Photo courtesy of ABC.
Becca Kufrin
Minnesota has had a tough go of it in the competition department this past year. The Vikings came up just short in their would-be storybook Super Bowl run, the Timberwolves ended a 14-year NBA playoffs drought, only to get knocked back down to earth in the first round, and the Minnesota Wild exited post-season play early for the third season in a row. Don’t get us wrong, all of that stung. But the most painful loss of them all played out for one of our own in a much different kind of arena, one where the uniforms are blindingly glittery, and the best defense is a heart-on-your-sleeve offense.
Becca Kufrin, a Prior Lake native, joined 28 other women this past winter in the battle for one man’s heart on season 22 of ABC’s hit show, The Bachelor. She made it through nine weeks, all the way to the championship round, and ended up walking away with some serious hardware (like, a three-carat oval diamond, serious). But much like our Super Bowl dreams, her fairytale ending was stripped away by the same guy who promised it to her in the first place—a guy whose name we’re not even sure we can legally say inside state lines.
During what show host Chris Harrison called “the most dramatic finale in The Bachelor history,” Kufrin’s fiancé un-proposed (!), breaking the collective Minnesota heart in the process. Then, with a swift twist of the knife and a dash of salt in our wounds, he turned around and popped the question to the season’s runner-up, Lauren Burnham.
But, Becca refused to let that be her story. When offered the opportunity to take a turn in the driver’s seat as the next Bachelorette, she responded with a resounding, “Let’s do the damn thing.” Before her season kicks off on May 28 (7 p.m. on ABC), we hit up Twin Cities Bachelor expert and host of myTalk 107.1’s You Get a Rose Bachelor podcast, Marley McMillan for her thoughts on Becca’s heartbreak, how she’ll fair as the Bachelorette, and the power of the man bun (you’ll see).
Everyone knows The Bachelor franchise is dramatic, but what happened to Becca was especially jaw-dropping. Where does that moment stack up in Bachelor franchise history in your mind?
We have seen it before because exactly what happened to her happened with Jason Mesnick [on season 13]. He picked one woman, then decided to change his mind and pick Molly [Malaney], and he actually did that on-air on After the Final Rose. But I think what made Becca’s breakup more dramatic was that it felt like he had blindsided her. We saw the whole breakup on camera, as we had before with Jason, but the fact that they aired that live footage where it seems like she really just thought they were there for a romantic weekend, you could tell she was completely blindsided.
Filming for The Bachelorette would have started just a few months after her breakup. Can we trust that she truly is over He Who Shall Not Be Named?
I think with The Bachelor, you have to remember that everything is on the expedited timeline. It would be one thing if she had been in something like her previous relationship, and she was engaged and then two months later was on the show. But with these shows, the time it takes you to fall in love is the same it takes for you to get out of it.
I also don't think it's a situation where it's like, "Oh man, I so wish I could have been with him." I think she realized through that process that he is not the person for her.
Aside from the obvious, that Becca is from Minnesota, what else do you like about her as the Bachelorette?
I like that she's down to earth. Of course, you might say a lot of this ties into similar Minnesotan kind of values. I like that she's her own person and really positive. I feel like through the whole breakup situation, she was never bitter toward him, she didn't say anything she would regret, and she didn't lose her mind. I kept thinking they're so lucky this happened to Becca because she's so level-headed. She knew how to handle that whole situation with grace.
And that's just Becca overall. When she was awarded some kind of money, she said, "Just put it to charity. I don't want that at all." I believe it was for cancer research, and of course, because her father passed away from cancer.
What will she bring to this season that's maybe different than the typical circus that is The Bachelor franchise?
We've heard little whisperings around here from people that know her that she's not going to take crap from anybody. It's interesting that that's the first thing I hear about her being the Bachelorette.
On the flip side, in what ways will this season totally and completely be the exact same?
It's totally classic bachelor casting. You can always pick out five guys that are just there for fame, or that they're pitched to be the crazy drama producers.
Speaking of the men, we see a fellow Minnesotan made the cut! What are the chances we see our hometown girl end up with the lone hometown guy?
For me, Jake kind of just falls in the middle. He's 29, so he's age appropriate, seems like he has a good job, but he seems to be really into extreme sports. I feel like the Minnesota connection would have to override not having an initial, off-the-bat connection. We'll see.
What advice do you have for these guys on courting a Minnesotan?
I feel like the contestants that have dogs might immediately have a step ahead [laughs]. I don't know, I just feel like women who are down to earth love a guy who has a dog! Otherwise I would say being down to earth—that's just a Midwestern value that when someone else is like that, you're automatically drawn to them a little bit.
Also, that Minnesota thing of having that worldliness but also having a respect for small towns. Someone who is comfortable in both of those worlds is something that can be attractive.
Photo courtesy of ABC
Becca Kufrin on The Bachelor
Meet the Suitors
Now, we know in the deepest reaches of our hearts that our beloved Minnesota girl and all her Minnesota maturity would surely never fall prey to any sort of high school-level drama. But the same can’t be said for her suitors. After all, would it really be the Bachelorette if two dudes didn’t brawl over…personal training? In honor of the inevitable, we threw it back to high school yearbook days with some good old-fashioned superlatives, Bachelor-style.
Most likely to get the First Impression Rose:
AKA the guy our Bachelorette is most attracted to from the get-go. The first night is a flurry of two-minute conversations with one guy after another. Becca girl, we don't blame you for relying on the physical for this one. "I'm going for a wild card: Mike," McMillan says. "The sports analyst, the guy with the really long hair." Man-bun for the win!
Most likely to go home night one:
Not that we’re already counting anyone out or anything, but…"Chris maybe? He's the one who looks like Ben Stiller,” McMillan says. “His profile basically says, 'My parents retired at 40 and I'm planning to do the same.' He just didn't seem like he's gonna catch her eye."
Most athletic:
Everyone? About a third of the contenders list former or current pro athlete status in their bios. “She definitely has a type, I will say that,” McMillan says. “When you look at the list you can definitely see that she has a type.” The remaining two-thirds have no fewer than 47 pictures of weight rooms and protein shakes on their Instagram accounts. Even the corporate banker looks like he moonlights as an athlete.
Most likely to be the villain:
Every season’s got one, with detestable qualities ranging from referring to mac ‘n cheese as “cheese pasta,” to eating a lot of lunch meat. “I might say Leo,” McMillan says. “He is a stunt man and has the really long hair. I think it's going to be incredibly obvious he's not there for the right reasons.”
Best dressed:
As the Bachelorette, Becca will get the full rock star treatment with a personal stylist, but our guys are on their own when it comes to wardrobe. It’s hard to tell based on headshots alone who might show up and show out, but with his bomber-bowtie combo, McMillan’s fashionista(o?) front-runner is Rickey. “He’s the one that seems to be the most into fashion. He's got a little edginess,” she says.
Cutest couple:
Becca, obviously. And… "Number one is Joe,” McMillan says. “He's age-appropriate, a little bit older than she is, from the Midwest, looks like a really nice guy, but also seems like he's made his own life and his own way in the world, which I think is really attractive."
“Number two is Blake, who seems kinda cute, he was a college athlete, and he apparently knows how to swing dance!”
"Then my third pick might be Jason. I just felt like he could go far as well. He's a banker, and it says that he loves to belt out Disney songs, which strikes me as something that could resonate in a Minnesota gal's heart.”
McMillan's recap podcast is available every Wednesday, and special for the season opener, she and myTalk are hosting a premiere party.
