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Since I was 12, maybe 13, years old, I’ve had the weirdest infatuation with The Bachelor. It’s, by no better definition, my guilty pleasure. I could tell you every detail about every contestant for probably the past five years. It’s not something I’m proud of, but it is what it is.
That obsession only grew when I lived in Los Angeles for 4 months. Since LA is one of the entertainment capitals of the world, I made it my goal to work for the TV show. I would do whatever it took. And that’s exactly what I did… LOL. IT WAS GRUELING. Definitely gave me an insiders perspective on the whole industry, and how much less glamorous it truly is (and that’s all I think I can say without violating the terms of the contract that holds me now until eternity).
Well, that obsession didn’t stop there. This past spring, after watching Becca’s season, the ever-awaited casting call flashed on the tv. That’s when it hit me. I took a long, hard look at myself. I was single (now happily in a relationship), I had no immediate employment plans and frankly, I had nothing better to do. So I decided ya know what, I’m doing this. Partially a joke, partially a “hey ya know what if this works, that’ll be great.” I applied to The Bachelor. Yikes.
So there’s a few ways you can make the show.
You can be nominated
You can nominate yourself. If you choose to go this route, you can travel to a local casting call, submit an online application, or fill out an old-fashioned paper application along with photo/video footage. They highly recommend the latter, as it provides the producers the most amount of information about you.
Initially, I decided I wanted to attend a casting call. Get the full experience, might as well right? But life happens and traveling to NYC or Cleveland (the two closest cities) was just not in the cards. So I recruited some help from my fav photographer/videographer, Eric Jackson, and we put together an audition tape.
I kid you not, this was one of the most awkward experiences of my life. Attempting to talk seriously about past dating history, hobbies and other personal things sitting in front of you two best friends was pretty near impossible for me. I’m just not a serious person, so this was a struggle. There were also quite a few instructions to follow about what to wear/not wear, how to present yourself, and different angles that you needed to get. For a trashy tv dating show, they are quite picky, I’ll tell ya. I’ll spare you the second-hand embarrassment by not posting the video with this blog, but my closest friends and family can attest that the final product was not pretty. Here’s some of the behind the scenes from what we put together:
Along with the video, I filled out the 5 page questionnaire, printed out some photos of myself (full-body, close-up, formal and informal, as per the instructions) and threw it all in the mail. As well all know now, Colton’s season has come and gone so I clearly didn’t make the cut… could have something to do with being more than 110 lbs or with the wine stain on the opening reel of the video but hey, who knows 😂
While I opted for the mail-in route, my friend Mallory and her friends, living in Nashville for the summer, decided to actually attend a casting call. See footage below – it’s just as much hairspray, lipgloss and floral dresses and one can imagine:
When I asked Mallory about her experience, she said:
“Originally at the beginning of the summer, my friend, Kristin, and I joked about going to the Bachelor casting calls when they came to Nashville. Well the closer casting calls got, the more serious we became about going. We’re two of our only single friends so we thought why not. When the casting day rolled around, we had no idea what to expect or even what to wear. I decided on jean shorts, a cute tank, and platforms — something cute but also casual. Kristin wore a jumpsuit, and since my single sister was in town visiting, I dragged her along with us.
Casting was open from 2-6, and we arrived around 1:45 (I’m notoriously early for everything). I expected there to be a line out the door of women, but in reality there was probably 15-20 people in front of us. We briefly waited in line to check in, received our application packet, and then they took our headshots. They then ushered us into a large ballroom with tables and chairs to fill out the application. The questions ranged from what is your age, weight, height, profession to why do you want to find love on tv. Kristin, Alex, and I were laughing the whole time and having a grand ole time. However, it felt like all the women there was sizing each other up and were far too tense about the whole ordeal.
Once we finished filling out the written application and essentially signing our lives away (basically agreeing we wouldn’t sue due to embarrassment or disclose any confidential info), we were directed to wait outside 3-4 rooms for our on camera interview. Again, while we were waiting in line, I was joking and being my typical self with my friends, but that was not the case with most of the women there. They called us back one by one into a room with what I’m assuming is some kind of producer. A girl led me back to my room for the on camera interview, she handed me a mic to clip on my shirt, and we were ready to roll. She asked me to introduce myself (name, age, profession). She then asked me if I had ever been married (nope), if I had any kids (I asked if my dog counted as a child), and if I knew anyone currently on the bachelorette or anyone previously on the bachelor/bachelorette.
She then asked me what my hobbies and interests include. All in all it was pretty harmless. I’m not one for interviews at all but I didn’t mind it. Again, I went into with the mindset of “this is for kicks and giggles and I’m going to make this fun” so I think that had something to do with it. There was a pretty good range of women there though from body types to ages to professions and especially to outfits. One girl showed up in leggings and a baseball hat while another women showed up in a ballgown. It was an interesting experience to say the least but hey, never say never right?”
For anyone looking to apply for the upcoming season, the application can be found here along with more info on how to apply either of the two above ways. While the process didn’t work for Mallory or I, I’ve worked for one of the past contestants of Sean Lowe’s season, and she’s not only found love several times through Bachelor franchise shows, but now travels the world for a living. Consider that before ya knock the show!