison then showed up to the mansion and assured the women that although Peter had disappeared after the previous Rose Ceremony, he was taking the process very seriously and still believed his wife was in the room.


With that being said, Chris told the ladies to pack their bags because they'd be heading to a city filled with "art, culture and rock and roll" -- Cleveland, OH. The bachelorettes weren't exactly thrilled, but they didn't really know what to expect.

Victoria F. and Peter have a one-on-one date

Once the ladies arrived in Cleveland and settled into their penthouse hotel room, a Date Card arrived for Victoria F.

Mykenna was really upset her name wasn't on the card because she hadn't received much time with Peter and wanted him to see her heart.

For their date, Peter took Victoria F. flying, but she admittedly isn't a fan of heights. Victoria F. served as Peter's co-pilot and was "terrified," but she ended up having a great time.

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The couple then arrived at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, OH, and Peter and Victoria F. had the park entirely to themselves.

The pair ran around in the park and went on some crazy rides, and Peter noted his relationship with Victoria F. was like a roller coaster because they had a "slow climb" to the top. However, Peter liked the journey they were on and could definitely feel chemistry with Victoria F.

Victoria F. said things felt "natural" with Peter and she had "such a crush on him" because "he's so cute."

While chatting over lunch, the couple also agreed they both want to have four children.

Victoria F. runs into her ex Chase Rice

Peter then had one more surprise for Victoria F., and it was a public country concert in the park. Peter was so excited because he knew the bachelorettes loves country music, but as music was playing and Peter and Victoria F. walked over to the stage, she seemed to be panicking.


"We turn the corner and I see [Chase Rice], my ex-boyfriend. Nothing could be worse. I'm freaking out right now," Victoria F. told the cameras.

"I want to die. Chase Rice is my ex-boyfriend. Chase and I dated before I came on the show."

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER? (PHOTOS)

Victoria F. admitted it was "awkward" and "weird" as Peter danced and kissed her right in front of Chase. Chase also snuck a couple of glances at Victoria F., showing he was surprised by their reunion as well.

Victoria F. said the situation was so uncomfortable, but she tried her hardest to just have fun with Peter and not ruin the date.


Peter said it was one of the coolest dates he had ever been on and he "got lost" with Victoria F. on the stage.

Peter was then shown talking to Chase backstage after the concert, but Chase didn't tell Peter a thing. The guys just chatted about the show, but Chase did ask how far into the process Victoria F. had made it.

Meanwhile, Victoria F. told a producer Chase was "making these faces" at her while he was singing onstage.

"Because he told me that he didn't want me to come on the show. He didn't want me to come on here," Victoria F. shared.

Victoria F. and Chase talked afterward, and Victoria F. asked the singer if he had known he'd be performing on her date, and he assured her that he was equally as taken aback by the whole thing.


Victoria F. told Chase that she didn't want their dating history "to become a thing" because she liked Peter and had a shot to make it to the end, but Chase told her to do what's best for her and just be honest.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS) 

"I'd just be real with him," Chase advised his ex-girlfriend.

Victoria F. knew she had to tell Peter about her past, but she was afraid to ruin a fantastic day as well as Peter's trust in her. Victoria F. didn't want Peter to be sad or hurt by her former relationship, because she could envision marrying him down the road.

Victoria F. tells Peter she dated Chase Rice

That night, Victoria F. and Peter enjoyed a dinner at Cleveland City Hall.

Victoria F. then shared with Peter the truth -- that she had dated Chase before going on The Bachelor.


Victoria F. said the date was "amazing" but "the end part was a little weird" for her because of that. Peter's jaw dropped, and he replied, "Wait, what?! No."

Victoria F. said she was shaking during the conversation and she had been the one to break things off with Chase because his lifestyle doesn't really match with what she wants in a serious relationship.

Victoria F. explained she wanted to give things a try with Peter, which is why she had ended things with Chase. Peter asked Victoria F. if she still had feelings for Chase, but she promised the pilot that she didn't and that's why things didn't work out between them.

"This is so freakin' weird. When do you just dance and makeout [in front of] someone else's ex?" Peter asked, seemingly alarmed and frustrated.

