I have to be honest, I thought I was ‘better’ than the Bachelor and Bachelorette franchise. I remember thinking, ‘who watches this and how could people really find love?’
My was I wrong. One night in our flat a few months ago we thought we would be cliche adults and watch the Bachelor for a good laugh … literately 3 minutes in I was hooked and we watched Ben’s season with so much excitement and passion and joy, it was our new thing we did on Mondays. I finally get it, and unashamedly consider myself a super fan. I am a sucker for love and travel and like most people on the planet, found myself also falling for Ben. It was heart breaking seeing Jojo’s heart crushed in the season finale and when I heard she was going to the next Bachelorette, I knew she deserved it and would be a lot of fun to watch. A few days ago I got an email saying I had the opportunity to talk to Jojo on the phone to promote the upcoming season my brain flooded with a million questions for her.
Filming has wrapped and I was lucky to be on the phone for close to an hour with Jojo. She was kind, articulate and grounded. We were not allowed to ask if she was engaged or not, but she did sound genuinely happy.
Were you happy with the process?
I am happy right now, and pleased with how the season went down. After Jamaica I was heart broken, crushed and confused. I am in a much better place now.
The process taught me a lot about what I want. Ben set a really high standard for me to know that there are men like that out there.
What was one of the challenges you faced?
I had to be open minded and vulnerable, just because you choose someone doesn’t mean they choose you back.
Will we see a lot of your family in this season?
You will see a lot of my family, they were very honest as you might expect. It is a lot to go through, I think everyone saw my mum chug straight from a bottle on our home visit last season. But they are supportive. Things are different this time around. There is not as much risk. Their opinion matters to me.
Did you find yourself comparing the men to Ben?
Ben made you feel special and if I’m being honest, I knew he loved me, he is a family man, qualities I had missed in previous relationships.
Describe the experience?
It was one of the greatest experiences of my life, also one of the hardest. In every sense you can think of. You are never able to prepare for it. I have no regrets.
I don’t take this lightly – I took the time to think about being the Bachelorette and decided I wanted to give love another chance. I knew I found love before and excited to find it again.
What was your biggest fear coming in to the show?
I was nervous about going through the breaking up part of the process, I had never done that. You are in the drivers seat but you are not in total control. My biggest fear was it not working out.
Did you experience people being there for the wrong reasons?
I was cautious of some men, but I addressed that at the time.
Do you have a better understanding of what Ben went through?
I have more compassion for Ben, what he went through; being in it, it makes so much more sense to me now. I can see how it is possible to love two people.
How much have you grown in the past year?
I lived so much life in the last 6 – 8 months. I am confidant in who I am as a woman. I handle situations differently. It is amazing to see how much I have grown, my friends and family agree.
You just dated 25 guys, what is your best dating advice for us single ladies?
Learn how to deal with different types people. Give everyone a chance. What ideas you have in your head of what you want might stand in your way, be your self and keep your walls down.
What are the top characteristics you were looking for?
To make me laugh, ease my nerves, comfortability, a spark and someone there to meet me. I didn’t set any rules for myself going in to this, I am going to do what ever feels right in the moment.
I wrapped up the call by making sure she knew we loved her in New Zealand and hoped she would come and visit us. She responded by tweeting me “thank you, hoping to make it to NZ soon.”
After watching the first episode I am putting my money of Jordan Rodgers. I have to say if it doesn’t work out for Jojo and him, myself and my roommates are totally open and available haha. A girl can dream.
You can catch up on all episodes of the Bachelorette on TVNZ On Demand on Tuesdays at 7pm
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