Coming Up Roses: The Bachelorette

Full Transcript of Interview with Tim McCormack from 'The Bachelorette'

2011-05-27T16:51:09-04:00

Here is the full transcript of the interview with Tim McCormick who exited this week on "The Bachelorette" after his drunken escapades. My questions with him are in PURPLE.

Jennifer Matarese: So, can you tell us what happened that first night? How did you end up in such a state?

Tim McCormack: I really wish I could be a little more clearer as to how exactly I got like that. You know nerves have got the best of me. You know, I had a few drinks and I definitely never had alcohol affect me like that before. I don't know. I mean I started to watch it and I - literally, it was stomach churning. I really wasn't able to make it through the whole show.

Jennifer Matarese:    And why did you react the way you did seeing Jeff wearing the mask? It was - was that the alcohol or would you really just think wow that guy is so strange for wearing a mask?

Tim McCormack:    Well, the alcohol definitely induced the reaction, but I mean in normal life, I would have definitely found it extremely odd that somebody would wear a mask especially when you're trying to make a nice first impression. Unfortunately, for me, it's like throwing stones in the glass house at this point.

You know yes, I did think it was very strange. Obviously, in the state that I was in, it brought out maybe some different behavior than I would have if I had been completely sober which is, you know, obviously, hindsight is 20/20 and I can't go back now, but you know - yes, and I did not - I didn't find the mask too much fun.

Question:    Hi, Tim. I'm really wondering how much did you drink and had you started you know maybe before you even got there kind of a little bit of liquid courage perhaps and then it just sort of kept going - I mean everyone knows that that's a super long night. It's way longer than it is on TV.

Tim McCormack:    Right.

Question:    And a lot of guys have come away from that and girls on maybe The Bachelor, you know, drink more than they think. So, I'm wondering how would - how many drinks did it take to get you there because you seemed very gone?

Tim McCormack:    Right. I mean like I said, you know, it's very difficult to watch and I literally had to turn it off. Anybody who knows me you know I work in the alcohol industry, so for me you know being around alcohol is a part of my life.

So, to have that kind of reaction to it, I don't know, I mean maybe I'll chalk it up to adrenaline or nerves or - I really don't know how I got that bad because I only had - you know I'd had a toast in - you know a toast or two in the limo and you know I walked in you know it kind of got - you know I guess that you know I let it get carried away. It's extremely humiliating.

I definitely - I don't know. I mean I can't go back in and pinpoint an exact number of drinks that I had to get to that point because in my opinion, I was - I didn't look right getting out of the limo. So - and I definitely wasn't sitting in my hotel room drinking all day. You know I was nervous. I think like everybody else and like I said, I - to me, it's - I don't have any excuses. I don't have any reasons as to how that affected me and how that happened because I certainly didn't feel like I put myself in a position with alcohol at night especially getting out of the limo where I would have even seen myself go - you know go down that path.

Question:    Do you - were you aware of how kind of blitzed you were at the time and, you know, is that why you went to sleep? Or was that sort of like a surprise to you when you were woken up by everyone and carried out to a car?

Tim McCormack:    Well, the part of me going to sleep, like I've said, that to me wasn't exactly a conscious decision. I think that was just a bodily, you know, reaction to, you know, what I put in my system. I mean - and obviously, everybody has watched it and it's been you know commented on and what not, but I mean I've never seen anybody as bad as what I had to watch on television and that's being around alcohol my whole life. So however it got like that and however you know the alcohol affected my system that night, I personally have never seen anybody in that state.

And most definitely, it was not my intention to go - you know, go on "The Bachelorette" - go through the whole process of the casting and, you know, the excitement of you know getting to meet Ashley and then to put myself you know pretty much out of the race from the moment I got out of the limo.

So you know, I really don't know. You know, it really is a shame because she is a great girl, I wish her the best. I just wish I could have been - I wish, you know, I was a little bit more of a person that I've shown the producers through the casting process had come through instead of this guy that just become you know pretty much uncontrollable.

Question:    How were you the next morning and what's your cure for a hangover?

Tim McCormack:    The next morning - the next morning was a giant fog as to exactly, you know, the previous night - you know what happened the previous night you know and I just - my cure for hangover was enough Gatorade to fuel a football field.

Question:    So, my question is why did you originally go on "The Bachelorette?" Was it really to find love and who were hoping was going to be "The Bachelorette?" Were you happy with Ashley?

Tim McCormack:    Of course I went on "The Bachelorette" to find love. I mean you know I was one of the older guys on the show. I'm 35 years old. I really felt that I had, you know, I'm in a good place in my life career wise. You know just - you know everything kind of lined up. The only thing that was sort of missing was, you know, the romantic aspect of my life.

You know, we don't know, you know, when you're going through the casting process, it was not - I had pretty much noted down in my mind to just from the people that were going on the show like then to three or four of the girls which really did turn out to be the last four girls. And any one of them I would have been, you know, I'd be pleased with.

When I found out it was Ashley, yes, I was excited for the chance, you know, to get to meet her. She seems like a lot of fun, had a great personality, I mean she is beautiful girl. You know, I really was excited. It's, you know, to me, it's disgusting at the end, how this all transpired and went down as far as, you know, the way I acted.

Question:    OK. And had you not drink so much at the initial cocktail ceremony, do you think stood a good chance to get a rose and why?

Tim McCormack:    I think that I would have. You know, I do think I would have stood a good chance to get a rose. I didn't really - I mean it's tough to go back and, you know, play Monday morning quarterback, but I wouldn't have been out there in the first place if I didn't feel like I could bring something that, you know, maybe somebody else could as far as whether it be personality or you know whatnot.

And like I've said, it's unfortunate that nobody is ever going to get to see that and all they've got to see was this, you know, pretty much uncontrollable, 35-year-old man acting like, you know, a kid who just had his first drink.

Question:    You know, if it all hadn't gone downhill for you for that first night, did you have kind of a game plan of how you were maybe going to woo Ashley because some of the guys with the cue cards, there was the guitar. Did you have anything in mind?

Tim McCormack:    That was my whole - you know, the thought process getting in there because I know that, you know, there are 25 guys in the room and you need to make yourself stand out. Well, obviously I stood out and it didn't exactly work out and that was not my plan. My game plan was just really going to try to get to know her, you know, be myself, laugh, joke, don't take it too seriously. I didn't want to do anything too scripted. You know I feel like some of the scripted things, they shine through you know they work for some guys and it doesn't work for others.

Yes, I mean my whole goal process and my whole - you know, I guess you could call it game plan was really just to take things in and see how they progressed and you know see how I - you know, not just the way she felt about me but the way I started to feel about her and you know kind of try and let it progress as naturally as possible even though the circumstances are different.

Question:    Yes. And you know you said you went on "The Bachelorette" to find love. Are you ready to start dating again; are you at all worried about this episode maybe affecting that if you're in the dating world?

Tim McCormack:    I don't know. You can talk to me in a few months about how much it affects me, but it's only been a few days as of yet and...yes, I mean, listen, I want to - the people that know me in my life, my good friends, everybody knows that something was seriously off that night.

You know, I don't know what to chalk it up to but that is not anywhere as remotely close to the behavior that I - you know, that I put out there, you know, to my friends and family and my colleagues at work and it just doesn't happen.

So to watch it on TV is - well, I don't know about how much it's going to affect my dating life, hopefully not too much.

I'm 35. I can't waste too many more years trying to clean this mess up.

Question:    So, I mean, I know you kind of talked about this a little bit already, but what - I mean -- you knew that going into work on Tuesday, people had seen you on the show, what was their kind of first reaction because you were - you do work in a liquor business and you know that happened on national television? What was their reaction, I'm sorry, on Tuesday morning?

Tim McCormack:    You know, I mean these guys, the people, found a lot of the stuff you know somewhat amusing and, you know, kind of funny, you know -- I guess some of the banter back and forth with the guy with the mask.

Well, like I've said, I mean going back just let me reiterate this, I have not watched the full thing so I'm kind of just getting bits and pieces from - I mean -- I really had to turn it off. It was nauseating. So, you know, some of what the people have been - you know, friends of mine and colleagues at work have mentioned to me, you know, the general consensus is like, 'what the hell happened to you? That's not - it's nothing that anybody has seen.'

And that's - you know -- we're talking not just about my colleagues at work. Some of whom I've been working with, you know, in excess of 10 years who are also talking to my friends and family members that I've been, you know, known since I'm 5 and 10 years old, you know, and that's nothing that anybody has ever seen or remotely close.

