With the casting of Nick Cummins, aka The Honey Badger, as the sixth Bachelor, the Bachelor/Bachelorette brain trust were really thinking outside the box. At the very least, we’re curious and guaranteed entertainment.
The latest move to cast third-time hopeful Ali Oetjen is, for a lot of fans, a headscratcher.
But let’s break it down.
Bringing back former rose-rejects has always been of a mixed bag. The real-life soap-opera that ensued after Sam Frost was dumped by Bachelor Blake Garvey was way more interesting than her reality TV turn when she handed out the roses. As viewers, we needed to follow up her storyline.
Second runner-up Richie Strahan was the nice guy of his Bachelorette series. He was cute and a good sport. Probably good qualities in a partner, not necessarily ingredients for the most riveting reality TV as the Bachelor.
Matty J’s visceral reaction to his rejection by Georgia Love meant that seeing him fall for Laura Byrne was healing. Plus, he was sort of the unexpected underdog who won us over during the course of the series with his personality and charm.
With Ali, to be honest, I mostly remember her awkward cocktail kiss-attempt on Tim Robards. Her Paradise experience was firstly as an object of obsession (hey there Mack! What’s up Jarrod?) and after that she was so deep in her love-bubble with Grant Kemp that she sort of became part of the (blow up?) pool furniture.
As the Bachelorette, here's what we have to look forward to: A detailed breakdown of Ali’s breakup with Grant. How did it go so south so fast? Can’t wait. She’s fun to look at for sure. She genuinely seems to want to find love. She’s ready. Perhaps what she really needed all along is the spotlight to shine. Is that what producers see? Time will tell.
Do you accept her rose?
