When Citytv and Warner Bros. contacted me to say they wanted me to interview Jessie from The Bachelor, I was ecstatic. I had the sincere pleasure of sitting down with Jillian Harris last year when she was on a press tour in support of The Bachelorette and got to sit two feet away from her. Yes, I know, I have a tough job.

This time around, I couldn’t meet Jessie in person as previous phone engagements kept me at my desk. Still, Jessie’s charm, humour and honesty shone through as she explained the bizarre reason that she applied to be on The Bachelor, and why nobody liked Vienna.

TVGuide.ca: I’m sorry that you were eliminated from The Bachelor, but I’m even more bitter that you hardly had any airtime.
Jessie: [Laughs.] That seems to be the consensus!

TVG: How did you feel watching the show, and what did your family and friends say?
Jessie: My family and friends have been so supportive. Every Monday night we have a Bachelor-watching party, and there are 30 people and my father. And we sit and we watch it. It’s hilarious to see myself on TV because I never realized all of the awkward things that I do in real life. I just sit there and make fun of myself…the face that I make and the fact that I’m always eating.

TVG: How did you feel about being basically edited out of the show?
Jessie: I knew that was going to happen because there was a lot of focus on the drama, and I shied away from that stuff. I had no interest in it at all. I did my own thing when they would argue I would just go off by myself.

TVG: Let’s talk about you and Jake. Is he why you applied for The Bachelor?
Jessie: The funny thing is, somebody applied for me, and I have no idea who did it. We still don’t know who did it. It’s a mystery. I got the call one day from ABC – I was at work – and they wanted me to be on the show. It was a surprise, and I talked about it for a week with my parents to see what they thought, and why not? This is a good opportunity, and I could be shutting a door to a really great guy if I don’t do it.

TVG: How did you feel when you were with Jake? You didn’t get a lot of one on one time with him, but when you did was there a connection?
Jessie: I felt a connection, but then it developed more into friendship. He felt that too, the more time that we spent together. We didn’t have many romantic encounters, so it’s not like he took me away like he did with Ali or Vienna or Gia.

TVG: What did you like most about being on the show?
Jessie: Just meeting all of these girls from all over North America. It was fun to see the culture differences. I have never been camping before and we went RVing for a week… it was just amazing the things we got to see and do.

TVG: Now wait a minute. You’re Canadian and you’ve never been camping before?
Jessie: [Laughs.] No, I don’t camp!

TVG: No Victoria Day weekends up north?
Jessie: Well, I go to cottages, I just don’t do the tent thing. [Laughs.]

TVG: Let’s talk about some drama. Why did everyone hate Vienna so much?
Jessie: Hate is a strong word. It’s more that her personality really clashed with a lot of us in the house. At first I didn’t see it. At first I thought people were just being bitter and jealous, and I started to stick up for her, and I would hang out with her when nobody else would. And then I started to see it too.

TVG: What did you see?
Jessie: It’s, it’s…maybe… maybe that she just has a little bit more growing up to do. She’s from a very well-off family, so she’s been given a lot. I think it’s all about growing up and learning how to alter your personality to get along with others in certain situations. And I think that’s just a lesson she has to learn.

TVG: Let’s talk about Rozlyn for a second. Were you privy to what some of the other girls saw?
Jessie: I didn’t see anything, but I heard that other people might have seen something, but we all got over it and past it pretty quickly. We never really talked about it in the house again after that night.

TVG: Is Jake the type of guy that you would be interested in?
Jessie: I used to go for the bad boys, to be quite honest. And that just wasn’t working for me obviously. So I tried the nice guy, but I think I need a mixture of both.

TVG: Maybe a nice guy with a motorcycle and a few tattoos.
Jessie: Yes, maybe. Gerard Butler!

TVG: Oh, you didn’t mention accent…accent too.
Jessie: Yes, accent too.

TVG: Have you been recognized walking the streets of Oakville, Ont.?
Jessie: Yes, I have. It’s so funny. When I go out to dinner some of the waitresses have to take pictures of me. It’s really cute and I love it. This is a big deal of Oakville because we’re a small town.

TVG: Who do you think is the best match for Jake?
Jessie: I think Tenley and Ali are my two. If Ali can let go of the drama…I think she needs to let go of that because I think it’s holding her back. He and Tenley seem like two peas in a pod.

greg@tvguide.ca

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The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Citytv/ABC

 

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