I mean, we all -- listen, I know in my past, I've had plenty of nights where I definitely has too much to drink over the span of my, you know, drinking when I probably went away to college. At no point have I ever seen anything like that. So, I think that was really what everybody had to say, was just - you know, everybody that I know has been very nice about it and said, "Listen, you know what, hang in there. You know it will pass. We know it's not you."

You know, unfortunately, there's a lot of people out there who are just going to see this guy who just went, you know, absolutely, you know, bananas that night.

But you know, to be honest, I mean I've been very lucky with the people around me. Everybody has been very supportive about it. They know that this was not an everyday occurrence. I mean if it did, I should be checking myself in somewhere. I mean that's - you know -- it was a one-shot deal and unfortunately what happened on the night that I've been anticipating for a long time.

Question: And then in terms of the first night, what you can, you know, recall that you pulled together? I know that you didn't get along with Jeff but was there any of the other guys that you - the stand out in your mind is people who might be really quality guys, you saw that they were really solid?

Tim McCormack:    You know that's a tough one to say. I don't think that I'm able to form any sort of solid opinion just based on the fact that, you know, just from seeing what I saw; I was in no condition to make any assumptions or judgments on anybody that night including the kid with a mask.

I mean, even though I thought that it was creepy and I did think that, you know, from what I saw, I didn't like, you know, the way he kind - I don't know -- I didn't like it. But you know, at the end of the day, I mean everybody could turn around and say stuff about me. I didn't really pick up on any kids that I thought were great or any kids that I hated. I mean I just - well, I think I kind of just went through that night with blinders on and unfortunately; it's just - it went you know terribly awry.

Operator:    Your next question comes from Frank Lovece from Newsday.

Frank Lovece:    Hi, Tim. How are you?

Tim McCormack:    How are you doing, Frank?

Frank Lovece:    Good, good. I hope you read the paper out there in Long Beach.

Tim McCormack:    Yes. I saw that nice little - that nice little picture that somebody put of me in the Newsday two days ago.

Frank Lovece:    Well, I don't put up the pictures, I'm sorry.

Tim McCormack:    Yes, they're on TV. Listen, I expect that, I did it to myself. I'm teasing.

Frank Lovece:    OK. Well this really sound like a funny question but it's serious. So I know competition, some guys can get very weird when it comes to competing with other guys. Could you possibly have been ruffied?

Tim McCormack:    No. You know, that's a question that I don't think that I'm in a - you know -- I don't think I'm in the position to answer that. You know, I would hate to think that would be a possibility. You know, obviously from looking at - from what I saw, that was - you know, like I've said, the alcohol you know it hits everybody differently. I would like to think - I mean I haven't - you know I really don't even want to go down that route. You know, I just want to own this and move past it.

If somebody did, then God bless them because they got rid of me the first night. If somebody didn't, God bless them. I haven't even thought about that. It's you know - did it look like, you know, a guy that was extremely on the borderline of, like, being on drugs? I don't know. But it was - you know, I was - I want to chalk it up to me. I guess that night I was just not able to handle my liquor.

Frank Lovece:    So that's a possibility. But you'll never know - it might not...

Tim McCormack:    I didn't say there was a possibility. You did. I guess I'm just - you know I'm just - I'm not going to even think about the thought that somebody could even do that so I don't even want to explore that in my mind. I mean now I've already moved past it you know there is no way to ever tell that. It's something that would always be - you know, it's not something you could ever get an answer to, it would just be speculative and I don't want to live my life like that.

I'd rather just see how - own what I did, move past it, you know, and hopefully at some point, you know, anybody that reads any, you know, the publications I will speak with today will say 'OK, you know what -- whatever happened, it happened. This kid, you know, he's not a mass murderer, you know, and he screwed up and that's it.'

Frank Lovece:    You're very courageous. I admire you a lot for being willing to come out and talk to everybody about it because I can see - I know it must have been incredibly hard. Let me just ask, what do you do with - at the liquor distributor, are you a salesman or the owner of the company?

Tim McCormack:    No, no, no, no. I'm in sales.

Frank Lovece:    OK. And I guess my question is what specific liquors were you drinking that night, the liquor you were drinking that night or wine or whatever?

Tim McCormack:    As far as specific, I mean brands that you know obviously I'm not going to mention any brand just because I'm in a business that - if I don't mention the right brand, I think I can get myself in trouble.

I don't know. It appears like, you know, I know that I had, you know, I guess some Vodka cocktail that look like, you know, somebody told me I was drinking a beer on there, you know. I don't know. I guess I had a mixture of things - maybe that was it. Maybe I mixed too much that night and, you know, the idiot came out to a point when he should have stayed at home.

Frank Lovece:    Well, I wish you the best of luck, Tim, you sound like you have some very supportive family and friends and that's really important. And good luck to you and you will get past it, you're very courageous.

Tim McCormack:    You know what, listen, worst things have happened. It is what it is.

Frank Lovece:    Thanks a lot. I appreciate it.

Tim McCormack:    OK. Take care.

Delaina Dixon:    Well, let's turn the tables a little bit. When you do get back in the dating game, what kind of woman would be you looking for and kind of just what would be your approach? I mean I'm a New York City girl so you know we can be tough.

Tim McCormack:    I know that. I've dated many since I've lived in New York my whole life. I don't know. You know what my approach is, to drink club soda on the first date. How about that?

Question:    What kind of girl - what kind of woman are you looking for?

Tim McCormack:    Just somebody - you know what, actually somebody like an Ashley and that's why, you know, I was excited when I found out it was her - just somebody that's easy going, kind of fun loving. Obviously, attraction is important, but you know the older I get, the more of the looks only has started to fade and that would have to be a little bit more you know in substance. So, obviously, somebody with a good heart comes from a good family, you know.

I guess all the normal things that guys look for - I don't know. I don't know - if I'm in the position to say anything about normal after what aired on Monday night, but we'll see.

Question:    You know what? You might think that it works against you, but it might turn you into a pseudo celebrity, so you know, embrace it and move forward. So, I know you probably not thinking about alcohol much right now but with summer coming, are there any summer drinks that you do enjoy that you probably wouldn't be imbibing this summer but...

Tim McCormack:    Well, listen, I didn't say that I was going to stop drinking. I just said that I just wouldn't drink on the first date.

Question:    Well, what's a good cocktail that we can all try?

Tim McCormack:    I would go with a nice Mojito. They cool you down and very refreshing.

Question:    So if you could give a message to Ashley now or have her know something about you in hindsight, what will it be?

Tim McCormack:    If I could give a message to Ashley, first will just be a giant apology right out of the gate. I mean, you know, a girl that goes through - and she's under a tremendous amount of stress as well with this whole process.

So, you know. I know that she was under a lot of stress. Obviously, however the stress reacted to my body and what happened that night, we all know what happened, so my message to her would just be like 'I really do apologize. ' I definitely did not come out there to waste her time. I was excited when I found out it was her and it's a real shame and I feel like I'm the one that really lost out at the end of the day by not getting a chance to get to know her and at least get her - you know get a chance to form a complete sentence without slurring or stopping to figure out what I want to say.

Question:    Would you like another chance to be on the show again?

Tim McCormack:    Would I like another chance to be on "The Bachelorette?"

I mean sure, man. Everybody likes a second chance. Do I think that would ever become a reality? Probably not. I'm on the - this year, I'll be on the north end of 35 so unless they come out with like a senior dating game for "The Bachelorette," I highly doubt that that would ever happen especially considering my glorious exit.

Question:    Yes. Did you enjoy it?

Tim McCormack:    I don't know if you could call it fun at this point. I mean, I met a lot of great people. I mean the people that work on the show...they were - you know a lot of really, really nice people. So at the end of the day, at the very least, I've got to make - you know make some friends which I'll probably carry on for awhile.

Question:    Awesome. Now, ABC did a special on Behind the Rose and we saw, you know, a fast glimpse of you that you actually tried out for Ali's season, correct? Like first before Ashley? So, I just wanted to see what made you, you know, want to come back or, you know, if you weren't chosen for Ali's season and they ask you to come back for Ashley's.

Tim McCormack:    Right. I mean at this point, yes, I was chosen for Ali's season.

And I had to bow out about - I guess less than a few weeks before I was slated to go out there and start filming due to work and I would - I wasn't able to get the time off.

I'm sure that once Ali finds that out, she'll go home and say, "Thank God."

Question:    No, definitely not. So then you decided to come back for Ashley's. Now, why, you just wanted a second chance, you finally - you know you thought that this is the true way to find true love?

Tim McCormack:    I mean, you know, I'm pretty open-minded when it comes to finding - you know, I don't necessary believe that, you know, the things I said and the dead-set schedule. I mean I've had my whole life people asked me when I'm going to calm down and you know, when I'm going to settle down.

