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The Bachelorette 9: Desiree Hartsock

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RealityFreakWill:
Chris Harrison blogs 'The Bachelorette' episode 3

Lying, cheating, deceitful pig! Anytime that sentence is uttered you know there’s some drama. We will get to the slick used car salesman that is Brian in just a bit, but first let me say I’m glad this season has officially begun. As of this week, the gloves came off and it is on.

The week began with the group dodgeball date. The day started off innocently enough in a small private little gym where the guys got absolutely pummeled with balls from professional dodge ballers. (Who knew there was such a thing?) Let me tell you, I watched the practice portion of this date and those pros could bring it. The guys were so relieved when I came in and told them they’d be battling each other. That is until I happened to mention it would be a very public display. By the time the guys arrived at the open-air mall there was already a huge crowd gathered. I love these public dates where I get to walk around and visit with our fans. Des and I had a great time spending about a half hour walking around the arena talking and taking pictures with everybody before the guys arrived. The guys probably weren’t as excited about the crowd once they saw the very tight uniforms they had to wear.

These guys were so competitive when the games started they would sprint at each other full speed to get the balls. Well, something had to give — and that something was Brooks’ finger. There was no doubt when I saw Brooks’ face that he was really hurt. Any doubts I may have had were erased once I looked at his finger and saw where his knuckle used to be. Des was a champ that day. Brooks’ finger was all kinds of disgusting and she sat there with him and comforted him the entire time. At the end of this epic dodgeball battle, Des ended up taking both teams to the party. I did feel bad for Brooks, not as much about breaking his finger but more so about having to go the emergency room in that outfit. Can you imagine the looks on the faces of the nurses and doctors as this guy comes in with that uniform?

At the after-party, I feel like we finally got to know some of these guys a lot better and so did Des. Brad really opened up to Des about his son and his situation with his ex, which was incredibly heavy stuff. These guys are really starting to feel for Des and that is leading to intense competition, but also moving these guys to really open up. Halfway through the party Brooks came rolling in and I’m assuming he had a pain pill or two. By the look of the smile on his face I’m not sure he even knew what party he was attending. For all he knew, he may have been at the Academy Awards. I have to give him credit for wrapping up the finger and rolling in still in his uniform. The guys were so deflated when he walked in because they knew Des was going to give him major attention. Chris, who we also finally got to know this week, was able to make a big enough impression on Des that he got the group date rose and the private show with Kate Earl. It was brutal that the guys had to sit and listen to the concert knowing that Des and Chris were sharing an intimate moment together.

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The next day I got a call from one of our producers telling me we had a bit of a situation that I needed to be made aware of. I was told the complete story of how Brian not only had a girlfriend but that she wanted to speak to him and confront him at the house. After talking the entire situation over with our producers, we decided the best course of action would be for me to call Des, tell her everything and see how she would react and how she wanted to handle this. I loved her attitude about the whole thing. Instead of being sad, she was resilient and strong. On top of that, she was pissed and wanted him out in a big way. I told her Brian’s girlfriend was in town and she agreed that she should get the chance to speak to Brian herself.

Stephanie and I were waiting together out front while Des talked to Brian. She was incredibly upset and emotional. In fact, she was so upset I wasn’t sure she would be able to walk in the house, much less confront Brian. Somewhere between the front door and the backyard she found the strength because she let him have it and didn’t stop. I mean she really, really didn’t stop, for a very long time. Des and I were standing there looking at each other and couldn’t help but laugh as this guy got everything he deserved. It really wasn’t a funny situation — it was actually very sad as this guy obviously was in no place to be there for Des, and he was obviously messing with this other woman’s life.

