The One with Bachelor Nation's Kaitlyn Bristowe

·51 min·5 clips

Kaitlyn Bristowe sobbed rewatching her Bachelor season, reopening a drawer of trauma she'd locked away for 10 years.

Lala Kent welcomes Kaitlyn Bristowe, a key figure from Bachelor Nation, to her podcast 'Untraditionally Lala'. They open with casual chat about living in Nashville versus LA, both describing their homes as sanctuaries. Kaitlyn shares her experience rewatching her season of The Bachelor 10 years later, which caused her to sob and seek extra therapy sessions as she relived the intense, real emotions she had compartmentalized. She reflects on being 30 during filming, feeling confident post-heartbreak, but notes the toxicity came more from being The Bachelorette, where she had to navigate multiple men's emotions and production pressures. Kaitlyn explains she was naive to television production, initially believing producers wanted what was best for her rather than good TV. She discusses maintaining friendships from her season, like with Whitney and Becca Tilley, despite competing for the same man. Kaitlyn reveals she much prefers hosting, such as on The Bachelorette or her new show, because she feels in control and less exposed. She talks about keeping her dating life private now due to past judgment and internet criticism. The conversation shifts to 'Are You My First?', a Hulu show premiering August 18th where Kaitlyn hosts a group of virgins aged 23-30, exploring reasons like religion, vaginismus, or simply waiting for the right person. She emphasizes the show aims to destigmatize virginity and ensure no one feels forced. Kaitlyn shares personal anecdotes, including having vaginismus herself and dating a hockey player that led to a lonely 'WAG life'. They discuss reality TV shows like 'Unreal', which Kaitlyn says depicted a darker version of The Bachelor that may have been accurate in the past. The episode ends with a lightning round where Kaitlyn names Big Brother as her favorite binge, Britney Spears as an unrealistic drinking buddy, and admits she'd do something illegal if anonymous for 24 hours.

As heard by us

Kaitlyn Bristowe reflects on dating, privacy, and why hosting now fits her better than being the storyline.

Kaitlyn Bristowe's conversation about dating after The Bachelorette centers on a telling recalibration. A public love life helped define her career, but she now sounds far more comfortable guiding the story than standing at the center of it.

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Why you'd press play

For when you want dating talk from someone who once had to choose love on a clock.

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