And I don't think that that's something that you know you can say on a specific date, I'm going to settle down and meet the right girl or - you know so I just like to put myself in different situations and, you know, I figured going on a show, I mean you know just in speaking with the people that were, you know, behind the scenes, I thought that they were fantastic. I thought everybody came in a really sincere, honest approach about the way that the show you know tries to you know match people up or kind of put people in situations where you really are just focusing on getting to know one person.

So I figured, you know, what, what the heck, why not? You know, I've tried stranger things, so you know like I've said, unfortunate that at the end of the day this one didn't work out for me but yes, I definitely thought that it could have happened.

Question:    Now, when you do go on, you know, a date with a girl and I'm sure she'll recognize you that you know you were on the "The Bachelorette." Do you think it will work in your favor or do you think you know it will work against you?

Tim McCormack:    Very good question. I don't know. If you want to give me your number, I'll be more than happy to give you an update after I get the answer to that one.

Question:    Tim, I know you said the night was kind of a blur. But what was your impression of Bentley? He's already come across the season's villain and he admitted he wish "The Bachelorette" was actually Emily Maynard. So were you surprised Ashley kept him around despite the rumors she heard about him and did you think that he deserved to be there?

Tim McCormack:    I really can't comment on Bentley because I don't think I spent too much time hanging out with him. So, I mean, just obviously from what I've, you know, seen written a little bit or, you know, the clips that I've been able to stomach watching, you know, it does seem like, you know, he made a couple of comments that he probably stuck his foot in his mouth.

You know, I don't know. I mean like I said, I don't know him so I really can't make a comment on whether the guys is a good guy or he is not, I mean, if Ashley did get a warning about somebody beforehand you know maybe somebody should have called and told her to watch out for the drunk kid getting out of the limo and put him right back.

Question:    OK, and you talked a little bit about Ashley already but could you elaborate on what your impressions of her were?

Tim McCormack:    That first night or leading up to that?

Question:    The first night.

Tim McCormack:    Getting out of the limo, I thought she was drop dead gorgeous, you know, getting out. And she had a big smile and she was very welcoming and she, you know, I think that the fact that she had been through this, you know, this process before, I think she understood what everybody was going through as far as nerves.

You know and just from - like I said, from seeing the clips, I have been able to get myself to watch, you know, she really - there's a lot of girls out there that would have absolutely blasted away on me for my behavior and what had happened to me and you know, I really have to say, I think she handled herself with a whole lot of etiquette and a whole lot of class in a way that I don't know if a lot of woman would have been able to, and especially dealing with somebody who was as belligerent as I was.

Question:    Sure, and you talked about what apology and message you would give Ashley now, but if Ashley had kept you around on the show and actually gave you a second chance, what would you have done to make it up to her? I mean, how would you try to redeem yourself?

Tim McCormack:    You know, I just would have, you know, made an extra effort to make sure that she - you know she did get to see the Tim McCormack that was cast you know through this whole process and not some guy that showed up that night who really was not a very good barometer of who I am.

And you know, it's unfortunate like I said, that that didn't get to happen. But you know, I just think that, you know, over time, I'm not saying that I would have wound up with her in the end, or what not, but I definitely feel that if I'd have gotten the chance to speak with her and have some fun because she does seem like she has got a great personality and she is sparkly and bubbly and what not.

I think that we would have had certain things in common that maybe she won't with the other guys, I don't know. It would be interesting to watch and see how it plays out but, you know, at the end of the day, I hope that she was able to find - you know -- find somebody that she cares about and, you know, this whole process did work out for her.

Question:    Hey, Tim, you said you probably wouldn't get a second chance on the Bachelorette but what about Bachelor Pad? Would you be willing to go on Bachelor Pad Season 2?

Tim McCormack:    Only if they serve fruit punch with no alcohol.

Question:    Because last time, they had people who really - they got to redeem themselves you know sometimes it helps people to show a different side of themselves. If you went on there completely sober and not drinking, would you do it?

Tim McCormack:    Yes, I mean, listen, I'm making a couple of jokes about alcohol, and I know (inaudible) and I'm never going to drink again or have any drinks since I left the show. I just don't know what happened to me that night. And I mean, as far as you asking me about the Bachelor Pad, you know, that is something that I would, you know, I would take if it was offered to me and make an informed decision or, you know, think about it before I would do anything or jump into anything. But you know, I think the people over at ABC are, you know, I think they are all great and if they wanted to bring me back, it's something I would consider.

Jennifer Matarese:    OK, she just asked my question, but on another Bachelor Pad, what if they said they we're bringing you on and we are bringing on Jeff with the mask, would that be a problem?

Tim McCormack:    I don't know how much of a problem it would be. Like I said, I just don't like masks. I don't like Halloween to begin with, so if you give me enough to drink and you see the way that I acted, that was - it wasn't the way I would have liked to have handled myself. I'm not saying that the result would have been any different had I been dead sober. I just think I would have curbed my tongue a little more than I did.

And you know, especially, I should have just left him alone. You know, it was the reaction of the guy that was completely destroyed and I don't know -- would there be a problem? I will tell you when I see him.

I would like to think that, at 35 years old, I'm too old to be fighting, my fighting days are supposed to be behind me.

Jennifer Matarese:    And would you have liked to - did you get to know Chris Harrison at all during this process? What did you think of him?

Tim McCormack:    I actually did not - well, I don't have much recollection of getting to meet Chris; I still would like to get his autograph though.

Question:    Hey, Tim you know I kind of noticed this about this season and last season, on Brad's season, he is 38, all the girls were under 30 and I noticed with Ashley, she is 26 and a lot of the guys were over 30. Do you feel that was an appropriate age for you dating? Since you have been saying that you know you are going to be 35, and would you prefer a bachelorette that was maybe a little bit older like in her 30s?

Tim McCormack:    That is a good question. I don't know, I mean as far as age goes, I have never really, you know, relegated myself to just dating one age group and I date - I don't know, I have dated girls that have been five, six, seven years younger than me, I have dated some girls that have been a few years older than me. I don't really let age kind of play into my decision.

I mean, I guess that is a good - not good but I guess it is an interesting observation, I hadn't really noticed that except for the fact that I know that I was one of the older guys on the show. And it's ironic because I think that masked man was - he was also 35.

Hugs, Kisses & Roses,

Jennifer Matarese

Bachelor Pad: Different link to visit

2010-08-10T10:59:46-04:00

Hi! I'm so happy to see that people are checking this page for updates, but there is a different link for bachelor pad. This one will stay active and when the next bachelorette starts, I'll do the updates in here when that time comes. Until then, please visit http://wabc.typepad.com/bachelorpadblog/ for all of your "Bachelor Pad" updates! Thanks!

My NEW Video Interview with Ali & Roberto!

2010-08-05T10:53:43-04:00

I am so incredibly excited to bring you this! I had the opportunity to interview Ali and Roberto in person today!

They had just finished doing a great job on "LIVE! with Regis and Kelly". I and our talented videographer, Frank, went inside the dressing room and got to chat with the happy couple for a few minutes. Without further ado here's the interview!

Hope you enjoyed watching it as much as I enjoyed talking with the two of them! They are so in love they burst into song! You'll also be happy to know, Ali and Roberto are both just as nice off camera as they are on camera. I hope to bring you many more exciting things with the upcoming season of "Bachelor Pad" so stay tuned.

Hugs, Kisses & Roses,

Jennifer Matarese

Conference call transcript with Ali, Roberto & Chris

2010-08-04T14:13:30-04:00

As promised here is the full transcript from the conference call with Ali, Roberto and Chris!

Question: So, Ali, your whole concern going into the show was, how would you know if they're really going to love you back, so, what made you take the leap of faith, I'd say, that he would propose?

Ali Fedotowsky: You know, that was definitely a fear of mine, but, my relationship with the Roberto is so strong, that I felt, I had faith, that if I took that risk and he's the only man I brought to the end. I have faith that he feels the same way about me and you always have a fear, but I think what's so great about me, sort of overcoming that fear, is I overcame it in the best possible way. I didn’t have two guys at the end, I just had that one. So, I feel really good.

Question: When did you know your final decision?

Ali Fedotowsky: I knew for sure, with a 100 percent that it was Roberto, during our last date together. You know, when we were in the rain and, like, and together and just everything was just so perfect and wonderful and I felt so good and I didn’t want to be with anyone else. At the end of night, normally, you know, I'd be like, "OK, I need to stop focusing on this guy and I need to focus on the next guy."