Maybe after Stephanie, the biggest victim in all this was poor Kasey. He was set to have his first one-on-one date with Des that day. Even though Des was fine after she sent Brian packing, emotionally, she just wasn’t in the right space to then turn around and try to go on a romantic date. She gave it her best shot, but it was really like the date was jinxed from the start. The weather turned terrible, the pool was freezing, Des was in a rough mood and it just spiraled downhill. They both tried to patch it together but it just wasn’t happening. Kasey took it well and knew this just wasn’t his night. I’m glad Des realized this and still gave him a rose so he can have another chance to show Des what he has to offer.

The final date was another group date that was tied into the new movie The Lone Ranger, which I can’t wait to see. Come on people, we had Silver on the date! I know I’m dating myself, but I think that’s pretty damn cool. If you didn’t yell “Hi-ho Silver, awaaayyy” then you either aren’t a fan or maybe you’re under sixty-five years old. Anyway, I know the only thing people (women) are going to be talking about is Juan Pablo. The guy knows how to lay it on thick and Des loves it. James may have gotten the rose but Juan Pablo stole the show on this date.

Because this week had been a little tense, Des decided instead of a formal cocktail party, let’s let everybody relax and enjoy a day in the pool. It was nice to be able to finally walk in and give some good news for a change. It was a much needed stress reliever, or at least that’s what we thought it would be. Ben pulled a sneaky little stunt, swiping Des before the day ever got started. He actually would’ve gotten away with it if it weren’t for those meddling kids! (It’s a Scooby Doo reference — look it up, kids.) Ben is really rubbing some of these guys the wrong way. Yes, some of it may be jealousy because he’s been one of Des’ favorites from the start, but he’s also done everything in his power to rub it in the guys’ faces and make it worse. Quick side note: The only thing more awkward than all those guys sitting in the hot tub with Des when I walked up was all those guys sitting in the hot tub without Des after she left.

When all the dust had settled this week Dan, whom I had never seen before, and Brandon were sent home. Brandon had an incredibly emotional week and it was just too much for Des, as she just didn’t have any chemistry with the guy. I felt bad for the guy because he just didn’t read the signs and was blindsided when Des sent him home. As I said, this was a very pivotal week for this season as it really was the jumping off point for how this will all play out in the weeks to come. Things took a very serious turn and the drama isn’t over. Next week we leave the friendly confines of the mansion and hit the road. Our first stop is Atlantic City, the new/old home of the Miss America pageant, which I’ll be hosting in September. You will enjoy how we pay homage to this event by putting the guys through the paces of their own pageant. Trust me — it’s a sight to behold. Have a great week and we’ll be waiting for you next Monday night on the Jersey shore. In the meantime you can find me on instagram and twitter @chrisbharrison.

http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/06/11/chris-harrison-the-bachelorette-episode-3-blog-3/

RealityFreakWill:
Chris Harrison blogs 'The Bachelorette' episode 4

It’s always great when I get to walk into the mansion and let the guys know that it’s time to pack their bags and hit the road. It’s also fun to see how excited they are when they learn where we’re headed. Our first stop on this trip around the world with Des is Atlantic City, New Jersey. We stayed at the beautiful new Revel hotel.

Brad got the first date this week and it didn’t exactly go well. You could quickly see that he and Des had no connection. Des is big on chemistry, and unfortunately they had none. When you add to all this the fact that he’s a caring dad, Des really felt compelled to let him go as soon as she knew there wasn’t anything serious between them. The only sad part was how many stairs Des made him climb to get to the top of that lighthouse just so she could dump him. In all seriousness, it was obviously the right thing to do, because at this point there are guys here that she does see a possible future with.

The group date this week was near and dear to my heart. The last time I was in Atlantic City was back in 2004 when I hosted the Miss America pageant for the first time. I’m extremely excited the pageant is coming back to where it all began when it airs on Sept. 15 on ABC — and I’ll be hosting again, now for the fifth time. I loved that the reigning Miss America, Mallory Hagen, was able to join us and help out with our first ever The Bachelorette‘s Mr. America pageant. Mallory has been a great ambassador for Miss America and she shared her personality and wicked sense of humor with everybody. I always enjoy when we get to do public dates, but to actually get to host an event like this for a live audience in an Atlantic City showroom was awesome. We had a packed house and the crowd was great.

