Editor's Note: Season six Bachelorette and current host of NBC's 1st Look Ali Fedotowsky is blogging exclusively on E! Online about the current season of The Bachelorette, giving her reactions and spilling behind-the-scenes secrets.
Hey guys! I'm back for this season of The Bachelorette to share all my thoughts on what I think about Desiree, the guys and all the drama that makes The Bachelorette so good! As always, I'll share some juicy behind-the-scenes info that only a past Bachelor/Bachelorette could know. So stick with me this season and you'll be a Bachelor pro in no time. Now let the journey begin!
Desiree may be the most darling Bachelorette ever. I mean that. I think ABC did a great job choosing her, and I think she could end up being the most loved yet. There is something so endearing about her; something that makes me root for her and feel truly invested in her quest to find love. I dig her.
The first episode is really just a chance for us to get to know everyone. You always walk away from this episode thinking about the most memorable guys. You pick a couple frontrunners and start to speculate about who will win Desiree's heart. I'll get right into it and pick my two frontrunners now:
1. Drew: They had great chemistry. I really like that he was the first one out of the limo and he was so shy. Plus, he and Desiree giggled so much together when they were talking inside the mansion. She is definitely into him.
2. Brooks: We don't see much of him this episode but see quite a bit of him in the season preview at the end of the show. This make me think he could win. The winner rarely gets a lot of screen time the first night, so I always look for that in the first episode.
3. Ben: I think he could end up breaking her heart (based on the season preview), but right now I think she is really into him. So, he is a frontrunner in my mind. I'll talk more about Ben in a minute.
Other standout guys (not all for good reasons):
Bryden: He definitely stood out. He's a veteran of the Iraq war and the show premiered on Memorial Day! Give that man a rose. I really, really liked him and I hope Desiree does, too.
Robert: The sign guy! He was cocky but cute. I won't be surprised if he makes it far, but I seriously doubt he'll be the guy in the end.
Jonathan: WTF! Did you really give her a key to a fantasy suite?! Thank god she sent him home early.
Zak: Will you accept these abs? Are you kidding me?! Put your shirt back on. You got a rose early because Desiree wants you to stop trying to show off.
Diogo: Where in the world did he get that knight costume? She ultimately sent him home, but that was a heck of an entrance!
Brian: The way she greeted him makes me think she likes him. She was timid when saying "hello" to him—reminds me of my experience on the show. Keep an eye on him.
Ben and Brody: My heart completely melted when Ben showed up with his son Brody! "Daddy, did I do everything?" I really hope Ben makes it far. It says a lot about him that he was upfront about having a son right from the start. Unfortunately, the tease for the rest of the season made me question him. It looks like Ben isn't a good guy, which totally bums me out because I really liked him. I'll wait to see how it plays out before I make any judgment.
Quote of the night: "I was disappointed. I wanted to see a magic trick." —Dr. Larry when Nick took Desiree away at the beginning of the night. I agree. I wanted to see a magic trick, too! I love magic. I wish she would've kept him around just for the tricks. I would've.
Something I like to do in all my blogs, and will continue to do all season, is answer fan questions that I get on Twitter. Here we go!
Jeannette (@jmac0510) asks: Where and what do the guys do until they arrive to meet the Bachelorette?
They sit in hotel rooms by themselves. You don't meet the other contestant until you all pile into the limo to go to the mansion.
Kate (@Kporter92) asks: Do the Bachelor/Bachelorettes have any idea who they are going to meet? Do they get pictures or anything?
No. The Bachelorette knows nothing about the guys before night one. In all honesty, I wish I had some knowledge of the guys on my season. I wish that I got to see 10-second clips of them beforehand. Not even video clips, because I don't think looks really matter, but audio clips. I knew what kind of guy I wanted and I would've been able to cut through many of the guys right away just hearing them talk for a bit. Ninety percent of the time you know whether or not you would date someone within 30 seconds of meeting them. I honestly think the show's success rate would be much higher if the Bachelorette had a hand in picking the guys. Just sayin'…
OK, that's all I've got for now. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter at @alifedotowsky. I live tweet during the show each episode and I'll be answering some of your questions in my blog each week!
Until next time…
XO,
Ali