You know, I need to – in my date with Roberto, I'm focused on Chris, but I couldn’t focus on Chris. I just want to spend more time with Roberto. So, that's when I knew for sure. But in retrospect, looking sort of back to the first night, that feeling that I have when I saw him was like nothing I've ever experienced. So, I don't know. I kind of think I fell in love at first sight.

Jennifer Matarese: Hi, Ali and Roberto.

Ali Fedotowsky: Hi.

Roberto Martinez: Hey.

Jennifer Matarese: Hi. So, my question is: what were your family’s reactions to finding out that you were engaged?

Roberto Martinez: My family was extreme. I couldn’t hold it in. As soon as I got back to Tampa after the finale was taped, I told my parents right away and (they were) nothing but excited. They loved Ali when they met her and now they're looking forward spending more time with her.

Ali Fedotowsky: You know, what's so cute, I talked to his parents last night when we were at Jimmy Kimmel and they are just so cute and his mom was like, "I love you, Ali." And we were – I was, like, crying when I was talking to her. It's just a beautiful moment for all of us, and I waited a little bit to tell my parents not because they wouldn’t be thrilled – they loved Roberto when they met him – but because I didn’t want them to feel tempted to share the information. It's such a huge secret to hold on to. So, I waited a little bit but when I told them, they were like, "Yes, we already knew. It's so obvious." And I was like, "OK."

So, they're so happy for me and they just love this guy and there like “when can we come out? When can we come out and be with you two and get to know Robert better?” And I'm like, "Oh, as soon as we can. You know, we have a lot of going on right now."

Question: Ali, you had said – I've been watching every one of you’re – you know, talk shows that you've been on this morning. So, my question is you say that you wonder what you're going to pursue on the future. Do you plan on going back to a Facebook-type position or do you plan on maybe going into television? What's next for you?

Ali Fedotowsky: Yes, you know, I feel like I've been, you know, my reason for being The Bachelorette was 100 percent, you know? I don't care what anyone says, my reason was to find love and with being The Bachelorette, there's also this, you know, media frenzy, and all this publicity that, you know, has brought a lot of good things into my life and giving me opportunities to do things in charity that – for charity that I'm so grateful for.

So, yes, you know, I don't think I'll be going back to Facebook but who knows? I definitely have some people that are advising me right now and helping represent me so I can figure out what's the best move. I want to do this right, I want to do this right from, you know, from my relationship, for Roberto, for me and just make the best of this, you know, blessing that we've been given, you know, to I guess just do good in the world and I want to do more of that.

Question: The Bachelorette made a big deal out of you playing ball. Are you still going to be pursuing that line or you're just going to be selling insurance in San Diego?

Roberto Martinez: No, I think baseball is just a big part of my life, but no, I think that's definitely in the past and it's just, you know, I think we did on the hometown days – that will be something fun to do – and it's part of who I am, you know. Baseball is definitely part of my past. Unless the Yankees call me up and need a starting pitcher, then yes, I think – actually we're going to the game tomorrow. So, if they need somebody to come and relieve, I'd be happy to do that but I probably will not be pursuing it.

Question: I wanted to ask you guys about the spoilers out there. There were so many this season. Did you follow them and were you ever tempted to comment on stories that's sort of direct people one way or the other?

Ali Fedotowsky: Yes. I was very well aware of the spoilers out there. I probably shared them with Roberto. He doesn’t really read into that stuff but, yes, you know, and it was tempting just because, you know, at the beginning of the season everyone was sort of, you know, realize that Roberto and I have this great connection from the beginning and they were sort of rooting for us and that was so exciting. You know, it's good to have people behind you and supporting you.

I mean, we don’t need it but it's nice and then when the, sort of, rumors came out that we were together or, you know, that I was single or maybe I ended with him but that we were split up already, was so hard because all of sudden people went from sort of supporting us and excited about our love story too, you know, this awful and, you know, The Bachelorette is about finding love and Ali didn’t even care, she didn’t want to find love and this was – that was so hard for me. It really, really was and there were so many times I wanted to be like, "You're wrong, you're wrong." But I knew I just, you know, needed to wait it out and, you know, all that matters now, I mean, regardless how anyone else feels is that we have each other and we're so happy.

Question: So, my question is actually for Roberto. How does it feel when Ali told you sort of at the finale, at the Final Rose Ceremony, that you were the only man there? Were you shocked about that? How does that feel?

Roberto Martinez: I was shocked. Because, you know, part of the whole deciding to propose thing because, yes, I only want to do that once in my life and it made it a little bit, I guess, not difficult but it was definitely in my mind that there's another guy here. So, it was definitely a thought on my mind throughout the day when she finally told me, I was shocked. I knew, little that I did know about the show, I knew that normally it ends with two guys or two girls at the last rose ceremony. So, it was definitely a good feeling but I knew that things were going to turn out well as I walked up the steps and I saw her smile and I knew it was good.

Question: You guys made me cry last night. It was just so amazing. My question is what is something that each of you learned about each other that you didn’t know already just from the show? Like that you've learned since the finale?

Roberto Martinez: I think for me, I mean, not that I didn’t know it but Ali's such so supportive and so – I mean, watching the show and everything, it has it's great moments but it also has kind of difficult moments for me, you know, just having to watch her relationships with all the other guys. So, it just kind of solidifying that she's just a great person. She's supportive and she's more than I could ever hope for.

Ali Fedotowsky: And I guess, I'm dwelling on the sort of same lines is, you know, one thing that, you know – I'm sorry, choking right now.

Roberto Martinez: Are you OK?

Ali Fedotowsky: So sorry. I was eating oatmeal because we didn’t have breakfast, you know, I got it caught in my pipe, it was the wrong one. Sorry.

But I think it's like that kind, genuine, sort of romantic about Roberto, you know, there's always sort of that little bit of wonder, is yes I want to see dance with me in the street, you know, you do that always and what I've just been so grateful to learn about his is that he is like that at home. You know, when we have these little secret, you know, hideaway spots together, he would dance with me in the kitchen and he does tell me, you know, he said in his proposal I want you to know, you know, every morning knowing you're so, so loved. He does. He tells me that. It's unbelievable, the man he is and I think just knowing that transferred over into our lives outside of The Bachelorette, it's such a great thing and I'm so – I appreciate him so much.

Question: When are you guys going to come back and visit this area? And I guess how are you going to avoid the pitfalls of all those other couples who – I don't know how many made it to the altar after the show was over – but you know…

Roberto Martinez: I think we talked about going to Tampa really soon. I think that's on the top of the list and I actually got a text message from my college coach at the University of Tampa that the Rays want me to throw out a first pitch, so I'll be honored to do that. So, hopefully we go to Rays game down there and so soon, to answer that question.

And your next question, I think for me, it's just – she'll always be a priority for me. There'll always be at the top of my list. I mean, it's she's what makes everything else worth it and to me that's what life is about and sharing your life with somebody special and she's that special person for me so she's always going to be at the top of my list. Other than that, I mean, I don't know. I haven’t really followed too many of the other couples so I don't really think in terms of we're a Bachelorette couple. I just think of it in normal terms.

Ali Fedotowsky: Yes. We're just a normal couple and we're in love and we're happy and, you know, there's no reason for us to think that it won't work, you know, so.

Question: Good. My question is for both of you. I'm wondering how you guys kept under wraps the whole time, and then also, Roberto, when you heard these rumors that Ali was seeing Matt Leinart, what was your reaction to that?

Roberto Martinez: Poker face. Yes. Everybody wants to know. I don't know.

Ali Fedotowsky: He has a terrible poker face.

Roberto Martinez: No, I did pretty good. I did pretty good. But I don’t know, just – sharing with her and I don't know. It's tough. It definitely has its hard moments but you do what you can.

About the Matt Leinart thing. Yes, I don't know. That's the reason I really don't keep up with the tabloids and everything else because it's easy to get caught up in that so I tend to steer away from it.

Ali Fedotowsky: We laughed about it.

Roberto Martinez: Yes.

Ali Fedotowsky: Remember when I brought it to you and I was like, "Oh, look who I'm dating."

Roberto Martinez: Yes. It's just – it's just kind of – yes. It's just a big joke but we trust each other and we communicate really well and that's I think was the strong part of relationship and it's just funny.

Question: You two know that the other bachelors that were in the house, probably especially Roberto better than anyone at this point. If ABC decided to make one of those guys the new Bachelor, which one do you think would be the best for that experience?

Roberto Martinez: I think the obvious choice is – I would say it's Chris. And among the other guys, it was just a really good group. I mean I could name off a couple of names. Kirk was a great guy. Craig was a great guy. I get along with Ty. So, I mean I think they – I wish them all the best. I hope they find happiness. If they want to do that using this kind of vehicle to do it, then I send them my blessings.