As for the actual competition, well, let’s just say there are things that will never be erased from my brain. Chris walking out in high heels with hula-hoops around his arms was just one of many bad images. And don’t even get me started on the bathing suit competition. I have to admit I was a little surprised Kasey won the crown. I thought Zak W. might have won with his song; it played well with the crowd and it seemed to impress Des. At the after-party Ben continued to draw Des in while he manages to push the guys further away. Zak W. pulled the guitar out again, which is sometimes a sketchy move, but it worked and he got the rose.

James got the final one-on-one date this week. No, I’m not going to even get into the shots of him eating strawberries while in the bath. Like most of high school, let’s just pretend it didn’t happen and move on. This was easily one of my favorite dates this season. I was so happy that while in New Jersey we were able to shed some light on the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. I’m even more proud of the fact that we promote an organization like the Red Cross that does so much for victims of devastating events like Sandy or the recent tornadoes in Oklahoma. I hope all of you will take a minute and go to www.redcross.org/thebachelorette to find out how you can help rebuild the Jersey Shore and Moore, Oklahoma.

It was very cool that not only did we show the destruction, but we also introduced you to an amazing couple, Jan and Manny. Des and James gave them their date and it was beautiful to see how grateful they were for this night. I went over to the Foundation Room at the House of Blues before the date and our art department was so happy to be setting up for a regular couple that would get such a treat out of a fancy night out. There is so much love between these two, and the book of restored pictures from the Red Cross was just priceless. I was also lucky enough to spend some time with the talented Darius Rucker that night. I’ve been fortunate enough to get to know Darius over the last few years and I can tell you as talented as he is, it doesn’t compare to what a generous, great guy he is. Manny and Jan’s date was such an emotional date, you almost forget about Des and James — but they had an interesting night, too. I’m curious to know what all of you thought about James admitting to Des that he cheated on his college girlfriend. Do you think honesty was really the best policy here? I know Des ended up giving him the rose, but do you think she’ll ever forget what he told her? It will be interesting to see how that affects their relationship in the weeks to come.

The cocktail party and rose ceremony were held in suites at the Revel Hotel. The view from the rose ceremony was stunning as you could see the entire Atlantic City boardwalk. Zack K. was sent home this week and you know what that means? There’s only one Zak now, so Zak W. can officially drop the W and just be good ol’ Zak. As you saw, Atlantic City was just a jumping off point as we now head over to Europe and Munich, Germany. We’ve talked for years about going to Germany and I’m glad we finally did. It’s a beautiful and historic city — but it turns out it’s also a very dramatic place to visit, too. Or maybe these guys just made it that way. Ben will continue to stir things up, but James is really the one who will step into the crosshairs next week with some ill-advised words. These guys are really falling for Des and are very protective of her, and this is going to lead to some explosive confrontations. We’ll see you next week in Munich, and in the meantime you can always reach me via Twitter and Instagram @chrisbharrison.

http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/06/18/chris-harrison-the-bachelorette-episode-4-blog-3/

RealityFreakWill:
ABC press release:

DESIREE VISITS EUROPE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THE COMPETITION IS RACHETED
UP BETWEEN THE MEN AS THEY DISCOVER ANOTHER RASCAL IN THEIR MIDST,
ON ABC'S "THE BACHELORETTE"

Pop Rock Singing Star Matt White Serenades Desiree and Chris in a Special VIP Concert

Michael and Ben's Dreaded Two-on-One Date Guarantees at Least One Man a Ticket Home

