Vienna Girardi and Jake Pavelka
As the next installment of ABC's hit dating show stars premieres with a returning Bachelor looking for a second shot at love, we've got to wonder: Why would anyone want to go back to a show that has such a poor track record when it comes to couples who stay together? Is it possible that TV isn't the best place to look for love? We decided to take a look back — at both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette — to see where all the contestants are now.
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Tonight on The Bachelorette, Meredith Phillips finally chooses between Texan boy Matthew and Brazilian-born Ian. With two blond lookers to pick from, we don't see a problem here — except that she can't have both! (C'mon, how fair is it to offer this single gal a hunky harem, then make her select just one suitor?) Recently, ABC's teasing ads single out Ian as the "risky" proposition. How does Miss Meredith feel about that?
"You know, they're both pretty stable men," she says. "I don't know why they say that Ian is a risky choice. They're both gentlemen. Maybe because Ian has traveled a little bit more. Maybe that's a riskier side? For me, it was very safe and calming to be with Matthew, especially in such a chaotic situation. It was nice." Hmmm... Sounds like a hint to us!
One mark against Ian is brother Erik, who interrogated Meredith in the fifth episode. Fans will r
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How does Meredith Phillips compare to ABC's original Bachelorette, Trista Rehn? The 30-year-old makeup artist and catalog model seems eager to distance herself from her fame-crazed predecessor. "Trista and I are very different," she says. "I went into this situation being myself, totally. I was very realistic and I wanted to make it my own. I wasn't trying to follow up Trista's show. I wanted it to be my own, and I think that's one reason I'm so happy at this point."
By happy, Phillips means she's "very, very happy" with her chosen suitor. "It exceeded my expectations," she says of the show's result, which is obviously top secret. However, the brunette looker does hint at a new twist, which occurs in the first rose ceremony. "I had to hand out 14 red roses — and a white rose to the person I wanted to get to know better." Hmm...
Back to Bridezilla. Um, we mean Trista. If Phillips m
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Well, $4 million worth of pink rose petals has been swept up, following Trista and Ryan's Wedding, and it's time to move on. Starting Jan. 14 on ABC, the next Bachelorette follows in the bride's footsteps, seeking a man of her own. This time, it's Bob Guiney's reject, Meredith Phillips, who'll get her group-date on. And, as usual, Chris Harrison will be along for the ride as host. According to him, this season's stunner has all the makings of a fine dating-show drama queen.
"I hate even using the word, because it is a reality show, but Meredith is probably the most 'real' person we've had," says Harrison. "With Trista, the great thing for those of us producing [
The Bachelorette] was that she always [understood it was] a TV show, and did what she needed to do." As for Phillips, though, "if she's happy, she's happy. If she's sad, if she's pissed off, that's it. She is who she is," he assesses. "She's not faking it."
That lack of
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