Question: Excellent. Ali, do you have any thoughts about who would make a great Bachelor?

Ali Fedotowsky: I completely agree with Roberto. I think, you know, if Chris chooses to do it, I think it's his, you know, the experience and I say I just want him to be happy and we wish him the absolute best and if decides to do it and same that Roberto said. You know, I love Kirk. Craig is just hysterical, super fun to be around. He'd make a great Bachelor. I mean, there's some of the things that he said in the show, he had me cracking up so I know it'd be really entertaining. So, yes, there's a few options, I think.

Question: This question's for Ali. Was there ever a time after, you know, a broken or failed relationship that you've had that you felt you'd never find love again?

Ali Fedotowsky: You know, I don't know that I ever felt that way. But you know, after I guess, sort of my last serious relationship, I definitely wondered like how I was going to find a guy that was going to treat me the way that I felt a woman should be treated, a person should be treated in a relationship and – so, yes, I did feel a little bit down but you know what? I think what's so great about my relationship now is Roberto is that the way he treats me, the way he loves me, I never could have imagine how good it can really be.

And you know, I've seen some of my great friends, best friends, who are married and have wonderful marriages and I always wonder, "God, will I really find that guy?" You know, who is just going to love me like that. And now that I have, it's like a feeling I can't even describe. I never knew a love like this was even possible.

Question: Hey, you guys, you sound so cute over there. So, I just want to ask you, you know, obviously you haven’t been the best year for Bachelor couples with the track record, Jake and Vienna and Jillian and Ed, realistically does that scare you? Because I know a lot of them points to, right after they get off the show, it's a transitory moment, you know, there's no helicopters and roses, have you noticed a lot of differences and how, you know, worked through the town just as becoming kind of a quote "real-life couple."

Ali Fedotowsky: Yes, I mean, I think we're both really simple. You know, we appreciate the simple things in life. So, we don't want the helicopters and you know, the crazy, you know, lavishness of all the dates. We just want to hold hands walking down the street, you know.

And in terms of failed relationships, you know, we realize that there's then a few and I guess, we've talked about is that we don't consider ourselves, I guess, a Bachelorette couple. I mean, we are but we don't lump it into us into a category. We just realize that we're in love. To us, we're just a normal couple. We're not – I don't know. To be categorized, I guess I feel like.

Roberto Martinez: You know what, for me, throughout the whole show and we had all these, you know, amazing dates and we went all these places but I always kind of kept it in perspective. This is not what a normal life will be like to such degree, you know, going on this lavish trips all the time and – so, early on, I just pictured my life with her doing simple little things and that – honestly, I couldn’t wait for that and now that it's finally here, I'm just so excited, so it's good.

Question: So, I have a question for you, Roberto. A few weeks ago, there were rumors about you having an estranged girlfriend by the Gabrielle Ortiz who claims you disappeared and cut off all communication with her after two months of dating and I'm wondering if you have any comment, like, [do you] even know this person?

Roberto Martinez: You know, I'll say this. I thought she was a friend and, you know, I was just kind of disappointed in the whole thing and, you know, there's not really a whole lot more I want to say about that but other than, you know, it's just the whole thing was disappointing to read about.

Question: OK. OK. And one question for Ali, going back to your job prospects, if you're tinkering with the idea of staying in front of the cameras and Roberto stays in the insurance, does it make you at all nervous seeing how being in the limelight affected Jake and Vienna?

Ali Fedotowsky: No. It really, really doesn’t. I think that the limelight and you know "Dancing with the Stars" and all those things, you know, that's not what tore Jake and Vienna apart. What tore Jake and Vienna apart is, you know, something within the relationship. The relationship was already broken.

And you know, lots of couples, you know, look at, you know, I don't know we've been comparing to, you know, the bigger version of Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. Look at them, you know, they are both in show business and I mean, from what I know of the relationship, they're super in love, they make it work. I think the strong, you know, if you have a strong foundation in relationship, you make it work and we talk about it all the time.

We, you know, we sat down with Cameron from "All My Children" on "Good Morning America" and we, you know, he was on "Dancing with the Stars" and we haven’t been asked but we know it could be a possibility hopefully and we asked him, "You know, you sort of did that and you're happily married, give us some advice. You know, tell us – we want to make sure we put each other first and we make this work. What is your advice?"

And we're just going about it in the best way we know how and, you know, I think honestly right now for me, I know that this is sort of, you know, in terms of staying active I guess and staying busy, me staying sort of in this entertainment world a little bit, you know, as much as I guess people would want me to, will keep me busy and he's going to be super busy with his insurance company. So, if I was sitting home all day, doing nothing being a housewife, I'd probably wouldn’t like that too much. So, I think it'll be healthy for us to both stay busy but just always put each other first.

Question: My question is, I know it's a little early to discuss and you know – I seen it on the television yesterday but what are your plans for a dream wedding and did you guys know each other or meet or encounter each other before the show?

Ali Fedotowsky: Yes, we definitely do not know each other before the show.

Roberto Martinez: I wish I did. I wouldn’t have needed to go on the show. I would have filled her up right there.

Ali Fedotowsky: He did play baseball for the SteepleCats which is in the town next to my hometown and we've been talking and it's funny, you know, my sister even wrote me and said, "Oh, my gosh." I think, you know, Roberto actually met this guy who's a friend of ours at this place and I think when I actually go home to my hometown, it'll be interesting to see how much overlap there is in our lives there that we never even knew about. And then – what was the other question?

Question: Dream wedding.

Ali Fedotowsky: Dream wedding, yes. For now we've been together about three months and we've talked about it since that we taped the finale and got engaged, and you know, it's so hard to answer that question because, yes, we've talked it. We've said possible spring, summer of next year but we also are like well, if we say that and then we get really busy, you know, and we don't get married and – people are going to start saying that something's wrong in our household.

Roberto Martinez: Yes.

Ali Fedotowsky: So, we're kind of like, God, maybe we just don't even say that. But we're just happy.

Roberto Martinez: Enjoying life one day at a time.

Question: You will be doing it on TV?

Ali Fedotowsky: Yes. I mean, we talked about that too, going into that.

Roberto Martinez: Yes, I think we're definitely open to the idea. I think, the money we can save from that we can use to, you know, invest in our lives and, you know, our life together and – you know what, it'd be kind of cool just to share that moment with everybody as well and be able have my family there and experience that with us, I think it's really what's important to them.

Ali Fedotowsky: Roberto has a big family and his mom told me that he's thinking along the lines of 700 people at the wedding.

Roberto Martinez: A very big number….

Ali Fedotowsky: So, that could get expensive. So, we were thinking, you know, it just makes sense for us to just take the money we'll spend in a wedding, and yes, invest it in our future, in our home, in our, you know, potential children's future. So, we feel like that's what's really important and that's what we should be focusing on.

Question: Ali, wanted to know if your bridesmaid's dresses were going to be yellow?

Ali Fedotowsky: I'm pretty sure. I actually have because of that – there will certainly be yellow in the wedding. If not, maybe white dresses and splash it of yellow on, you know, ribbon or I don't know or something.

Question: And do you have any other detail that you've sort of been thinking about or always have in mind when you thought about your wedding?

Ali Fedotowsky: No. I read people saying I was considering certain designers and I've never done that but I have made a couple of comments in the past about, you know, comfortable shoes I would like to wear during my wedding. I thought about that. And yes, you know, we'll have to see. I just really wanted to be beautiful, simple, elegant, and you know, whatever it is. Honestly, if we were in paper bags, you know, like dancing around the bonfire, that would be perfect.

Question: And Roberto, do you want to be involved or do a lot of planning?

Ali Fedotowsky: Will I be involved?

Question: Well, Roberto, does he want to be involved?

Roberto Martinez: Do I want to be involved?

Question: Yes. Do you have any sort of ideas, things that you would want?

Roberto Martinez: You know, I think what's important to me, obvious that she's there. Other than that, just my family, make sure we've, you know, get a little place to dance and we got some good music and be comfortable. I want her to enjoy it and I don't know. I'm sure I'll be involved.

Question: So, Roberto moved in across the country to be with you. Your move from San Francisco isn’t so big. Does that put a lot of pressure on the relationship or is it good for you both to start over in a new place?

Roberto Martinez: I mean, I wouldn’t say it but if anything and for me it helps. I mean, I wanted to be closer to her and to me was this decision I have to make with my business to – I had to make the decision quickly and it was a no-brainer. I had to be – I wanted to be close to her. So, I wouldn’t say if it's pressure on the relationship, I'd say it helps if it's anything.