"Episode 905" - Desiree has never traveled to Europe before, and the 11 remaining men hope to make this first leg of the international tour to find love a special one, starting in Munich. Chris gets to explore this culturally rich city with Desiree, but their romantic date comes to a crashing halt when another man interrupts them with shocking news. The Bachelorette takes seven guys to the German Alps, where not only do they enjoy their majestic beauty, but yodel, sled and frolic like kids in the snow. The competition between James and front-runner Brooks turns ugly, while other bachelors make their play for Desiree. The awkward, dreaded two-on-one date has arch-enemies Michael and Ben facing off. Whose strategy works and which man stays? But two men are overheard scheming about what they will do after this journey, and the other guys are anxious to make Desiree see one of them for who he really is, on "The Bachelorette," MONDAY, JUNE 24 (8:00-10:01p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Desiree and Chris tour the heart of the old city, sightseeing, sampling sausages and beer and even trying on lederhosen. The two swap relationship stories, and Chris ends by reading a romantic poem he penned just for her. Touched by his sincerity, she kisses him. Is this the start of something special? Rock and pop star Matt White serenades the couple with his hit song, "Love and Affection." Love is in the air, but do both of these people feel the same way?

The next day, Desiree takes seven men on a group date to the German Alps. They ride in a gondola to the highest peak in all of Germany. They're taught how to yodel, with the Bachelorette enjoying their antics. The group has a blast as they sled down a black diamond ski slope. What awaits them is a spectacular igloo hotel totally carved out of snow and ice. As Zak and Drew profess their love for Desiree, James and Brooks go all out in a ferocious battle.

A dramatic two-on-one date pits two bitter rivals against each other - Michael and Ben. Can they get past mutual dislike and concentrate on Desiree? One man goes on the attack and attempts to get his adversary to admit to being a fake. The other man decides just to take it on the chin and refrains from using the same kind of verbal shots. As the volatile date progresses, the aggressive bachelor goes in for the kill, and his opponent abruptly storms out, leaving Desiree disappointed with the remaining man. Will his nasty approach pay off with a rose, or will it backfire and send him home? And what about his rival?

Drew and Kasey share a shocking revelation with the group about what they heard two of the bachelors say about the wild time they expect to have after they appear on "The Bachelorette." But their plans to tell Desiree the ugly truth fall through when she cancels the cocktail party, and now everyone scrambles about what to do next. Will the playboy get a rose - and if he does, when will Desiree discover the truth about him? Either way, only eight men will remain to travel to the magnificent city of Barcelona.


The 11 remaining men are:

Ben, 29, an entrepreneur from Dallas, TX
Brooks, 28, a marketing consultant from Salt Lake City, UT
Bryden, 26, an Iraq War veteran from Missoula, MT
Chris, 27, a mortgage broker from Seattle, WA
Drew, 27, a digital marketing analyst from Scottsdale, AZ
James, 27, an advertising executive from Chicago, IL
Juan Pablo, 31, a former pro soccer player from Miami, FL
Kasey, 29, an advertising executive from San Luis Obispo, CA
Michael G., 33, a federal prosecutor from Miami Beach, FL
Mikey T., 30, a plumbing contractor from Winfield, IL
Zak W., 31, a drilling fluid engineer from Mico, TX

http://www.abcmedianet.com/Web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=061813_02

RealityFreakWill:
ABC press release:


DESIREE'S EUROPEAN TRIP IS CLOUDED WITH MYSTERY AND MISTRUST
AS THE MEN CLASH IN THEIR ATTEMPT TO REVEAL JAMES' SECRET
AND NO ONE IS SAFE, ON ABC'S "THE BACHELORETTE"

