‘He’s funny, himself, and sticks up for others’: ‘Bachelorette’ fans rally behind a controversial contestant many had previously written off

According to chatter via X — formerly known as Twitter — it looks like The Bachelorette season 21 pulled a 180 after episode 3, with fan favorites becoming villains (and vice versa) in the midst of all of the “boxers and thongs” that the episode entailed. In a surprising turn of events, nobody can stand Sam McKinney nor Thomas Nguyen anymore — how wild is that?

On the contrary, an individual whose reputation changed for the better in episode 3 is the one and only Devin Strader, who previously rubbed his castmates — as well as viewers at home — the wrong way with his unforeseen ice cream date (or should we say dates?) in episode 2 #IYKYK.

Fortunately, showing a more vulnerable side to himself in the episode to follow worked in his favor…

Opening up about his self-confidence struggles during the “Thunder Down Under” group date — which required the men to strip down to their underwear and give a NSFW strip tease to leading lady Jenn Tran — Devin gave it his all, fighting his insecurities with his body in the most extravagant way imaginable.

Twerking in a thong onstage and not taking himself too seriously — as well as opening up about his insecurities during the evening portion of the group date — Jenn was impressed with Devin’s performance, ultimately giving him the group date rose over frontrunners like Sam McKinney, Marcus Shoberg, Dylan Buckor, and more.

Showing a much more sensitive side to himself — speaking out about uncomfortable topics on national television — Bachelor Nation rallied behind Devin in a stark contrast from the week prior, sharing their support via social media:

Another moment that gave Devin some major aura points was when he supported Sam Nejad after his fiasco during the “Thunder Down Under” group date. After injuring his wrist while practicing his strip tease, Sam N. decided to boycott the performance portion of the date, publicly pouring his heart out to the leading lady onstage instead.

Due to his lack of time with Jenn throughout the beloved competition series thus far, many of the men — notably Sam M. and Thomas N. — found this declaration of love to be overzealous, poking fun at him while he was seemingly battling some embarrassment of his own.

The only contestant who stood up for Sam N. in the moment was Devin, an action that Bachelor Nation found to be incredibly admirable:

Last but certainly not least, some fans of the Bachelor franchise love Devin simply because of his ability to get on under the skin of the other contestants, pushing their buttons time and time again. After all, individuals like Sam McKinney, Thomas Nguyen, Aaron Erb, and more cannot stand the guy!

Seemingly building his connection with Jenn Tran stronger and stronger, will Devin Strader manage to steal her heart at the end of the beloved competition series? To find out for yourself, catch brand new episodes of The Bachelorette season 21 each and every Monday on ABC.