Ali Fedotowsky: Yes. We're so excited. Like, it's so hard because he's been living in our place in San Diego for three weeks now and, you know, I want to go down see it and be there and it's – we're just super excited about it. We don't feel any pressure. For us, it was – you know, I'm so lucky that, you know, Roberto is modest but he like, you know, he'd sacrifice a lot to make this move for me and I thank him so much for doing that.

Question: OK. Because you did tell me that, "Yes, I'm going to live in L.A. but just outside where I can drive and…"

Ali Fedotowsky: You know, we want to just stay out of the, you know, the hustle. I think that's one of the things, you know, in terms of making our relationship work. Roberto was offered, you know, to start with his agency by his company right in L.A. and you know, Beverly Hills' L.A. and we didn’t want to do that because we thought that would put a lot of stress in our relationship, you know, walking out of our apartment, you know, potential paparazzi following us everywhere.

So, we knew that, you know, we could still stay involved in this set up here but be removed. You know, San Diego is so beautiful and peaceful that it's just going to be such a nice place for us to start our life together.

Question: The question would be if you were to look at each other right now and ask yourself or say to the other person the one thing you're going to need to work on over the coming years that will make me even happier is, how would you finish that?

Ali Fedotowsky: The only thing I would say to him would be you're going to have to work on keeping the kitchen a little bit cleaner. Roberto's, you know, got a good appetite. He likes food. He likes to eat and he sometimes makes a mess in the kitchen and little ants going to crawl and then get the food and so for me that – keeping the clean could cause little unnecessary fights that we don't want. He is working on that and I'm sure there's plenty I need to work on.

Roberto Martinez: No, no, no. She's awesome. Maybe, babe, she gets a little grumpy when she's hungry. So, maybe that's taking out on me so much.

Ali Fedotowsky: I do. When I'm hungry, I get little Miss Grumpy.

Question: OK. Just a follow up to that. It's all food you're talking about. It just popped into my mind. Ali, are you going…

Ali Fedotowsky: I was like pretty much revolves around food.

Question: Ali, are you going to learn how to cook Italian?

Ali Fedotowsky: My goodness. Well, if anything I got to learn to cook some Spanish food for this one, but I think we might be ordering in a lot. But, yes, I think it can be really fun that we'll do, you know, is like learn to cook together. You know, maybe do like cooking classes there or something. That would be really fun.

Question: So, what did you learn going this experience that in this relationship with Ali that you're going to take to your next relationship?

Chris Lambton: I think I just learned just, you know, to be open and to kind of just try to give as much as you can in a relationship even though that we at circumstance, you know, I still learned to put myself out there.

Question: Do you feel like you're ready to start dating again?

Chris Lambton: Yes. Like watching last night was, is very strange. I'm not going to lie. And it just felt like, just hung again, you know, even though it was obviously taped. So, you know, I definitely had some emotions coming back last night and it's hard to watch. But, you know, I'm always ready for the perfect girl to come into my life.

Jennifer Matarese: Good. So, the big question is would you want to be the next Bachelor if you were given the opportunity?

Chris Lambton: That's an excellent question. Honestly, it's something that I'll have to think long and hard about because it was hard watching, you know, so much of my personal life and intimate details of like dating and love on TV. And, you know, it's hard to share that kind of thing with many millions of people who watch the show. So, I mean, it's definitely something that I'll have to, you know, really, really think about. I'm not really sure if I want to share all that again.

Question: You know, you said previously that you're really thankful that Ali let you go before the final date. Did you expect her decision? Like, how surprising was that? Or did you feel that you and Ali really had a connection and that she might choose you?

Chris Lambton: I mean, I definitely thought that we had a connection. Whenever we hang out, I mean, there was just – it was easy. We could just talk. We could have fun. I mean, it was never forced even from the first time we talked. And then honestly, you know, it got down to just Roberto and I. Obviously, then, I think I even have a better chance. And then, you know, when she came up to my hut that day, I mean she's walking up the stairs, usually when she's with me there’s a, like, big smile and she starts laughing, you know. And she's walking those stairs and I saw her face and I was like, oh-oh. I think I don't think this is going to go too well.

Question: You've said several times that you were really thankful for sort of Ali letting you go when she did and that you respected her decision but was there any part of you that was angry or upset because you have invested so much and felt like maybe you wanted that one more day to spend with her?

Chris Lambton: I was definitely not angry or upset because, I mean, you can't force love, you know. I mean, and if didn’t want to reciprocate it, then, you know, she's not the right one for me. So, that's why I was thankful.

I'm thankful that she didn’t prolong [it] and she, in fact, knew 100 percent that it was Roberto. I mean, that's just – like I said, that shows some kind of girl she is. She's an amazing woman and she didn’t want to make me hurt. If she had kept me around that day for another date and then to go over there The Final Rose Ceremony, that would have hurt me even more.

Question: So, I wanted to ask you, you were saying earlier that if you were asked to be the next Bachelor, it's something you'd really have to think about because of the fact that you share so much in your personal life and it sounded like that was something that was difficult for you this season. I mean, respecting that so much was going to be revealed and talked about seeing all that on TV and responding to it.

Chris Lambton: You know going into that, I didn’t really know what to expect. I mean, I never watched the show before so I wasn’t really, you know, up on it. I never really thought about how far I'd make on the show and how deep I was getting, you know, feelings-wise, emotion-wise. And, you know, when I actually got as far as you can get without, you know, ending up engaged, you know, watching that all again was – it was very difficult. And, you know, especially last night, that was very hard to watch. It was.

Question: It seems like, you know, it's just that other thing is like everyone is saying, you know, you were such a good guy, you handled it so well. I mean, is there any – how are you dealing so well and being so polite and not lashing out, like there must be some part of you that's like what the hell?

Chris Lambton: You know, I mean, right when she did that, I was like – I didn’t expect it. I was, like, shocked. And then, you know, next thing you know, I was, like, on a plane going back to L.A., and it didn’t really set in for a couple of days, honestly, because, you know, I didn’t expect that to happen.

But then, you know, looking back on it, again, I mean, I just really respect the fact that she didn’t, you know, keeping me around and if they think that I have an even better chance and make me fall deeper in love with her and she, you know, because she knew what she wanted and she wanted someone else and, you know, I have to respect that. I mean, I say I wish it was me. But, again, in a relationship it takes two, and it didn’t work out that time.

Question: I just want you to know that, you know, just speaking on behalf of all women who have watched the show which is probably in the million, you are just so loved and, you know, hearing you talk about being sad about the results of the show, I think makes us sad because, you know, you're every woman's son, friend, brother, you're like the dream guy. You're like a new American hero and I just want you to know that if you decided to be the next Bachelor, I think you'll have a cult following. I think it'd be the best Bachelor they ever had and it makes me sad to hear sad because I just think you're one of the greatest guys. I'm married, my husband was scared watching me watch you on the show.

I mean, I got like thousands of E-mails, text messages, I have my own blog and people were just writing in all ages – single, married, grandparents – and I just, I don't – it sounds like you're not even cognizant of how much you're adored and I just wanted to ask you, like, are you aware of how popular you are, how loved you are?

Chris Lambton: You know, I get a lot of letters in the mail and people will stop by and like, yesterday, someone put a rose in my front porch with a note that said if Ali doesn’t give you her rose, will you accept mine?

It's like things like that but it's still – I can't fathom it. I can't wrap my head around it because, you know, it's amazing. It really is. I'm like, you know, I go down to the beach – yesterday, I went down to the beach after work at like 4 o'clock and next with my brother and my dad and the next thing I know, there was literally 50 people around me like taking pictures and like, you know, just like, you know, want to give me a hug and will take a picture with my little kid?

You know, it's really hard to grasp. It's amazing but, you know, I love that its love coming towards me, you know?

Chris Lambton: It's surreal. I can't even describe it to tell you the truth.

Question: All right. Well, when you wake up in a couple of weeks and, you know, you've reconsider this, I just want you to know that we really enjoyed, you know, getting to know you as far as you can get to know somebody by watching television and wish you all the best. Have no doubt that this is great thing because now you can go out and find your dream girl.

Chris Lambton: I can't wait to find that dream girl.

Question: I've taken that you had a pretty good response since you got back home?

Chris Lambton: I mean, that's the one thing I can say though, I've got nothing but positive response for me and actually you know what? My dad's probably gotten as many letters and E-mails asking him out as I've gotten asking me out.

Question: So, it sounds like you're not going to need to become the next Bachelor?

Chris Lambton: Actually, I don't know a lot but, you know, there's definitely a lot of love being thrown at me and it feels good. You know, it really does.

Question: Well, you did a good job at the show and it's your time to sit back and enjoy and not worry about, you know, cuts.