"Episode 906" - Desiree flies her eight remaining men to the cultural and romantic hotspot of Barcelona. Drew and Kasey, however, share the burden of a terrible secret concerning James, who they feel is not there for the "right reasons." The guys are intent on making sure that Desiree learns the devastating truth about this man, but when will it be the right time to tell her? Meanwhile, Drew has his own romantic and emotional one-on-one date with the Bachelorette. The group date features a face-off between six pumped up bachelors and an all-female professional soccer team. But buckle up - the after party features one the most visceral, ferocious fights in "Bachelorette" history. And when Desiree finally confronts James, she drops a bombshell. Zak helps to take Desiree's mind off the drama with a revealing one-one-one date that ups the romance. But the tension is unbearable as the rose ceremony nears and no man feels safe. Who will survive to travel to the exotic island of Madeira? "The Bachelorette" airs MONDAY, JULY 1 (8:00-10:01p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Drew's one-on-one date offers the opportunity for one of the more reserved men left to let loose and open up to Desiree. They explore Barcelona, walking the ancient streets of the city and taking in its world renowned architecture. When the two stop for local tapas, this shy bachelor gets emotional, opening up about his personal hero -- his recovering alcoholic father, who had turned his life around only to now face cancer. At their private dinner in a magical courtyard, Drew proves he has a spontaneous side after all. Passionate kisses in a secluded alley show Drew's other side, but then, when the night couldn't get any more romantic, he stuns Desiree by telling her that James - a man she has feelings for - is not what he seems.

Desiree invites six of the men to the beautiful RCD Espanyol futbol stadium to practice Europe's number one sport, soccer. Little do they know that they'll suit up and compete against some of Spain's top futbol players - a very intimidating all-female team. James feels the chill from the rest of the men, but not just for his performance. The after party features a nasty face-off between the men, as some decide to confront James about what they believe are his plans to hurt Desiree in the end. Trapped in lies, the situation explodes with a heart-pounding, finger pointing and screaming stand-off. Once the Bachelorette is told about James' nefarious intentions, confirming what Drew told her, she takes drastic steps to confront the wayward bachelor. What Desiree decides will shock everyone.

The last one-on-one date with Zak helps Desiree to forget her problems as they arrive at an exclusive art studio for private lessons. They sketch live models in classic Spanish clothing - one model minus clothing - and there is a surprise guest model. That night, after leading Zak to a romantic, candle-lit table deep inside a cava cave, Desiree discovers another deepening connection with a bachelor who freely admits that he is completely smitten with her.

No cocktail party is planned, but the men are very anxious. Desiree drops by and the men are both surprised and shaken by her actions. The only question is -- which five bachelors will remain to travel to the tropical destination of Madeira, Portugal, as the hometown dates are fast approaching?

The eight remaining men are:

Brooks, 28, a marketing consultant from Salt Lake City, UT
Chris, 27, a mortgage broker from Seattle, WA
Drew, 27, a digital marketing analyst from Scottsdale, AZ
James, 27, an advertising executive from Chicago, IL
Juan Pablo, 31, a former pro soccer player from Miami, FL
Kasey, 29, an advertising executive from San Luis Obispo, CA
Michael G., 33, a federal prosecutor from Miami Beach, FL
Zak W., 31, a drilling fluid engineer from Mico, TX

http://www.abcmedianet.com/Web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=062513_01

RealityFreakWill:
Chris Harrison blogs 'The Bachelorette' episode 5


I want to start off this week sharing some great news that many of you have hopefully already heard about. Mike Fleiss, the creator of this franchise, and myself, have helped create a dating site called At First Sight. The app is currently available on iPhone and Android devices and will be available online very soon. For over a decade, people have come up to me and asked how they could be on the show or if I could help them find love. Well, this site, which has been many years in the making, takes what we’ve learned from years of doing this show and put it into an amazingly useful, entertaining and safe site. Download At First Sight and check out the video profiles, then take a minute and make your own. I’d love to know what you think.

Now, let’s jump into this week’s episode with Des and the boys in Munich, Germany. I need to start off by apologizing to a fellow host and the German people. For several days everywhere I went people were raising a glass and saying “Probst.” I like Jeff Probst, he’s a great guy and I respect his skills and his many Emmys, but hearing everybody toast that guy when I walked in the room was more than I could take. I learned later the German word for “cheers” is “prost” and in no way relates to Jeff Probst. I only wish I had learned this before verbally assaulting many good German people. With that little misunderstanding settled, it was time to move the guys into their hotel. As you can tell it was a little chilly this week in Munich, but the city is absolutely beautiful. I’d love to tell you what hotel we stayed in because it was incredible, but as you heard I couldn’t even pronounce it, much less spell it. If you couldn’t tell my German is, as they say, “no bueno.”