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Victoria F. walked away from the table and cried, but Peter ultimately comforted her and promised her that everything was okay. She was afraid Peter didn't want to try with her anymore, but Peter said the situation wasn't her fault and he trusted her.


"I had an amazing day with you, and I respect the hell out of you for having the guts to tell me this today, realizing it wasn't going to be an easy conversation... You were honest and that's all I can ask for. You didn't do anything," Peter told her.

Victoria F. repeated how much she liked Peter and wanted to be on the show for him, and then she apologized for their date having taken a turn.

Peter then asked Victoria F. to just laugh everything off with him, and she felt "so relieved" that the Bachelor could accept her for her -- even at her lowest point. Victoria F. felt very hopeful for where their relationship could go.

Peter told Victoria F. to have confidence in their romance, and then after telling the bachelorette how he appreciated her opening up, Peter offered Victoria F. a rose.

Peter goes on a group date

The next day, the following women embarked on a Group Date with Peter: Victoria P., Kiarra, Kelley, Deandra, Madison, Lexi, Shiann, Tammy, Sydney, Hannah Ann, Savannah, and Mykenna.

That meant Kelsey would be receiving the other one-on-one date in Cleveland.


On the group date, Cleveland Browns' football legends Josh Cribbs and Hanford Dixon put the group of 13 women through a rigorous workout as they prepared to face off in The Bachelor Bowl.

The Bachelor Bowl turned out to be a football game at FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Cleveland Browns.

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Tammy was excited about the date because she said she loves football, but Mykenna admitted she was terrified because she was the least athletic woman in the bunch.

Victoria P. chose to sit out of the game because her back was hurting her, so she got to help coach the game with Peter from the sidelines. While all the women were struggling through drills, Peter was giving Victoria P. a back massage.

The ladies were told the winning team would enjoy more time with Peter that night while the other team must return to its hotel.


Hannah Ann took some hits, but Shiann brought the heat by making tackles and scoring four touchdowns.

In the end, the game was a 28-28 tie, so all of the women were afforded the opportunity to spend more time with the Bachelor that evening.

While the girls were happy no one was going to miss out on the cocktail party, Natasha and Madison's team was displeased because they had been close to winning the game and didn't want to share Peter's time with a dozen other women.

Peter chatted with Victoria P. first, and she said the football game made her think about how she'd love to cheer on her children one day with Peter by her side. She could envision Peter being the best father in the world.

Peter told the cameras he was "feeling very strongly" for Victoria P. and things were happening very fast. But that told Peter the process was working for him.

Shiann, however, was pissed because she was MVP of the game and Victoria P. was getting additional time with Peter when she had already gotten to share a special moment with him on the sidelines at the football game.

Alayah returns and crashes the group date

Several of the ladies on the date didn't get time with Peter at the previous cocktail party due to all the Alayah drama, so everyone was on edge and hoped the drama would be over with.

But suddenly, Alayah walked into the Group Date, and all of the bachelorettes were totally shocked.

When Alayah arrived, she interrupted Shiann's time with Peter. Alayah told Peter she wanted to "set the record straight" about what was said about her.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' SPOILERS: ALL OF PETER WEBER'S SEASON DETAILS, INCLUDING HANNAH BROWN, FINAL 2 PICKS AND FINAL ROSE CEREMONY

"You kind of let yourself, in a way, get manipulated by letting the girls all give their opinion about me to you, and I didn't even really have the chance to defend myself because I was so blindsided," Alayah told Peter.

Peter confessed to Alayah that eliminating her was a "very difficult decision" for him.


Alayah said she and Victoria P. were good friends prior to The Bachelor because they had known each other through the Miss USA pageant, but Peter recalled Victoria P. saying the girls had only known each other for about three hours.

"No, I was in physical shock that she could even say that. Her and I planned a trip to Vegas together. It was her and I's idea to go to Vegas together in January. We talked all the way up until Miss USA and after Miss USA," Alayah claimed.

Alayah told Peter she had nothing to gain by lying to him, but Alayah's allegations were apparently "completely opposite" from what Victoria P. had told Peter.