Chris Lambton: Exactly. I completely agree. Now, I can take a deep breath and just kind of, you know, sit back and relax and just watch it all play out.

Question: All right. Everyone's been discussing you talking about how great you are and I'm sure it's true but you're also just, you know, a human being like everybody else, so I'm wondering if you could share with people, you know, some of your flaws, some of the things that, you know, may make you not so perfect.

Chris Lambton: Man, I definitely have a lot of flaws. You know, I think I, you know – that's a tough question.

Question: Or just to give you a hint, like in the last conference call, Ali and Roberto were talking about how Roberto's kind of messy and Ali gets really grumpy when she's hungry. So, it's little things like that that maybe people wouldn’t know about you.

Chris Lambton: OK. Well, in that case, to be honest, I haven’t finished unpacking yet from my last trip to L.A. and I still haven’t finished unpacking from getting back from Bora Bora and that was like two months ago. And that's probably my biggest one right now is my room is a complete disaster and I don't even care at this point because, I don't know, there's too much going on in my life to even worry about that.

Question: A lot of my questions have actually already been answered but off the cuff, are you going to continue your life in Cape Cod? Or has the show opened up opportunities for you that have kind of made you think maybe you're going to move and do something completely different or someday through your life and all that?

Chris Lambton: I think as of right now, I'm going to be on the Cape for a while. I love what I do. I live with my dad. I work with my dad and my brother. My other brother's right down the street. You know, we got the wedding that we're preparing for in October which is going to be an, you know, an incredible time.

So, I think, you know, short term, you know, I'm not even thinking about, you know, I'd say like moving to like L.A. or New York or teach again. You know, the great thing right now is that I have a lot of options and I just have to figure out what option's best for me.

Jennifer Matarese: Hi. Well, I was wondering what your family's reaction was watching the finale?

Chris Lambton: Great thing about my family is that they're behind me 100 percent no matter what. And you know what? They actually – they love the finale. They love the rainbow. I mean, my dad called me and he was like, "Oh, my God, you know, I'm crying watching this. I can't even believe it. Is that real? Did it really happen?" I was like, "Yes."

I mean, you know, it completely blew me away and, you know, blew away my whole family because it's such a big story and our family is like, the rainbow and that was pretty amazing and they just like the way I reacted, you know. You know, when she broke up with me and then back in L.A. after The Final Rose, how, you know, gracious I was, and how, you know, you just have to accept what happen sometimes. You know, you can't try to force love. Love should be natural.

Jennifer Matarese: Thanks. And I hope you do become the next Bachelor.

Chris Lambton: Thank you very much.

Question: Good. I have a question. Do you think that it will last between Ali and Roberto?

Chris Lambton: You know what, I think it actually will. From the moment that Roberto came back after his first date, like he was like kind of starry-eyed and, you know, when she looked at him, I thought so – I thought in Turkey, as of Turkey, I thought, you know, they really going to be the final pair. It’s just something when she walks in the room. Like, the two of them would kind of light up when they saw each other, and that's something you can't really hide. I think they'll hide it a little bit on cameras, maybe, but it just seems like they were really, really in love.

Question: So, for all those women out there who are hanging on your every word, I mean, what is it that you're looking for in your perfect mate? Like what are the things you're going – qualities you're going to seek out in your next relationship?

Chris Lambton: See, the funny thing is I don't think I look for a certain qualities or that. I just think it's based on like chemistry. It's like, you know, when you meet a girl, you know, it should just be like an instantaneous click and that's like you see her and you're like, "Yes, I'm going to spend the rest of my life with this girl." You know, I would do anything to be with her, I would love her till the day she dies. So, I think it's just the chemistry. It's just something that just will, you know, like punch you in the side of the head and I'll just think, "Yes, this is the one."

Question: And I hope that you're hopeful it's still out there. Are you?

Chris Lambton: Definitely. Definitely. You know, this show did not make me a skeptic of love. You know, it just made me realize that you know what, I just need to keep looking and love is out there for me. I just need to find it.

Question: I'm just wondering if you are interested in continuing a friendship with Ali down the line or if you feel that things could be uncomfortable to do so?

Chris Lambton: Honestly, I talked to Roberto probably every week since the show ended and I told him and I told Ali after the final rose, I said, you know what, I know that the three of us should be lifelong friends and hang out, you know, as much as we can. I think Ali's an amazing special girl and Roberto is one of my better friends from the show and there's no doubt in my mind that this won't be hanging out relatively soon.

Question: Chris, earlier, I asked Roberto and Ali who they thought would make a great Bachelor for the next season and they said you among others but you didn’t sound so interested earlier. Is there anybody from your season that you think would make a great bachelor?

Chris Lambton: A great bachelor? I think, Ty, Kirk, and Craig R. would be phenomenal bachelors. You know, they can just control the camera and they can have fun and they're amazing guys and any girls would be lucky to end up with any one of them.

I know the formatting is weird, I just can't figure it out :( I hope to have something very exciting for Thursday!

Hugs, Kisses & Roses,

Jennifer Matarese

Ali & Roberto talk about their new lives together

2010-08-03T14:59:37-04:00

I took part in a conference call today with Ali, Roberto and Chris! First, let me say Ali and Roberto are genuinely happy together and in love! They are so adorable! I really, really hope those two make it to the alter. For those of you who were wondering, Ali's ring is 3.3 carats! Wow. It's also worth a whopping $50,000. Very nice. Roberto chose well.

Also, Ali was wearing a gown by designer Alberto Makali, and Roberto was dressed by Hugo Boss. You can view a slideshow of the proposal by clicking the photo below!

Now to the call. It began with Ali and Roberto, and they were on the phone together. Roberto said that he knew he was going to propose when Ali said that he was the only guy there. He knew that she felt certain about him, so that added to his certainty about her. Looks like letting Chris go early was a very good decision on her part. Ali was asked when she knew that Roberto was the one. She said, " I knew for sure with 100% certainty during our last date together, when we were in the rain and everything was so perfect." Aww, how sweet!

I asked Ali and Roberto how their families reacted to the news of their engagement. Roberto said, "My family was extremely excited. As soon as I flew back to Tampa, I told my parents right away, I couldn't keep it in, they were nothing but excited, and they loved her right away." Ali said that she talked to Roberto's parents last night when they were on "Jimmy Kimmel" and Roberto's mom told her that she loved her.

Ali said, "I waited a little bit to tell my parents. Not because they wouldn't be thrilled, but because I didn't want them to be tempted to share, when I did tell them they said they already knew because it was so obvious. They are so happy for me, they love this guy, and they keep asking when they can come out to visit so they can get to know him better."

They also talked about their future wedding. Good news, looks like they are planning to share it with their faithful followers on ABC! I love watching a beautiful wedding between two beautiful people, inside and out.

Ali said that she was aware of all of the spoilers out there and she was kind of disappointed by them. She said at first it was nice because everyone thought she would pick Roberto and everyone was supportive of them. But later, when people started saying that she picked no one or that Roberto later broke up with her it made her a bit sad.

Ali commented on her life with Roberto saying, "He is a genuine romantic. We have our own secret hideaway spots, he dances with me in the kitchen, he wants me to know that I am so, so loved, and he does tell me that. It's unbelievable the man that he is and it did transfer over into our lives after 'The Bachelorette'."

If that isn't a woman in love, I don't know what is! She also said she expects her bridesmaids to wear...you guessed it, YELLOW!

Now to Chris Lambton. The poor guy, it was really tough on him watching Ali break up with him last night. He said it was like reliving it to watch it again.

On being the next bachelor, Chris said, "It's something that I'll have to think long and hard about. It was hard watching the personal details of my life on TV, with millions of people watching, so it's something that I am really thinking about. I'm not sure I want to share that again."

Aww, come on Chris! We all want you to find love, and we want to watch you find it! I told him myself that he would make a great bachelor, as did many of the other people on the conference call, so hopefully he got the boost of confidence he needs to make that move.

He did say that he "can't wait to find that dream girl." Maybe she's one of the bachelorettes that is waiting to meet you!

I also asked him what his family's reaction was to the finale. He said, "The great thing about my family is they are behind me 100%. They loved the finale, they especially loved the rainbow, my dad called me crying and asked if that really happened, and I said yes, it blew away the whole family. The rainbow was pretty amazing, they loved the way I reacted back in LA and how gracious I was and how I just accepted what happened."

They have a lot to be proud about. I thought Chris handled himself very well during the finale. The rainbow was real, and it meant so much for his family to see that.

Chris said that he is still friends with Ali and Roberto, and he talks to Roberto roughly once a week! He's hoping the three of them will be lifelong friends and able to get together real soon.

