We’re getting down to the wire of things here on the “Bachelorette,” which means that I fully want to prepare you for the barrage of tabloid stories that are sure to come out. I don’t know what they’re going to say, but almost all will be fabricated stories that are designed to be click bait. I ask that you actually read the stories first, then go back and look at the title and say to yourself, “Did the story really follow through on what the title said?” 95% of them won’t. That’s just the way that business works. I think there already was one of Becca on the cover of one of the mags and the caption read “Dumped Again!” Well, she hasn’t been dumped and she’s still engaged, so that’s the kinda thing I’m talking about. I didn’t read the story, but I’m venturing to guess that the story alludes to maybe it’ll happen at some point. Kind of a major jump from “Dumped Again!” to “Well…maybe…sorta…we’re hearing things…this could possibly happen.” Be careful when reading this stuff. It may sound silly, since it seems pretty self-explanatory, but anytime there’s ANY tabloid story regarding the “Bachelor” franchise, two things happen, 1) People automatically assume it’s true, and 2) They email me asking for my opinion on it. And 95% of the time my answer is the same thing. “Consider the source. It’s a tabloid.” Their business model is click bait. Just keep that in mind.
In case you missed the tweet from yesterday, Luke Pell’s ex-girlfriend Holly Allen is tomorrow’s podcast guest, as I recorded a near 2 hour interview with her. There’s a lot in there. We basically go over the timeline of their whole relationship, since I’m guessing most of you (including myself) were confused on everything. You’ll get clarity after tomorrow. When I did my expose on Luke in March of 2017 (or early April?), Holly had just started seeing him. And she certainly wasn’t a fan of mine at the time, and frankly, why would she have been? Since then, obviously what happened to her happened to the other girls before her, which is essentially what I was warning her about. Although the “I told you so” ended up becoming true, that’s not what the podcast is about. It’s for her to tell her story about her relationship with Luke, what happened with Winter Games, when the cheating occurred, when she found out, why she’s speaking now, a whole bunch more.
When I wrote that expose on Luke last year, his fans came at me hard. Like, they were blowing up my Twitter and email. Took me two seconds to mute them so I never had to deal with them again, but what’s amazing is that after this latest breakup with Holly last month, I’ve had those same people contact me, specific people who were trashing me last year after I wrote it, now identifying themselves, saying they were one of the ones who were pissed at me last year, but after this latest breakup, they apologize for what they did because they’ve started to see what Luke is really all about. His most ardent supporters are even turning on him now after this latest breakup with Holly. And you know it’s bad if they’re apologizing personally to me for how they acted last year. It’s a long podcast, but it’s not a 2 hr rip job on Luke. She talks about why she was attracted to him, and how it was really good with him for a while. But ultimately her naivete and her essentially enabling him is what led to their downfall. I think it’s a really interesting listen that I hope at least reaches some people out there who might be making the same mistakes in their relationship.
Not that this should surprise anyone, but now that he’s been eliminated on the show, Jason is essentially going on his “Bachelor” audition tour, talking about it as much as he can, and basically campaigning for it without openly campaigning for it. He’s definitely got a shot at it, but he’s also got to realize it’s pretty much out of his hands. They either want him to be the lead or they don’t. Nothing he says, or any subtle campaigning he does will push them one way or another. They’ll say the same thing they do every year about how tough the choice was, and so many great guys to choose from, blah blah blah. Yeah, and then you go pull Nick and Arie out of your ass, so apparently that’s all a lie. Just pick who you’re gonna pick and stop jerking the audience around. We don’t care how difficult the decision was when we know that’s bullsh**.
Get any “Dr. Reality Steve” emails in for tomorrow. I believe I only have two as of now. Lets try and get to four. Or eight. Or sixteen. Or thirty-two. Not sure why I’m in a “multiples of 2” mood today.
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Hi Steve! A few questions, please and thanks.:)
Do you think that Tia had any means of contacting Colton while he was filming? I ask because I wonder if she wanted some kind of “insurance” that he was still interested in her before she made a big deal about her feelings with Becca. Maybe they were planning a Paradise pact, haha. How would she have? Obviously she still knew he was there by either 1) Reading spoilers or 2) Being in contact with producers. Becca was eliminating Colton at #4 regardless. Bringing Tia on (along with the rest of the girls) was just to add the drama and build towards their BIP storyline. I really do not believe Tia coming back had anything to do with why Colton didn’t make it to overnights.
Do you think Becca cut Colton before the fantasy suite because she felt uncomfortable taking his virginity? I think she was into the other three more than she was into him. And not every lead has sex with all three in the fantasy suite. So it could’ve played a role, sure. But I don’t think it did.