Peter then tried to get to the bottom of things by talking to Victoria P. next, and she confirmed she had traveled to Las Vegas with Alayah. However, Victoria P. told Peter, "My truth is the truth," despite what Alayah had said.

Victoria P. promised Peter that she had given him her heart and there was a lot more she wanted to share with him.

Peter puts Alayah and Victoria P. face-to-face

Peter then sat down with Alayah and Victoria P. to hear the women talk amongst themselves, and Victoria P. continued to claim they were never friends. Alayah, however, argued the one person she had trusted as an ally in the house had betrayed her.


Alayah told Victoria P. they had many mutual friends, which Victoria P. agreed with, and Alayah said it was very apparent they had known each other very well prior to the show.

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"I'm just freaked out Victoria P. is not exactly who I think she is. That terrifies me," Peter said in a confessional.

"I never would have thought that in a million years, like, 'Oh, you're going to doubt Victoria tonight.' But I'm not deaf -- I'm hearing what Alayah is saying in front of me to Victoria P. and she's making points that are making me question Victoria P."

Peter expressed some regret over initially sending Alayah home, but it appeared some of Peter's bachelorettes were beginning to regret ever appearing on The Bachelor to begin with.

Tammy told the cameras she was sick of talking about Victoria P. and Alayah, whom Peter was allegedly completely consumed with.

Peter asks Alayah back and gives her the group date rose

Peter then admitted to Alayah he had been influenced by the other women and had decided to cut her based on others' claims rather than what his heart was actually telling him to do.

"Everything I've seen from you, I love so far. I have no reason -- no reason -- to question or doubt you. I hate that I did that, but I did. And I made a mistake," Peter told Alayah.

Peter and Alayah established they had a strong mutual connection, and so Peter asked her to come back and rejoin the competition. Alayah agreed as long as they could move past this issue.

With that being said, Peter hugged Alayah and then shocked the whole group by offering the controversial bachelorette the group-date rose.

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Peter told the group he was following his heart and trusting himself going forward, which is something he hadn't done at the previous Rose Ceremony. Peter wanted to feel confident in all of his decisions.


"Oh my goodness. Are you freaking kidding me?!... I am kind of disappointed in him," Tammy said in a confessional.

"Peter made a mistake in giving Alayah the rose, and this is making me question everything," Victoria P. told the cameras.

Alayah was thrilled to stick around and could be heard saying, "It's game time, b-tches!"

Alayah reveals Victoria F. dated Chase Rice

After the date, Alayah revealed to Mykenna and Hannah Ann about how she read on the Internet that Victoria Fuller had dated Chase Rice prior to The Bachelor. The two girls were shocked to hear the news.

The next morning, Mykenna said it was "so disrespectful" for Peter to have given a rose to Alayah, and she told Hannah Ann the Bachelor needed to clean his mess up. Hannah Ann even seemed to be questioning Peter's intentions.

Peter goes on a date with Kelsey

Peter then enjoyed a one-on-one date with Kelsey in Cleveland in which they explored downtown.


Peter warned Kelsey at the start of their date he had allowed Alayah to come back onto the show, but Kelsey calmly said she wanted Peter to explore every relationship and situation during this process.

Kelsey said if Peter chose her in the end, she wouldn't want him to have any questions or desire to explore things more.

"I'd rather have you do that now, so in the end, I can say, 'Okay, he chose me,' [and is not thinking], 'What if?'" Kelsey told the Bachelor.

Peter said Kelsey handled the situation exactly as he had hoped, and the pair had a blast eating food and ice cream, dancing polka in the streets, playing in an arcade, and kissing in a photo booth.

Kelsey said Peter embraced her personality and allowed her to be herself, and she thought he was really attentive and sweet throughout their whole date. Peter had a lot of qualities Kelsey wants in her future husband.

The couple also participated in a soap box derby race, and he said Kelsey was a real down-to-earth person who wasn't considered with any drama.

Kelsey reveals her backstory to Peter

That night, Peter wanted to connect with Kelsey on a deeper level over dinner. He wanted to hear all about her and what made her tick.

Kelsey revealed her parents had separated when she was in seventh grade and she had found out about their divorce before her mother even did. Kelsey's father apparently left his wedding ring behind and moved to Mexico, where he started a new life with a new family.