I'll post the word for word transcript of the interviews tomorrow sometime!

Hugs, Kisses & Roses,

Jennifer Matarese

Ali & Roberto are ENGAGED!

2010-08-03T00:36:16-04:00

It's official! Ali and Roberto are engaged and together! Thank goodness, the spoilers were wrong! Wow, some people who will remain nameless were ill informed!

I have some exciting news. Today, I'll be taking part in a conference call with Chris, Ali, and Roberto! I will bring you the highlights of that later in the day, with the full transcript of the conversation to follow later.

Also, thank you to all who participated in the live chat last night! It went great! You can read the whole transcript right here. It was so fun to chat with all of you about the show, and watch it with people who are genuinely interested. It was a blast! I hope we can do it again for "The Bachelor" and maybe even the "Bachelor Pad" finale"!

Ok, let's get to the show. We begin with Roberto meeting Ali's parents in Bora Bora. If you can't make a good impression there, you can't make it anywhere. Roberto charms the pants off of Ali's mom by telling her how much he loves Ali.

In fact, the whole family is having so much fun, they start to dance. Actually, Ali and Roberto teach the group how to salsa dance. They seemed to have a great time!

Then, Roberto goes to have an awkward conversation with Ali's dad. The inevitable, "Can I have your blessing" conversation. Roberto did wonderfully! He didn't hesitate for a nanosecond when asked if he loved Ali. It was really sweet. Of course, Ali's dad says that he will give them his blessing. Actually, he said, "I don't see a problem with that". Wow he's absolutely thrilled.

Next, Chris meets the Fedotowsky family. They instantly love the fact that he was a teacher, his mom was a nurse, and that he is from Massachusetts. They seemed to be taken a bit aback by the fact that he is 33. That's 6 or 7 years older than Ali.

Ali's brother and sister were really taken by Chris though. They really liked how down to earth he was and her brother even said that he needs a brother in the family. That's really sweet. Then it got a little weird when they all sat in the hot tub together. HA!

Ali's family all weighed in and shared their opinion of the guys with Ali. Her parents seemed to feel that Roberto was really in it for her, while her brother and sister said they kind of felt more strongly about Chris. However, her parents said it was clear, no matter who she picked, both guys loved her.

Next, Ali and Roberto have their 1 on 1 time. They spend a lot of time talking, and kissing (of course).

Then he gave her a frame with a picture of the two of them on the beach, with a personal message/poem on the back. It was really cute.

Ali said that her heart was bursting. It was clear that she wanted to tell Roberto just how much she loved him. But as you know, she needs to keep that under wraps until the final rose ceremony.

But, there wouldn’t be a rose ceremony. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN BACHELORETTE HISTORY, Ali dumped Chris the day before. It was supposed to be their 1 on 1 date time, but instead, Ali had a heart to heart with him. She explained that she was in love with Roberto. So rather than string him along, and make him deal with the anticipation of a rose ceremony and possibly proposing, she wanted to break it off then. The poor guy really didn't see it coming. I felt so bad for him. I might have even cried a little if I wasn't at work.

Chris accepts the fact that she doesn't love him and leaves. On his way out, a very big and beautiful rainbow formed in the sky. It was the most amazing thing! Remember: Chris' mom said that once she died, Chris should look for her in rainbows, and there she was! Ali saw it too. It made them both cry.

Roberto meantime, does not know that Chris has been given the boot. He starts to freak out and wonder if he can actually propose to Ali. They send in the ring guy and he starts looking at all of the GORGEOUS rings.

He even starts to talk to the ring guy about their relationship. He picks a very pretty ring, and it wasn't yellow! I really thought he would go with the yellow diamond, because that is Ali's signature color. But, he decided to go with a traditional princess cut white diamond. Very pretty and classic.

Ali then reveals that she is all about Roberto and gushes how she can't wait to see him. She also talked about how she was worried that he may not feel as strongly about her. She had nothing to worry about. Roberto shows up, gushes to her about how much he loves her, and then whispered the sweetest words ever, "Be my wife". He got down on one knee and asked her to marry him, and she said YES! Thank goodness!!!!

I am so thrilled. All I wanted is for Ali to be happy and find someone to love and be loved by and she did!

The "After the Final Rose" special was a little sad. They made Chris watch himself being dumped, again. Poor guy.

Wasn't he put through enough? I really hope he is the next bachelor! Maybe we'll hear an announcement soon on who the lucky guy will be!

Then they talked about the whole stupid Frank debacle. But, really, who even cares now. Ali is happy and has moved on. So did the viewers in my opinion, so that whole thing was a waste of time. Frank didn't even show up. Big surprise.

Enter Roberto! Ali and Roberto reveal that they are TOGETHER and not only that, but Roberto has moved to San Francisco!

They also bought an apartment together and Roberto is already there! Now that the show is over, Ali is free to move in with him. Until now, they saw each other every two weeks since the show ended, and recently, they saw each other every weekend! Ali and Roberto both expressed that they were happy to get back to normal life. They took off on a pre-honeymoon of sorts to Catalina Island...how else? In a helicopter!

Also, is that wedding bells I hear? Roberto wants a spring wedding, Ali wants a summer wedding! Looks like they will be tying the knot sometime in the spring or summer! I hope we get to watch that beautiful event on ABC! Hopefully they learned something from Jason and Molly and will have an alternate rain location should they decide to get married outdoors.

All in all, this has been one of my most favorite seasons. It had drama, adventure, a happy ending, and most importantly LOVE. I hope you'll keep reading because I will continue to update about how all the Bachelor/Bachelorette couples are doing, and also about the new show "Bachelor Pad"!

Check back tomorrow for the interviews with Chris, Ali, and Roberto!

Hugs, Kisses & Roses,

Jennifer Matarese

Come Chat during the finale!

2010-08-02T20:56:02-04:00

We have a live chat going on right now! Click this link to get started and join in the fun! We're talking about all things Ali!

5 preview clips of "The Bachelorette" Finale!

2010-08-01T14:03:02-04:00

I have 5 clips of the finale to share with you!!! I was beyond excited when I saw there were FIVE snippets from the show. I can't believe that it's almost time to find out who Ali picks...or doesn't pick.

Clip #1

Roberto and Ali teach her parents how to salsa dance, how cute!

Clip #2

Roberto asks Ali's dad for his blessing...

Clip #3

Ali's family asks Chris what his family and brothers think about Ali.

Clip #4

Ali's dad asks Chris if he honestly loves his daughter.

Clip #5

Ali's family talks about both of the guys and their opinions about who she should pick.

Hope you enjoyed those clips! I think her family seems to be leaning towards Roberto. What do you think?

Also, don't forget about our live Bachelorette Chat during the finale! The fun starts at 8 p.m. right on 7online.com!

Hugs, Kisses & Roses,

Jennifer Matarese

Sneak peek photos of Ali from the Finale!

2010-07-30T11:55:17-04:00

Here are some GORGEOUS snapshots of Ali from the finale! The photos show her getting ready and walking out to the rose podium.

She seems happy here!

Again, here she looks happy to see someone!

Hopefully it wasn't Chris' little toast man that Ali was smiling at!

Ali looks a little melancholy here...

The final rose...will it go to no one?

What do you think? Could Chris or Roberto be the final ONE? Let's hope so! I really want Ali to be happy in the end. Such a beautiful setting, it would be a shame to not find love there!

Don't forget the finale is THIS MONDAY, August 2nd at 8 p.m. The "After the Final Rose" special follows the finale from 10-11 p.m. Also, don't forget to join me for a live chat during the finale! Click here to sign up for a reminder!

Hugs, Kisses & Roses,

Jennifer Matarese

Gossip about Ali, and a Special Announcement!

2010-07-29T15:15:56-04:00

First, there is some very juicy gossip going on about Ali! I personally, hope it's not true. A few gossip sites are saying that Ali was spotted chatting it up with Arizona Cardinals QB Matt Leinart!

He is a cutie! I really, really, want Ali to end up with Roberto or Chris...but in the off chance that she doesn't, he's not bad. I think I could be happy for her if she ends up with Leinart. Star Magazine reports that they met at a party and exchanged phone numbers! Maybe they're just friends? Yeah, right!

Also, here's the big announcement! This Monday, August 2nd I will be holding a chat during "The Bachelorette" finale starting at 8 p.m.

So, if you need someone to watch with and want to share your thoughts on the show, come chat with me! I think it will be a fun time :) It will begin at 8 p.m. and continue through the "After the Final Rose" special or as long as your questions keep on coming! I'm really looking forward to it. Here is the link to the chat reminder page. It will email you and remind you to log on and chat!

Hugs, Kisses & Roses,

Jennifer Matarese