Have you heard anything about if/how Garrett’s ex-wife has responded to the things he’s said about her, basically throwing her under the bus?
Comment: We haven’t heard her do any interview. My guess is she keeps it that was since she is now remarried. If she were single, I would think she definitely would’ve said something to some outlet by now. I just don’t see how responding does her any good at this point.
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Dude,
We’re the same age, surely you’ve seen Flash Gordon? Dale Arden was the bomb! Yeah, I saw that movie a lot as a kid. But I couldn’t tell you the name of any of the actors/actresses in it.
The challenge ep this week was terrible, Jemmye was right about it being a long season, and it’s only two eps in. Have you thought about getting a recapper for that show? Or is it off limits because you like it? I don’t see the demand in getting a recapper for that show.
Love your bachelorette coverage, to be honest I could go back to just reading your site and not bothering to watch the show, I did that for years before watching my first episode. Keep up the good work!
Comment: Hey, there’s a lot of people that are in your boat. I can’t tell you how many people tell me they don’t watch the show, yet they follow along with the spoilers and recaps.
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Hi Steve,
Love your site and have emailed in a few times before! My quick question for you for the next batch of reader emails:
1) Who was the last couple to get engaged on the show that you thought actually might stand a chance of staying together/getting married? Or are there none and you’re always a skeptic? I know the track records aren’t great but regardless of actual marriage, there still have been some successful long-term relationships fairly recently (Jordan & Jojo, Rachel and Bryan, Kaitlyn & Shawn). I think Ashley & JP were the last ones I thought had a chance.
2) And curious, which of the couples that has lasted for a chunk of time has surprised you the most? Comment: JoJo & Jordan.
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Hi Steve,
You may be aware, but Ben and Ashley had Colton on their podcast this week and he said that he FaceTimed with Tia and Becca that weekend in Florida before filming began! How weird that Becca didn’t recognize him night 1!
Comment: A few people emailed me that, and it brings me back to exactly what I wrote when I first reported Colton and Tia dated pre-show. I told you at the time that Tia and Becca went to Florida to visit Caroline the weekend before Caroline and Tia flew to LA to tape the Women Tell All, which was late February. I always wondered aloud that don’t women talk? Were the two of them clueless had seen/was seeing a guy named Colton? And when a Colton showed up on the first night for Becca, did she never think it could’ve been Tia’s Colton? Now we find out this, and yeah, we just don’t know how much of Colton she saw on the FaceTime. If Becca just walked by and Tia was FaceTiming Colton, would she remember a quick glance of him? Or did she sit there and wave, say hello, introduce herself, etc? I think we’re never going to get the full story unfortunately. But it’s certainly interesting.
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Do you think ABC will do another wedding soon with so many engaged couples, and who do you think it’ll go to?
Comment: I would make the leaders Ashley & Jared. Followed by Rachel & Bryan.
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First, thank you for what you do and how you do it. Is it bad that I especially enjoy your snark. Second, Mike Fleiss should be paying you. If it wasn’t for your season spoilers, I would never watch the show. Now, to my question…are the leads not allowed to date the runner up or other contestants after they break up with their first choice? I’ve always wondered why it’s never happened. I know Jason Mesnick and Arie’s situation but I see those more as buyers remorse. Just wondered why the leafs don’t date the runners up after their short lived engagement.
Thanks so much for your time!
Comment: It has happened before, it’s just not common. Prince Lorenzo dated Sadie after he broke up with Jen.
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I notice you say “moot point” often in your column. I may or may not have been wishing you would say “moo point” just once. If it is intentional it would be even better. If you don’t get the reference I am sad for you.
Comment: You mean from Joey’s conversation with Phoebe in “Friends?” I remember that.
However, do you realize how many people who AREN’T familiar with that episode will immediately turn into the grammar police and tell me, “Steve, it’s moot point, not moo point.” About a 1,000. So I’d rather just be correct and save people the time of firing off that email or tweet, because it would no doubt be coming.
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Hi Steve
I really liked your interview with the unreal actress and am now eager to watch it. How can I watch back starting season 1 (I’m in Montreal, Canada). All 4 seasons are on Hulu.
Also – if you really love extras, like I do, watch the lord of the rings and hobbit extras (even if you don’t love the fantasy genre). I’ve never seen any of those movies, so I don’t think it’d appeal to me.
Can you list more shows or movies where you loved the extra features (besides 24).
