Zach Shallcross on why Bachelors never intervene in 'Can I steal you?' drama

It happens every season. A woman who's waited patiently to sit down with the Bachelor finally gets a chance to talk to him, and then suddenly she's interrupted by another contestant who utters those seven dreaded words: "Can I steal you for a second?"

Of course, stealing the Bachelor for a chat is a normal and necessary part of The Bachelor. And most of the time, Woman A, though disappointed, politely cedes her place on the loveseat to Woman B. But sometimes, the "Can I steal you?" situation can get tense, as it did in Monday night's episode, when Kylee tried to interrupt Zach's conversation with Anastasia on the beach in the Bahamas. The back and forth went on for thirty excruciatingly awkward seconds, as neither Kylee nor Anastasia wanted to give in.

What was Zach doing this whole time, you may ask? I'll tell you, rose lovers: NOTHING! Like so many Bachelors before him, Zach just sat there like a lump, letting the women bicker about him without making any effort to intervene. Why do Bachelors always do this? WHY? Fortunately, we had a chance to grill Zach about his inaction when he stopped by EW's studio at the SCAD TVfest on Feb. 10.

"When someone steals you — I don't know if I can say all of this — but, I've gotta keep my mouth shut and let it happen as much as I can," explains Zach. "There are times when I want to speak up... but it's for the environment we're in to have it be handled by the women."

Allow me to translate, rose lovers: Producers told me to keep quiet and let the ladies fight. (At least, that what it sounds like to me.) Zach says that while his expression often gives away how he's feeling in the midst of "Can I steal you?" conflict, he does his best to stay out of the way: "I kind of just let it play out."

Since we had Zach on the hot seat, we hit him with a few more burning questions about his Bachelor season, including: Why was Genevie's arm in a sling after the football date? What happens if his dogs disapprove of a woman he's dating? And how awkward is it to take all those showers on camera? Watch the video above for Zach's answers.

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