Bachelor Stars React to Victoria Fuller's Ex Chase Rice's Appearance: 'Thank You Producers'

The Bachelor pulled a fast one last night, to say the least.

On Monday’s episode, Peter Weber and his ladies headed to Cleveland, Ohio, where the pilot took contestant Victoria Fuller on the first one-on-one date of the week. They spent a few hours enjoying the rides at an amusement park until Weber teased that he had “one more surprise” for the girl who “loves country music” — a private concert. ‘Lo and behold, the performer was Chase Rice, a.k.a. her ex — and of course, poor Weber had no idea the two had dated.

Fuller decided not to tell Weber immediately out of fear that it would “ruin the moment,” so the two danced and kissed throughout a painfully awkward performance. She did eventually break the news to Weber, who was understandably shocked at first but eventually thanked her for being honest and moved on.

So what did the stars of the franchise have to say about this very unusual plot twist? For the most part, those who weighed in on Twitter seemed to think Weber, Rice and Fuller handled the situation as best as they could given the circumstances.

Former Bachelor Nick Viall tweeted, “For what it’s worth Peter, Victoria F, and Chase all handled an amazingly awkward situation pretty well.”

“I don’t think anyone can criticize Victoria F for how she handled this date because no one in the history of the world has ever been forced in this exact situation like she was,” he continued. “Also thank you producers.”

Added Bachelorette alumnus Jason Tartick, “Peter handled this Victoria/Chase cluster so damn well! Class act.”

Kaitlyn Bristowe, a former Bachelorette and Tartick’s girlfriend, tweeted that blindsiding Weber with a performance by Rice was “so dirty.”

Evan Bass, who is married to his Bachelor in Paradise love Carly Waddell, tweeted that Weber’s reaction shots “after realizing he’s actually in the matrix” were both “heartbreaking and wildly exhilarating.”

In a follow-up tweet, he playfully ribbed Fuller, writing, “I hate to say it but if Victoria F isn’t ok making out with a guy she’s currently dating in front of the guy she used to date there may be no place for her on bachelor in paradise.”

Derek Peth, who appeared on Paradise last summer, got creative with a homemade meme.

“Peter takes a break from the girls to consult producers,” he tweeted alongside a GIF of Weber in front of a tank of swimming sharks.

Dylan Barbour, another Paradise alumnus, raised “his glass to the bachelor producers,” adding, “I wonder if Chase Rice knew? I’d be SICK if I was him and my ex walks up on stage.”

And former Bachelor Colton Underwood joked about the famed fence-jump on his season, tweeting, “I’m sure if there was a fence for @ChaseRiceMusic
to jump… he would have.”

As for Rice himself? During an appearance on the Fitz in the Morning radio show ahead of Monday’s episode, the country singer, 34, said he was “really pissed off.”

He said he knew Fuller was going on The Bachelor and had expressed concern to his manager and publicist before agreeing to perform on the show, but they assured him not to worry.

“They were like, ‘Don’t even worry about that,'” he recalled. “‘They’re not going to do that to you, that’s a weird coincidence … there’s no way they would do that to you. They’ve never brought somebody else in like that, surprised the guest on the show.'”

“So the fact they did that to me, it’s over the top, it’s unnecessary,” he said. “I didn’t expect it. But at the end of the day, it happened.”

“I don’t know if it’s the producers, or if they just got lucky. I know what I think, but I’ll let everybody else figure out what they think,” he added.

How did you feel about it — good TV, or too far? Share your thoughts in PEOPLE’s exclusive new Facebook group for Bachelor Nation’s most die-hard fans.

The Bachelor continues with two episodes next week, on Monday and Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.