Chris got the first one-on-one date this week. This is a guy who has really emerged from the pack the last few weeks. He was a slow starter but has really made up ground and seems to be making an impact on Des. The date was going great until Bryden decided that not only did he need to leave, but he really needed to leave right then and there. So he set off to find Des to break the news to her immediately. I don’t necessarily think he needed to bust into her date to do this, but I do respect the fact that Bryden pulled himself out of this situation as soon as he was absolutely sure Des wasn’t right for him. At this point, taking up space in the house and on dates just isn’t fair to Des or the other guys. While Des wasn’t exactly blown away by this news she was upset by the realization that this can happen. Chris was put in a tough spot, having to help Des recover and also save his date. He did a great job pulling the situation together, assuring Des he was there for the long haul. Later that night when Des was explaining that she really needs words of affirmation in a relationship, Chris whips out a poem he wrote. This was perfect timing and Des really took it to heart. It was the icing on the cake for what had been a really good date.

The group date took Des and the guys to the highest peak in all of Germany. The last couple weeks I think you’ve really been able to see a difference in Des and her relationships with the guys. They all had a blast playing on the mountain and then headed inside an ice castle that you could only find on this show. Des and Brooks are an interesting pair right now. You can tell she’s really into him and he seems to be into her but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of dialogue between them at this point. It’ll be interesting as thing progress to see if there is more than just pure chemistry between them. I hate to harp on this, but how far has Zak come since the first night? He might be one of the best comeback stories we’ve ever had. That was an incredible story he shared about climbing the mountains in Germany ten years ago to find clarity about the priesthood. Apparently, God talked to Zak and said his services weren’t needed in the church and to go forth and do some crunches.

Now, the situation with James is a very interesting one. He obviously said some things in front of Kasey and Drew that didn’t sit well with them. But was this just guy talk? Were these things said around his boys that he didn’t really think much of or was these statements a true picture of his character? This is a very explosive situation and the fuse is lit. James is a very proud passionate guy and he’s not going down without a fight, literally. Next week should be pretty intense.

The two-on-one date is always an awkward one, but awkward really doesn’t describe what went down between Michael and Ben. I would love to get your thoughts on Ben. Michael did an incredible job of using his courtroom skills to bury Ben, but did he go too far? Was this one of those situations where he won the battle but may have lost the war? Des got the message and kicked Ben off, but she was clearly upset and put off by Michael’s tactics. How about Ben’s thoughts in the car home? Wow! Did he show his true colors or what? The things he said about being the next Bachelor and what a great story a single dad from Texas would be was nauseating. I’m guessing Des was pretty happy about her decision after seeing that.

We shot the deliberation and rose ceremony at Schloss Schleissheim, which in German means “holy crap that’s an incredibly awesome castle.” This castle was about thirty minutes outside of Munich and it was well worth the trip. After speaking with Des, I could tell she was very clear in what she wanted to do this week and she really didn’t need or want the cocktail party. I think part of the reason is she knew she was saying goodbye to a nice guy like Mikey. Spending more time with him only would have made things more difficult. Mikey is a sweet guy and Des really liked him, but there just wasn’t chemistry there.

Next week it’s off to Barcelona. This is obviously one of the most romantic places in the world but next week it will also be one of the most dramatic as the situation with James goes through the roof. The guys this season have really fallen for Des and they are incredibly protective of her, but are they too protective? At some point Des might get to the point where she resents being “taken care of” so much. Thank you for watching and as always you can find me on twitter and instagram @chrisbharrison.

http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/06/25/chris-harrison-the-bachelorette-episode-5-blog-2/

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