Comment: Well, “Lost” has great extras on its DVDs. Can’t go wrong with those. 24’s I really learned a lot about certain scenes, characters, etc. For movies, some of my favorite classics have good DVD extras. The “Back to the Future” trilogy is definitely one that sticks out.
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Hi Steve! This is my first email of the season and I’m proud to say I made it this far before inevitably starting to care way too much about this sh**. But here I am and here we go! A mix of questions and opinions…
1) Do you think going forward producers will urge the bachelorette to give the first impression rose to someone they don’t see winning, considering it’s been the trend the last 4 seasons and we now all assume the recipient is a finalist? Or is that not their concern? I kinda brought it up at the beginning of the season. Now that we’ve seen it 4 seasons in a row, you could go back to each of the last 3 and say, “Well, there’s no way JoJo will do it. Kaitlyn just did it last year.” And that made it two in a row. Then when Rachel’s season rolled around, you could’ve said the same thing again. Then she did it to make it three in a row. Then Becca does it this season to make it 4. So there’s no real answer to that question. We all know it’s a trend for 4 seasons in a row now. Saying definitively it will or won’t be a trend next season is impossible to say.
2) I know you have been saying it’s too soon to tell the bachelor, but that you’re thinking it’s likely Jason or Blake unless they pull a random out again. It’s interesting to me though that the past two seasons, there were obvious and “perfect” candidates from the most recent seasons- aka Luke (who at the time we all naively viewed as the gentleman war hero) and Peter (the seemingly ultimate catch), but they pulled out two 36 year olds from past seasons. Now they have two less obvious seeming candidates, minus the fact that they are final 4 from this season, but I don’t know who the hell else they could pull from the archives unless Peter had a change of heart. What I want to know is not who you think it’ll be, but who you personally can see as a better fit for the roll between the two? (I know you always say you don’t care, but pretend to for me please lol)
Personally I like Jason better. Neither have strickingly handsome looks but Jason is easier for me to listen to. Blake just sounds like he has a frog in his throat. Just remember, Ben Higgins is basically a candidate every season because they love him so much. They’ll put him on anything. So he’s always a name who will be in the mix. Even if he says he wouldn’t do it, I don’t necessarily believe him. I think he would. They would just need to pull the trigger on it.
3) This season has really showed me that people will never be happy with the lead no matter what. Becca is confident, has a sense of humor and is beautiful, but people still say they can’t stand her. I have no clue what there isn’t to like! Even you said you haven’t heard anything bad or anyone that doesn’t like her, which has to be a first for the lead.
Comment: You shouldn’t have needed this season to tell you that. No one on this planet is universally liked. People will always find something to complain about when it comes to this show, yet the ratings remain solid, and the show isn’t going anywhere. It’s just noise. I wouldn’t pay much attention to it.
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RS…thanks for doing what you do. I’ve lived your site for years. I wish I could say the same for others. Let me explain: I know you said you don’t read your comments so I wanted to fill you in. There’s this guy Rob22 that literally posts on everything you write. He’s usually always the first one to get a comment in and almost everything he has to say is negative about you, your writing, the site whatever. All he does is COMPLAIN, but there he is every single week reading and commenting on what you do. It’s so annoying. Like, doesn’t he have anything better to do? I’m sure he will be the first comment after this post too and call me out for calling him out but I don’t care. I think he’s a loser. Keep doing what you’re doing. Just wanted you to know what’s going on.
PS – he actually started his own website at one point too based of his name Robb22, where he would take Dr. Reality Steve-like ?’s. That’s another thing he does. He’s the first one to respond every Thursday when you have Dr. Reality Steve emails, and gives them his own advice. It’s so weird how much this guy is on your site yet never has anything good to say about you. It’s almost like he HAS to take an opposing view so people won’t like you or something. I don’t know. He just bugs so much!
Comment: Thanks. I’ve been told about him before. I’ve never read a thing he’s written. As long as it’s not personal information about me, or blatantly spreading lies to gain attention, let him do all he wants. Don’t let it bother you. It’s whatever. I don’t worry about people like that.
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Hi Steve,
Two questions for you.
Does Becca let Blake go before the rose ceremony? Based on the preview for next week, sure doesn’t look like it.
Also do you know if some of the contestants for the Proposal had previously tried out for the Bachelor or Bachelorette?
Thanks.
Comment: Considering it’s from the same creator and has the same producers, I gotta imagine that a few of them have.
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Hi Steve,
Curious who the guy was last week at the end while the credits rolled answering questions about Blake? They didn’t clarify who the other people in the room were?
Comment: I thought he said it was his uncle, wasn’t it?