Kelsey said she hadn't seen her father for 12 years, and she broke down crying during the date.

Kelsey explained she had a protective shell and didn't let just anyone in, and Peter had so much respect for Kelsey and her mother, who had to be a single mother. Peter could relate because his mother and grandmother had to go through a lot after moving from Cuba to the United States.

Peter asked Kelsey if her parents' divorce affected her view of relationships, but Kelsey said she admired her grandparents' relationship and truly wanted a family of her own.

Peter then gave Kelsey the date's rose, saying she's exactly the type of person with whom he'd love to share his life. The couple sealed the deal with a kiss, and Kelsey told the cameras Peter's kind words meant so much to her.


The date ended with a fireworks display, and Peter said Kelsey could be his future wife one day.

Victoria F. confronts Alayah about revealing she dated Chase Rice

Meanwhile, Victoria F. learned Alayah had told a group of ladies about her dating history with Chase Rice -- and Victoria F. didn't think it was anyone's business but her own.

"That's something very personal to me... Do you not see that's stirring the pot, which is why you had left in the first place?! You are manipulative. You are not going to come in here after being sent the f-ck home -- for good reason," Victoria F. began.

"Oh my God," Alayah replied.

"Oh my God! Is that appalling?!" Victoria F. said, mocking the beauty pageant queen.

"I don't play this sh-t. You're fake and I'm not, and you may think that you're safe... but I have some very choice words to say to Peter and he's going to know who the f-ck you are as a person. So, good luck, honey."

The girls vent to Peter about Alayah

Sydney said Peter allowing Alayah back in the house was "a slap in the face" to all his bachelorettes, and Natasha was also very mad about it.

At the cocktail party that night, Peter was looking forward to a nice night -- but they were all furious at him.

Deandra spoke up at the start of the night and said, "I'm sorry Peter, but I've never felt so underrecognized by somebody. For us on the group date who busted our asses out there on the football field and literally have the physical bruises to show it, for you to come to the cocktail party and ignore us -- half of us that didn't get time -- and then walk in hand-in-hand with Alayah, that was like the biggest slap in the face."

"Like, I couldn't even look at you," Deandra noted, before Natasha added that Peter's actions "really, really hurt" her.

Peter apologized to the ladies and confessed he wasn't perfect. He said he had been influenced to make a decision that he really didn't want to do.

Victoria P. also gets mad at Peter

But hearing that also angered Victoria P., who told Peter to his face she was frustrated with him and wasn't entirely sure she even wanted to talk to him.


Victoria P. accused Peter of not trusting her, and she didn't appreciate how Peter had thrown her under the bus to the other women by saying he had been "influenced" by the cast.

Victoria P. let Peter know she was unhappy with the position he had put her in.

Peter told Victoria P. that he had strong feelings for her and valued her opinion, but Victoria P. wasn't buying it. Victoria P. said Alayah was manipulating Peter the same way she had manipulated her.

Victoria P. told Peter that a situation involving Alayah and Victoria F. was the last straw, and so Peter asked Victoria F. to tell him what happened. Victoria F. then explained how Alayah had told the cast about her past with Chase.

Alayah argues with the girls and Peter is shaken

Meanwhile, the girls all ganged up on Alayah for being fake, insincere and stirring the pot. Alayah insisted she didn't come back to the show "for petty drama," but all the women disagreed with her motive.

Peter didn't expect the night to go like this, and none of the girls were holding back. Sydney even yelled at Peter for not asking her questions about herself because he was dealing with Alayah "24/7."


"I feel like I'm doing all of this wrong and I'm messing up," Peter said in a confessional. "I need to figure this out."

The episode concluded on a cliffhanger, with Alayah and Peter talking things through. Alayah was in tears, saying she really cared for Peter but was being "torn to shreds" by the other girls.

Peter wanted an explanation for why all the women were against Alayah, but all she said was that she has "a big personality" and everyone at first thought she was too threatrical.

Peter felt torn between exploring his feelings for Alayah further or pleasing his other bachelorettes, whom he feared were going to walk out on him in frustration and disappointment.

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski