'Bachelorette' Couple Update: Jillian Harris and Ed Swiderski Still Together

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — In a season marked by men coming and going, it was only fitting that there was one last shuffle before Jillian Harris had to choose the man of her life. But in the end, it was the Canadian restaurant designer choosing the first man to leave and return to the show, Chicago tech consultant Ed Swiderski.

"You're everything I could ever ask for in a woman...you make me smile when I look in your eyes," the 29-year-old Swiderski told Harris on Monday's "Bachelorette" finale.

"I've been waiting to tell you 'I love you' for so long," replied the 29-year-old Harris.

And with that reassurance, Swiderski got down on one knee and proposed to Harris with a Neil Lane engagement ring.

"Absolutely!" responded Harris to the proposal.

Jillian and Ed are still together to this very day and the couple recently talked about their relationship with members of the media. Here's a transcript from the teleconference ...

Cathy Rehl:    Welcome everybody. I have with me two of the happiest people I've ever seen lately. And we have our Bachelorette, Jillian Harris, and the person who captured her heart, Ed Swiderski, and that is S-W-I-D-E-R-S-K-I. They are both here in New York doing a media tour and to celebrate. And other thing is after we finish with the happy couple, I will be turning over the call to my LA counterpart, Yani Chang, and she will have, in order, Kiptyn and then Reid for you to talk to.

A few other housekeeping things for those of you who like to know these things. Jillian's dress last night was by Cennamo, that's C-E N as in Nancy N as in Nancy A-M as in Mary O Couture. It's a vintage dress. Her necklace was by Nadri, N-A-D-R-I. And her knockout ring, which is worth $60,000, is from Neil Lane. It's a diamond and platinum ring, set with a pear-shaped diamond weighing 2.05 karats.

I think with that, we have plenty to talk about. So, we'll start the call now.

Operator:    Ladies and gentlemen, at this time, if you'd like to a question press star then the number 1 on your telephone keypad. Again, that's star 1 to ask a question.

Your first question comes from the line of Robyn Ross with TVGuide.com.

Robyn Ross:    Hey, thanks for doing the call and congratulations.

Jillian Harris:    Thanks, Robyn.

Ed Swiderski:    Thanks, Robyn.

Robyn Ross:    So, I guess given the track record of the show, why not take it a little slow and why rush to move in together so soon?

Jillian Harris:    I mean, my -- I mean, like for us it was kind of like, why not? I mean, a lot of reasons why they haven't worked is because I think a lot of people have done like the long-distance thing, and they've tried to take it slow. And we really are madly in love. We love being together. We -- it's -- our relationship is easiest we we're together. I really like I, I need to get -- I would love to get back to my regular life and get back to work. And I can't really do that in Vancouver knowing that eventually I'll be out in Chicago.

Robyn Ross:    Mm-hmm.

Jillian Harris:    So, to us, it's just the most simple answer. I mean, we're so excited to be together.

Robyn Ross:    Mm-hmm. And, you know, this season has had, I guess, the most bachelors returning after leaving for whatever reason. How did that play on your emotions, Jillian?

Jillian Harris:    Oh my gosh, I was a basket case this season. I mean, I think the whole thing is definitely an emotional rollercoaster. And it was all worth it in the end. I'm the happiest that I've ever been, but not without a lot of heartbreak, not only for me but for some gentlemen who I think are incredible people. So, it was definitely not easy.

Robyn Ross:    Yeah. And Ed, were you stunned that the show got so into the Fantasy Suite thing, being such a personal subject and were you upset by it at all?

Ed Swiderski:    I was a little stunned, but I wasn't too upset, because I knew the outcome of the show and I was okay with it.

Robyn Ross:    Mm-hmm. And last question, has your job been a challenge yet in the relationship?

Ed Swiderski:    No, not at all.

Jillian Harris:    No, I think the whole thing with the job thing was like, you know, I think we're both young, career-driven, sort of entrepreneurial types. And I had learned from the past of how hard that can be on a relationship. But that doesn't mean I want him to totally put his job aside for me. I mean, the guy still has to have a career. It takes a lot of time out of his day. But, once I get working again, him and I will both be juggling the same thing. I think it's just all about balance. And we're both doing -- he's doing a really great job of that so far.

Robyn Ross:    Great. Well, good luck to you both.

Ed Swiderski:    Thank you, Robyn.

Jillian Harris:    Thank you so much.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Monica Garske with Flash News.

Monica Garske:    Hi, guys, congratulations.

Jillian Harris:    Hey, Monica, how are you?

Ed Swiderski:    Hey, Monica.

Monica Garske:    I'm good. I'm so happy for you guys...

Jillian Harris:    Thank you.

Monica Garske:    ...you both look so happy. So, now, obviously you guys have been together the last couple months under wraps and what not. But, you've gotten to know each other really well. So, I want to know, you know, have you come across any like weird common interests that you have together than you never even expected to have with someone?

Ed Swiderski:    Well, for me, Monica, I think one of the greatest attributes for -- that Jill has is her family. And I think both of us really value that. And to me that was a pleasant surprise just knowing how close she is with her family and how important it is for both of us.

Monica Garske:    Okay, perfect. Jill?

Jillian Harris:    Yeah, I think it's funny, 'cause the more time we spend together, I think the more we realize how alike we are. Like we have the same sort of sleeping patterns. We love the same food. We love our coffee the same way. Aside from him not liking country music, we have the same taste in music. We both love like just hanging out with friends and having beer and hot dogs. Like we just -- we have the same silly sense of humor.

So, I think for me, I was so worried after all of this that I would wake up after the proposal and go like, okay, when are -- when is he going to start saying things that worry me? Right? And there's just been nothing. Like every -- I feel like every day we spend together and everything that comes out of his mouth, it makes me fall in love with him even more and more.

Monica Garske:    Oh, that's so...

Monica Garske:    More and more?

Jillian Harris:    More and more.

Monica Garske:    That's so great. And do you guys have like a cheesy movie or anything like that that you both love, embarrassingly enough, but love?

Jillian Harris:    What have we been watching?

Ed Swiderski:    Yeah.

Jillian Harris:    We watched "The Notebook," didn't we?

Ed Swiderski:    We watched some terrible movies, lately, but we did watch "The Notebook" the other day.

Monica Garske:    That's a good one, standard.

Ed Swiderski:    Yeah.

Jillian Harris:    Yeah. Ed is like, it's funny, I'm sure he's gonna hate me saying this, but he's like he's a total guys' guy, loves to go out and drink beer and go to baseball games. But, it's awesome for me, because he is a little bit of a softie. So, I can get away with watching "The Notebook" and stuff. He lets me.

Monica Garske:    That's nice. Well, perfect, you guys. Great luck with everything.

Jillian Harris:    Thank you!

Ed Swiderski:    Hey, thank you.

Monica Garske:    Bye bye.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Carrie Borzillo with E! Online.

Carrie Borzillo:    Hi guys, congratulations.

Ed Swiderski:    Thank you.

Carrie Borzillo:    It was a great season. It was fun watching you guys fall in love. So, what's the timeline here? When are you moving in together? What city? Jill, when are you going back to work? Ed, are you already back to work? What's happening on that front?

Jillian Harris:    Go ahead, babe.

Ed Swiderski:    Well, to answer your question about me being back to work, yeah, I was back to work a while ago. And Jill, you can...

Jillian Harris:    Oh my God. I'm so -- I've been -- like I need to get back to work definitely just in terms of my schedule. I'm done with being lazy and sitting by the pool. That's for sure. But, you know, I definitely have many opportunities waiting for me back in Vancouver, but Ed and I area really excited to start a life together, and I know I'm going to be living in Chicago. So, we -- I'm going to be moving out there in the first week or two of September.

Carrie Borzillo:    Okay.

Jillian Harris:    And I'm starting to work on things like a green card and how all that's going to work so I can start working right away.

Carrie Borzillo:    And then, have you guys started talking about wedding plans? Date?

Jillian Harris:    Yeah, well, I mean, we haven't planned anything aside from who's making the cabbage rolls and what kind of cover band we're going to have. Other than that, we'd like to get married in the next year to a year and a half, as soon as things slow down and I get time to start the planning process.

Carrie Borzillo:    Great. Well, good luck, thank you.

Jillian Harris:    Thank you!

Ed Swiderski:    Thanks.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Ruth Myles with Swerve Calgary Herald.

Jillian Harris:    Hey, Ruth, great to talk to you again!

Ed Swiderski:    Hi Ruth.

Ruth Myles:    Hey, hi Ed, congratulation guys.

Ed Swiderski:    Thank you, thank you.

Jillian Harris:    Thank you.

Ruth Myles:    Yay!

Jillian Harris:    Very cool

Ruth Myles:    There's a Canadian bias again.

Jillian Harris:    That's okay! I love your articles. You're awesome.

Ruth Myles:    Thanks.

Jillian Harris:    That's okay.

Ruth Myles:    I wanted to actually talk about something we talked about before in a previous conversation, before this show aired. We talked about your thoughts on your life basically being, you know, entertainment for the masses. And one of your concerns was how people were going to think of you once the show was over. Now that you're through the other side of the experience, what are your thoughts on that?

Jillian Harris:    It's definitely been stressful. I mean, I've definitely learned that you cannot please everybody. Like, I -- the whole concept of the show is for me to find somebody and for me to be happy.

But, unfortunately, along the way, you know, the viewers get really wrapped up in it and they get -- they have very personal opinions and I mean I -- the whole concept of the show has been very successful for me, because I am on top of the world. I'm madly in love.

We've been together for several months, and it keeps on getting better and better. But, there's still people out there who think, you know, why maybe one of the other guys would have been better for me.

And what I've been trying to learn is everybody is entitled to their opinions, providing that they're not being too negative and sort of immature about it or crass. So that's been hard. I mean, I follow too much of the media and the blogs and stuff and...

Ruth Myles:    Mm-hmm.

Ed Swiderski:    ...Ed gives me a hard time. He's like, "Babe, get off that stuff, like it's not good for you."

Ruth Myles:    Yeah. How much, I was going to say, how much of it are you paying attention to?

Jillian Harris:    Oh, well, since the finale, him and I have been so busy just spending time with each other out in public that I haven't read or seen anything. But, prior to that, I read like pretty much everything. I read pretty much every blog, every...

Ruth Myles:    Oh, no.

Jillian Harris:    Yeah, and it's fine. Like some of them are actually funny. You know, I love watching like "The Soup" and like, I love those kinds of things I think are really -- they're really goofy. It's when people get really mean and really negative and they just say like -- I just, I personally don't understand it. I'm a pretty positive person. And I don't understand what -- how people can walk away from something like that and continue to have a good day.

Ruth Myles:    Mm-hmm.

Jillian Harris:    So, but, I, you know, there are people who are happy with my decision and people who aren't, but the bottom line is all that matters is I'm happy and Ed and I are going to be together forever.

Ruth Myles:    Are you going to bring him to the Stampede next year?

Jillian Harris:    Oh my God, absolutely! I can't wait.

Ed Swiderski:    I can't wait.

Jillian Harris:    It was actually funny. I was there for about two days. And I don't know, he'd forgotten that I told him I was going to be there for a week.

Ruth Myles:    Mm-hmm.

Jillian Harris:    And after the second day, I think I called him at like 4:00 in the morning. And he was like, "When are you leaving that place?" Because I was just like going full throttle for two days and soon to be four or five. But, yeah, he's excited to come out there with me next year.

Ruth Myles:    Great. Well, we'll see you then.

Jillian Harris:    Thank you, Ruth.

Ed Swiderski:    Thank you.

Ruth Myles:    Thanks.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Paige Wiser with Chicago Sun Times.

Paige Wiser:    Hi, there.

Ed Swiderski:    Hi, Paige.

Jillian Harris:    Hey, Paige, how's it going?

Paige Wiser:    Ed, I've been with you from the beginning.

Ed Swiderski:    Oh, thank you.

Jillian Harris:    Yay!

Paige Wiser:    Have you taken Jillian to a Cubs game yet?

Ed Swiderski:    Not yet. We were planning on doing it very soon. I do have tickets. So, hopefully within the next couple of weeks.

Jillian Harris:    I'm so excited. He bought me a Cubs hat though, and I've been wearing it around.

Paige Wiser:    What about karaoke? Has he gotten you out to do karaoke?

Ed Swiderski:    Not yet, but that will come soon.

Jillian Harris:    Oh, my gosh.

Paige Wiser:    Jillian, what do you think you're going to start out singing?

Jillian Harris:    Patsy Cline.

Paige Wiser:    Patsy Cline.

Jillian Harris:    Yeah, I'm a big Patsy Cline -- we both like singing the oldies. So, we'll probably do some oldies. Or, maybe I should go with country like June Carter.

Paige Wiser:    June Carter. And, as far as the wedding, could you see somebody like Chris Harrison being in the wedding or anybody, you know, from the show?

Jillian Harris:    I think...

Ed Swiderski:    We're going to have Wes in the wedding.

Jillian Harris:    Yeah.

Ed Swiderski:    Just kidding.

Jillian Harris:    You know, I think we would like to put -- I think, you know, it's funny. We were thinking of doing some fun little like "Bachelor"- style interviews or something for guests at the wedding. Or, I'm not sure. I mean, it's been a very cool journey for us. But, we definitely want to keep our wedding true to who we are as individuals and not so much about the show.

Paige Wiser:    And you don't know if it'll be in Chicago?

Ed Swiderski:    You know, I think what we'll probably do is have it in Canada.

Paige Wiser:    Okay.

Ed Swiderski:    Yeah.

Paige Wiser:    Thank you very much. And good luck and...

Ed Swiderski:    Thank you.

Paige Wiser:    ...I'm going to keep posted on you.

Jillian Harris:    Thank you, Laura! It's Laura, right?

Paige Wiser:    Paige.

Jillian Harris:    Paige, Paige, thanks Paige.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Suzanne Ellis with City News.ca.

Suzanne Ellis:    Hey guys. Congratulations from all your Canadian fans.

Ed Swiderski:    Hi there.

Jillian Harris:    Thank you!

Suzanne Ellis:    Hello. Question for Ed. What were your impressions of Canada when you were here?

Ed Swiderski:    Oh my God, I fell in love with Canada, especially Vancouver. It was beautiful. I've always been really impressed with Chicago and the skyline. But I could not believe how clean and beautiful Vancouver was.

Suzanne Ellis:    Very cool. And now for both of you. How difficult was it to keep the secret from the end of the taping to this point? And, did you guys ever slip up?

Jillian Harris:    Yeah, well, we told our parents. And, I have a really, really good girlfriend that pretty much lives with me. And so, I think she pretty much knew what was going on. I think Ed had a few friends that were -- that pretty much knew. I slipped up once. I was buying a pair of jeans.

And then I decided not to buy them, they were too expensive. And I told the girl I wanted to save my money for when I got to Chicago. And she was like, "Oh my God, oh my God!" and screaming and I'm like, "Oh my God." But that was like literally like a week before the finale. So, I knew she would keep tight lipped about it. I don't know. Did you slip ever?

Ed Swiderski:    No, I think because Jill was in so much of the public eye and in the media, she had probably a lot more opportunity to slip up than I did. And I was busy working and really not, you know, socializing much.

Suzanne Ellis:    Right, for sure. So, just kind of last thoughts, what was it like falling in love on TV? And, do you have any anxiety or fear about now moving your relationship into the real world?

Ed Swiderski:    It was definitely a wild journey. It was nothing like what I expected. It was much more real than I anticipated. And I really don't have any anxiety about doing this. I mean, we -- we're very comfortable with each other. We've spent a lot of time together in both, you know, while I'm working and trying to accommodate each other's schedules. And it just seems like everything is working out great right now.

Suzanne Ellis:    Cool. Well, thanks so much, guys, and congrats again.

Ed Swiderski:    Thank you.

Jillian Harris:    No problem, thank you.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Mark Stone with Kelowna Daily Courier.

Jillian Harris:    Hey, Mark, how's it going?

Mark Stone:    Ah, very good. How are you guys doing?

Jillian Harris:    Good. How's the weather in Kelowna?

Mark Stone:    It is beautiful and it is hot.

Ed Swiderski:    How about those fires? What's up with that?

Mark Stone:    Oh, the fires? They're -- they've got them pretty much under control, which is really good.

Jillian Harris:    Good.

Ed Swiderski:    Good.

Jillian Harris:    My mom and dad were like literally a mile or two from being evic- -- or evacuated? Is that -- oh my God.

((Crosstalk))

Mark Stone:    Yeah, I know. I was actually really worried about that. But, I know they're okay.

Jillian Harris:    We're going to be there -- Ed and I are going to be there mid-August for my cousin's wedding. So, we're very, very -- I'm so excited to show him around.

Mark Stone:    Yeah, yeah. Ed, you haven't seen it here, have you?

Ed Swiderski:    No, I haven't been to Kelowna yet.

Mark Stone:    Oh, you got -- you've got to check it out. It is awesome.

Ed Swiderski:    I can't wait.

Mark Stone:    So, congratulations. And you guys seem genuinely in love. And it really comes across. And we were all very happy for you here in Kelowna.

Ed Swiderski:    Thank you.

Jillian Harris:    Thank you.

Mark Stone:    And it's swear that your parents have not put me up to this. But, have you guys ever considered the Okanogan as a potential place to be, perhaps maybe to retire? Is that...

Jillian Harris:    Actually, we've considered -- well, we're -- we've considered Kelowna or the Rockies possibly to have our wedding, which is really exciting. We've talked about Kelowna, like when I showed Ed pictures of -- I just spent a few weeks there a little while ago, and I sent him pictures.

He was like, "Oh my God, I want to move there." I mean, he absolutely loved Kelowna. He thinks it's beautiful. So, I mean, we've talked about Kelowna. We've talked about Vancouver, Chicago. We're in New York right now and we love it here. So, we're not sure. I mean, there's lots of possibilities for us.

Ed Swiderski:    Yeah, I mean, forget retirement. I wouldn't mind going there beforehand, Mark.

Mark Stone:    Yeah, it's good and we have a really burgeoning IT industry, like it -- they call Kelowna like the Silicon Valley of Canada.

Ed Swiderski:    Really?

Jillian Harris:    Really?

Mark Stone:    Yeah.

Jillian Harris:    Thank you, Mark, for that one. That's great.

Ed Swiderski:    Interesting little tidbit.

Mark Stone:    Yeah, it's pretty cool. Yeah, I actually spent most of my time in the IT industry, so...

Jillian Harris:    Really? Yeah, I love it there and I definitely would love to be closer to my cousin, Tori, and my grandma, and my mom and dad. But, we'll see what happens between the two of us.

((Crosstalk))

Mark Stone:    Can I just ask you one more question?

Jillian Harris:    Yeah.

Mark Stone:    When you -- on the finale when it was decision day, you were obviously very torn up emotionally with everything going on.

Jillian Harris:    Right.

Mark Stone:    Did the conversation with Chris help you as much as it appeared to help on the show?

Jillian Harris:    Well, the thing was is that like I woke up that morning knowing that I was madly in love with Ed and that I wanted to leave that day with him. That was no question. Like for me, the hardest part was how do you execute that, breaking somebody's heart and knowing that I really -- you know, at the time, I didn't know Reid was coming back.

But I knew I really adored Kiptyn, and I didn't want to hurt him, and I didn't want to let him go, but I wanted to be with Ed. So, that was no question. When Reid came back, it's just his proposal and his feelings were so shocking and just threw me for such a loop, like I couldn't believe that he was there. I couldn't believe the things that he was saying.

And it wasn't that I didn't know what to do and that I was confused. It was like how do I tell this person? Like what do I say? And, you know, I'm a very giving person and I always want to make people happy. So, part of me was like, "Is there anything I can do or say right now to make Reid feel good? To make Reid walk away from this feeling good about himself?"

And so for me I just wasn't sure how that would work. And I was thinking -- and to me, I was so confused and I honest to God felt like I was going to faint. And then when I went and sat down, you know, I was dizzy. And Chris said like, "What do you want to do?" And I'm like, "Well, I'm in love with Ed. That's who I want to be with." And he's like, "Well, that's what you have to do."

And so it wasn't a matter of me really being confused. It was like how to deal with that situation. I mean, there was no way in -- there was no way in heck that I was going to be letting Ed go. But it was, you know, Reid that I cared about so much wanting to see how I could make him happy and it just -- there was no way for me to do that.

Mark Stone:    That's a great answer. Thank you. Thank you very much, guys. And all the best to you.

Jillian Harris:    No problem. Thank you very much.

Ed Swiderski:    Hey, thanks, Mark.

Mark Stone:    Okay, take care.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Sara Bibel with Fancast.

Sara Bibel:    Hi. Congratulations to the two of you. You were absolutely adorable on the -- after the final rose ceremony last night.

Ed Swiderski:    Thank you so much.

Jillian Harris:    We haven't seen it! We're so -- we can't wait to see it.

Ed Swiderski:    Yeah.

Sara Bibel:    My question for you is would you consider televising your wedding on ABC like Ryan and Trista did?

Jillian Harris:    Not that there's anything wrong with that. They had a gorgeous wedding on TV. But Ed and I have both had a really hard time adapting to being in the limelight. And knowing what, you know, his family and friends are like and what my family and friends are like, I want them all to be so comfortable at our wedding.

So, we're thinking that probably not having a public wedding is the best route to go. And having a lot of just friends and family and kids and live music and, you know, beer and just something really down to earth and casual and probably off television.

Sara Bibel:    And there was a great moment when Ed proposed and you told him that you had just been dying, sort of dying to tell him that you loved him. Was it against the rules of the show for you to tell him you loved him before the final rose ceremony?

Jillian Harris:    Yeah, I mean, it's kind of a...

Ed Swiderski:    It's an unwritten...

Jillian Harris:    Yeah, it's kind of an unwritten rule. Nobody has said whether to say it or not. But, I just think it's for pure principle it's really not fair to come out and tell somebody that you love them when there's still other people involved. And I didn't want to tell anybody I loved them until they were the last person standing.

But, I knew that was like -- Ed had said he loved me the night before or two nights before and I think I said, "Thank you," to him. And so that was really hard on me because I did love him and I wanted to tell him. So, I was so happy that he asked me first before we sealed the deal.

Sara Bibel:    And finally, Ed, have you taken any heat from your friends from that shot -- that shot the editors put in of the volcano erupting while the two of you were in the...

Jillian Harris:    Oh my God, we laughed so hard.

Ed Swiderski:    Yeah, I haven't yet, but I can imagine the emails are probably coming in now on that. I actually got a kick out of it. I thought it was funny.

Jillian Harris:    Oh, we were watching that together and I was -- like I was wondering how that was going to be put together. And when we saw that a volcano erupt, we were like howling. Like I had tears coming down my eyes, I was laughing so hard.

Sara Bibel:    Thank you very much and best of luck.

Ed Swiderski:    Thank you.

Jillian Harris:    Thank you.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Julie Gordon with AM New York.

Julie Gordon:    Hi, Jillian. Hi, Ed. Congratulations.

Jillian Harris:    Hi, Julie.

Ed Swiderski:    Hi, thanks Julie.

Julie Gordon:    So, I think my first question is, I mean, the -- how long does the actual shooting take? Is it a little less than two months?

Jillian Harris:    Almost three.

Julie Gordon:    Almost three months. So, I mean, I guess how did you know after, you know what, you know, some people might consider such a, you know, relatively short period of time that, you know, Ed you wanted to propose and not just say, you know, "Hey, let's go forward and, you know, have our relationship off TV and get more serious" and blah blah blah?

Jillian Harris:    I mean, I have a very definite answer. What do you think, babe?

Ed Swiderski:    Well, I was just extremely confident, more confident that I've ever been in my life. I knew that that's what I wanted to do and that's what I was going to do.

Jillian Harris:    I think it's a very unique situation, right? Like in a normal circumstance, if Ed and I had been dating for those couple months, would he be thinking about proposal? Like he might be thinking about it and I might be thinking about it, but because of what's considered like social norms, we probably would have held off for another six months or so.

Julie Gordon:    Yeah.

Jillian Harris:    But, you know, the thing was, it's like maybe we did things a little bit backwards, but bottom line is it would have been the same result. And I talked to my dad about this. I was very worried about getting "engaged" so soon, because there's a lot of things you still have to learn about that individual. But what my dad said was just so true.

He said, "You know what? It's not like you're walking down the aisle right then. You're making a commitment to that person to say, like, 'I love you. Thank you for going through this journey with me. Let's live in a real life. And, great, like let's have a ring to seal the deal and show each other that we love each other. And we'll plan a wedding' and, you know, who's to say what the normal way to get engaged is these days?"

Ed Swiderski:    I mean in a lot of ways I look at it like it's almost, you know, that day I proposed was really the beginning of our...

Jillian Harris:    Relationship.

Ed Swiderski:    ...of our normal relationship, yeah, yeah.

Julie Gordon:    Okay, okay. And then one more question. Ed, how did it feel watching the show and seeing Jillian going out with other guys?

Ed Swiderski:    You know, I got to know the other guys really well. And I think from day one, I kind of had my eyes on a few of the guys that I knew were going to be compatible with Jill and those are the guys, really the only guys that I was really kind of worried about.

And it was uncomfortable a lot of times. But, you know, I knew that there wasn't a whole lot of chemistry between a lot of the guys. The few that did, that was a little tough.

Julie Gordon:    Okay, all right. Well, thanks so much.

Jillian Harris:    Thank you.

Ed Swiderski:    Thank you.

Julie Gordon:    Okay, bye.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Curt Wagner with Red Eye.

Curt Wagner:    Hey congratulations guys.

Jillian Harris:    Thank you.

Ed Swiderski:    Hey, Curt, thanks.

Curt Wagner:    Calling from Chicago. Ed, I wanted to ask you have you started to clean up the bachelor pad? And have you had to get rid of -- what kind of things have you had to get rid of preparing for...

Jillian Harris:    He probably left that all for me.

Ed Swiderski:    I did some serious housekeeping before I left. That's funny because I spent a lot of time on that.

Jillian Harris:    Did you? Aww, cute. I don't really care, as long as I'm with him.

Curt Wagner:    Did you have to -- did you like have old posters or anything, beer posters or anything?

Ed Swiderski:    Yeah, I had to take my wall posters off the ceiling in the bedroom.

Curt Wagner:    All right. And then I also wanted to know what are some of the things you're excited to show Jillian in Chicago?

Ed Swiderski:    Well, everything in Chicago. I mean, all the good restaurants. Jill loves good food and good restaurants and entertainment. And I think she'll be really pleasantly surprised at what Chicago has to offer and I know that she'll love it.

Curt Wagner:    All right. Jill what are you excited about coming here for?

Jillian Harris:    Oh my gosh, I just can't wait. I mean, I've heard that the architecture and design in Chicago is just like bar none. I cannot wait to go to a Cubs game. I really want to see the Big Bean, 'cause I've heard so much about the Big Bean. Oh, Ed's favorite bar, the Blue Frog.

I can't wait to go down there with him and all of his friends. I heard that Bucktown has a great little shopping area. I can't wait to go shopping there. Lake Michigan. I mean there's so much down there. I can't wait to just take it all in.

Curt Wagner:    All right, cool. All right, thanks. Congratulations.

Jillian Harris:    Thank you.

Ed Swiderski:    All right. Thank you.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Delaina Dixon with delainadixon.com.

Jillian Harris:    Hey Delaina, how's it going?

Ed Swiderski:    Hey, Delaina.

Delaina Dixon:    Oh, it's going great. Congratulations to the both of you.

Jillian Harris:    Thank you.

Ed Swiderski:    Thank you.

Delaina Dixon:    So, this is kind of a hypothetical for Jillian. When did you know that you were in love with Ed? And, I'm wondering, if he hadn't come back, do you think you would have picked another bachelor or gone and pursued him on your own?

Ed Swiderski:    Great question.

Jillian Harris:    No, I think, that's not the first time somebody's asked that question. That's very simple for me. At the end of that day, I'd been through so much, and I knew that I was madly, madly in love with Ed. If Ed came there and he was not reciprocating my feelings, I would have been devastated and I could not have been with anybody else.

Like, I fell in love with Ed and I was so excited to spend the rest of my life with him. If he wasn't ready to spend time with me, I would have taken a lot of time to heal. And I definitely wouldn't have like opted for a runner up or anything like that. At that date, it was Ed or nothing. And Reid coming back, definitely, you know, it definitely threw me for a loop.

It was like, how do -- I want this person to be happy. I don't want to hurt this person again. And I wanted to think that there was anything I could do for Reid to leave the situation happy. And there really wasn't and it was a very devastating time for all of us. But, Ed was sort of the only one for me that day.

Delaina Dixon:    Ed, were you surprised that Reid returned?

Ed Swiderski:    Oh, yeah. I mean, I had no idea until afterward, obviously. I was surprised and I felt bad for him.

Delaina Dixon:    'Cause you knew you had the girl. So, Ed who do you think of the guys you met there should be the next bachelor?

Ed Swiderski:    Tanner P., 100%.

Jillian Harris:    Yeah, Ed thinks Tanner P., and I love Tanner P., but I love -- I love Stagliano. I think Reid would make a great bachelor. I mean, I think there's great guys on this season that would be really great for the part.

Delaina Dixon:    And, so Ed just tell me why you think Tanner P.?

Ed Swiderski:    Well, a lot of people don't know it, but we, you know, Tanner P. was one of the guys I bonded with early on too, well, Reid and Tanner P. We all kind of -- we just had a real good camaraderie. And Tanner P. is a very genuine good guy, just a very good family-oriented funny guy. Yeah, he is a little -- a bit shallow sometimes. But he is a great guy.

Jillian Harris:    Yeah, he's funny.

Delaina Dixon:    Well, best of luck to you guys. And good luck with that wedding in the Rockies.

Ed Swiderski:    Thank you.

Jillian Harris:    Thank you. We're excited.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Greg David with TV Guide Canada.

Greg David:    Hey guys, congratulations.

Jillian Harris:    Thanks, Greg.

Ed Swiderski:    Thanks.

Greg David:    Ed, got a couple questions for you. Jillian's used hot dog toppings as a judge of character. So, what do you put on your hot dog?

Ed Swiderski:    I am a mustard guy 100%.

Greg David:    Just mustard?

Ed Swiderski:    Just mustard, yeah.

Greg David:    And Jill, how do you feel about that?

Jillian Harris:    Well, now that I'm engaged to him, I'll accept him for any answer. But, I'm a huge mustard fan. My dad's a mustard guy. So, I think that's a good sign.

Greg David:    Okay, good. And nice segue into my next question. This is also for Ed. Can you talk a little bit how well you got along with Jill's parents? I mean, it looked really natural on TV how much fun you guys were all having together. And you just all seemed like a really good fit. Was it really like that?

Ed Swiderski:    It totally was. I mean, it was very natural. They're just very earthy, you know, down-to-earth people. Not earthy. Down-to-earth people. I'm sorry. I'm losing it. And they're just regular people. You know, they remind me of my parents. And very easy to get along with and they just seemed very welcoming and warm people.

Jillian Harris:    It's been great ever since the show has wrapped. Ed and my dad have exchanged numbers. And my dad -- or I'll be trying to get a hold of Ed, and he'll text me and say like, "Sorry, on the phone with Peggy and Glen." You know, he's been calling my dad and my mom. And he actually called my grandma a few times to chat with her on the phone. So, it's like my family absolutely adores Ed and he fits in so well already.

Greg David:    Thanks guys. Thanks for your time. And, Jill, I think your grandmother needs her own reality show.

Jillian Harris:    I know! Tell me about it. I mean, that woman is on fire. She is such a sweetheart. I know, we should make her the next like Elderly Bachelorette or something like that.

Greg David:    Or just have her sit next to Chris.

Jillian Harris:    Exactly, exactly.

Greg David:    Thanks guys.

Jillian Harris:    Thank you.

Ed Swiderski:    Hey, thank you.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Paulette Comb with ET Online.

Paulette Comb:    Congratulations, guys.

Jillian Harris:    Thank you.

Ed Swiderski:    Thanks, Paulette

Paulette Comb:    Jillian, earlier you said, in a previous phone call, that your parents just wanted you to find a guy so you would have babies. But, how are they going to deal with it when you're in Chicago and they're in Vancouver? Not that close.

Jillian Harris:    I know, I know. Well, Ed and I will have to talk about that one. I might be secretly thinking about how I can get him back to my neck of the woods. That's for sure. Especially since my cousin, Tori, she's getting married in a couple weeks. And I know she's eager to have kids.

But, either way, I think if we stay in Chicago, I know that family is so important to us. We'll be commuting back and forth a lot. You know, my parents are retired. They thought about getting -- they're working on getting a retirement home somewhere down in the States right now. So, you know, family is very important to Ed and I and we are going to make it work regardless of where we live.

Paulette Comb:    Okay. I know you said you needed to work on your green card. But, have you had any offers yet for jobs in Chicago or even other TV jobs?

Jillian Harris:    Well, not specifically in Chicago, because, I mean, the news has just gotten out, right?

Paulette Comb:    Right.

Jillian Harris:    So, but back home, I've gotten a few offers, which I don't want to turn down until I know exactly, you know, we're -- Ed and I are still open and if I get offered my dream job somewhere else, then we can consider that. There's been some talk of other TV things. I'm working on my little hot dog book.

But, right now, no -- right now, my biggest priority is getting my life stepped back up, right? Like I had a very successful career prior to this. I've taken a lot of time off. My main goal was to fall in love. I've fallen in love. And now I just need to make sure that I don't lose focus on that and I get back to work as soon as I possibly can.

Paulette Comb:    Okay. Can you tell us a little bit more about your hot dog book?

Jillian Harris:    Oh, yeah, I mean, I don't know what -- I don't know exactly how it's going to work, but I'm trying to write something kind of cute and funny about the whole hot dog theory and my life -- my dating life and the different guys I've dated and how I came up with the theory.

And it's just sort of like a girl's guide to dissecting a guy and how to just simply ask what his hot dog topping is and then you can decide whether he's a keeper or not. And some short stories about different guys I've dated and what you can expect with a sauerkraut guy or a ketchup guy. Just something fun.

Paulette Comb:    Great. Thank you.

Jillian Harris:    No problem.

Ed Swiderski:    Thanks.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Derek Santos with Reality TV World.

Derek Santos:    Hi guys, congratulations.

Ed Swiderski:    Hey Derek.

Jillian Harris:    Hey, how's it going?

Derek Santos:    Ed, can you talk a little bit about how the situation in which you left the show came about and how you got into that spot where your boss was apparently expecting you back after a couple of weeks?

Ed Swiderski:    Yes, yeah. So, I did have communication with work while I was gone. And, you know, I knew it would be a problem. I actually didn't expect to be on that long. And, you know, it just kind of built up. And I had a chance to talk to my boss, and he asked me to make a decision.

Derek Santos:    So, you went on the show thinking that in a couple weeks you'd -- it wasn't, you know, you weren't going to be a match and it basically wasn't going to last that long? Is that the extent of it?

Ed Swiderski:    Well, no, I wouldn't say necessarily I had -- I didn't really have that mind frame, but I really didn't expect to be there that long. I guess I wasn't sure what to expect.

Jillian Harris:    It's a very strange situation when you sign up for something like this, especially if you're just like a regular, young, like 28-29 year old. You think it's going to be fun. You think it's going to be adventure. Might be a cute guy, cute girl.

But, I don't, when you sign up for this as like, I guess, a "contestant" or whatever you call them, you don't think that you're going to be that last person standing engaged and in love. I don't think you ever expect that.

Derek Santos:    So, when you left, you didn't expect to be gone two months when you left? What'd you just take a couple weeks, vacation type of thing?

Ed Swiderski:    Um, yeah.

Derek Santos:    Did you realize -- how much did you know about Jillian before you went on the show?

Ed Swiderski:    I didn't know much about Jill at all. I didn't watch the previous season. And I just didn't have a whole lot of data on her.

Derek Santos:    So, when you decided to come back, did the job situation improve or did you just really just not care at that point?

Ed Swiderski:    No, you know, I think it was a combination of me making some accommodations, really with work and some of my team members stepping up and just being able to logistically work out some things.

Derek Santos:    Okay, great, thank you.

Ed Swiderski:    Yeah, thanks.

Jillian Harris:    Thank you.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Sara Bibel with Fancast.

Jillian Harris:    Hey, Sara.

Ed Swiderski:    Hi, Sara.

Sara Bibel:    Hi. What lessons did you learn from being on the show, Jillian, that you would give to other women who are searching for love in the real world?

Jillian Harris:    Not to beat yourself up too much by making mistakes and by being vulnerable and really just to be yourself. I mean, at the end of the day, you're going to find somebody who accepts you for you, whether you're 25 or whether your 35, that person will eventually come. And I think -- I think for me I've learned, I could not have done this show if I wasn't 100% happy with who I was and where I was in life.

And I got there, you know, working hard and being independent and then I realized, like I don't want to be alone forever. And I -- you know, it was easy -- it wasn't easy. But it was great for me to finally say that and admit that I was wanting to find somebody.

Sara Bibel:    And what about you, Ed? Any advice you would give to guys who are dating in the real world?

Ed Swiderski:    You know, I -- before I went on, I was a lot like Jill. I was -- still am a very ambitious, career-oriented guy. And, you know, I would just say don't let work take over your life. You know, spend some time and really work hard on a relationship. Try to focus on that and less on your professional career. Not that that's not important, but still, you know, be able to balance your time well.

Jillian Harris:    Well, I thought, you know, something occurred to me a few months ago, before I, you know, before I did the show and it was like, you know, we go to school for 12 years, then you go to college, then you get a job, all so that you can really pay your mortgage and buy things.

But when it comes to finding somebody you're going to spend the rest of your life with, which ultimately is so important to a lot of people, we don't take the time to work hard at that. And so, I don't know, I just -- are you pinching me? So, I, yeah, so, I think to me it's like just balance it out. And if falling in love is important, then make it a priority.

Sara Bibel:    Great. Thank you very much.

Jillian Harris:    Thank you.

Ed Swiderski:    Thank you.

Operator:    Again, ladies and gentlemen, we do have about five minutes left for the Q&A session. If you would like to ask a question, press star 1. Again, that's star 1 to ask a question.

Okay. And we don't have any other questions at this time.

Cathy Rehl:    Okay. Well, I want to thank everybody. A lot of you have been with us all season and we really do want to thank your support and for myself, I thank you and I will talk to you again come the beginning of next year when we start our next Bachelor. And, no, I think you probably know we have not made that decision yet. I don't know when we will have that announcement, but I'm sure you'll all find out about it quickly enough. Do we have Yani on the line now?

((Crosstalk))

Jillian Harris:    Can I just say to everybody, to thank you guys all as well? I mean, I've read some really great articles. And, you guys have, you know, done very, very well. And to thank everybody for watching. Like Ed and I are so happy and we're just so grateful for all -- everybody's support. It's been a whirlwind.

Cathy Rehl:    So, now I'd like to turn it over to my LA counterpart, Yani Chang.

Yani Chang:    Hi everyone.

Cathy Rehl:    Hi Yani.

Yani Chang:    Hey there.

Cathy Rehl:    I'm going to let you take it from here with Kiptyn and then Reid, okay?

Yani Chang:    Terrific, thank you.

Cathy Rehl:    Thanks everybody.

Jillian Harris:    Thanks.

Yani Chang:    So, everybody if I could ask you to hang tight and we'll just wait a couple minutes until Kiptyn joins the line and we can start those interviews. Also, I'm just going to mention this so you have it. Kiptyn's last name is Locke, and for spelling purposes it's L-O-C-K-E and Kiptyn is K-I-P-T-Y-N.

Operator:    And Kiptyn has joined.

Yani Chang:    So, everybody, we have Kiptyn Locke from Encinitas, California, and we can go ahead and start the questions.

Operator:    Again, ladies and gentlemen, if you would like to ask a question, press star 1 on your telephone keypad.

Your first question comes from the line of Delaina Dixon with delainadixon.com.

Delaina Dixon:    All right, Kiptyn, I'm going to get to the question that everybody's going to ask. There are a lot of rumors that you're going to be the next Bachelor. So, are you interested in being the next Bachelor?

Kiptyn Locke:    Ooh, right into it. It's something I'd think about. I think it's a good opportunity. And I guess I'm going to have some questions about it. But, I do believe in the process now having gone through the Bachelorette. So, it's something I'd consider.

Delaina Dixon:    Wonderful. And how are you feeling? I mean, it's so nice to see Jillian happy, but it must be very difficult for you. How are you feeling now that you've had a couple of weeks to let it settle?

Kiptyn Locke:    Well, you nailed it right there. The biggest thing is that Jillian's happy. And that's -- if she wasn't happy, I'd have different feelings about the situation. But, I'm happy for her. I mean, that's ultimately what I think we all wanted was for her to be happy. So, being that she is really on cloud nine, I think it's a really good thing.

Delaina Dixon:    Okay. Well, thank you and good luck. Hopefully, maybe we'll see you next year.

Kiptyn Locke:    Thank you very much.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Robyn Ross with TVGuide.com.

Robyn Ross:    Hi Kiptyn. Thanks for doing the call. So, you had your heart broken for the first time. Was it all worth it?

Kiptyn Locke:    You know, it definitely was worth it. I think I learned a lot about myself through the process and having kind of put it all out there, it makes you stronger. And you kind of find out -- you kind of test your own character. So, yeah, I definitely have no regrets. It's something I'm glad I did.

Robyn Ross:    And, have you started dating again?

Kiptyn Locke:    I have not. I kind of was just waiting for all this to sort of blow over. And then we'll see what happens. And, no I haven't been dating yet.

Robyn Ross:    And had you watched Jason's season with Jillian on it?

Kiptyn Locke:    I started watching about halfway through.

Robyn Ross:    Okay.

Kiptyn Locke:    And that's kind of where I came to get an initial sense of Jillian.

Robyn Ross:    Gotcha.

Kiptyn Locke:    And that was a big part of why I said yes to doing the Bachelorette.

Robyn Ross:    Where -- did a friend submit you or did you apply? How did that all happen?

Kiptyn Locke:    You know, a mutual friend, somebody who was a recruiter for the show called me about it and passed on my information to a show recruiter...

Robyn Ross:    Gotcha.

Kiptyn Locke:    ...who initially contacted me.

Robyn Ross:    Gotcha. And I have to ask, 'cause everyone wants to know, what's your ab routine?

Kiptyn Locke:    My -- oh, man! You know what? Believe it or not, I don't really have one. I just try and do something active every day and eat okay.

Robyn Ross:    Mm-hmm.

Kiptyn Locke:    But I -- and there's a few little trade secrets which I won't really...

Robyn Ross:    Okay. Well, good luck to you.

Kiptyn Locke:    Thank you so much.

Robyn Ross:    You're welcome.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of David McAlpine with Reality Wanted.com.

David McAlpine:    Hey, Kiptyn.

Kiptyn Locke:    Hi.

David McAlpine:    So, I guess one question that a lot of people on our end had was when Jillian came to your mom's house.

Kiptyn Locke:    Okay.

David McAlpine:    She seemed really skeptical about the whole thing. How did your mom react once this all went down over the past couple nights?

Kiptyn Locke:    After having met Jillian?

David McAlpine:    Well, I mean, after having met Jillian and then, you know, watching the show and seeing what happened on Monday, how did your mom kind of -- did she know already that you weren't the one?

Kiptyn Locke:    I don't think she knew definitively, but she, through mother's intuition, probably had an idea. My mom loved Jillian and she is -- I don't know if it really captured her on the show.

She is the most playful, fun-loving woman that I know. And so she was optimistic, I think. She really saw something positive about Jillian and I think obviously knowing me, I think she saw a pretty good possibility between the two of us. So, I guess optimism would probably be the best way to say it.

David McAlpine:    Great. And then on your end, when you walked up to the podium and you saw Jillian standing there, did you think that you were going to get the ring in the end? Did you think that she was going to accept? What were your feelings then?

Kiptyn Locke:    You know, I -- the whole way through this, things felt very natural and very real with Jillian, and I thought that it would be her and I in the end. The day before, it was literally the night before on our last chance date, I felt something different from her for the first time, the first time in the two months. And I wasn't sure how things would go down during the final rose. But, I really just saw us together. So, I was a bit blindsided, definitely.

David McAlpine:    All right. Thanks, Kiptyn.

Kiptyn Locke:    Thank you.

Operator:    Again, ladies and gentlemen, that's star 1 to ask a question. Your next question comes from the line of Paulette Cohn with ET Online.

Paulette Cohn:    Hey Kiptyn.

Kiptyn Locke:    Hi.

Paulette Cohn:    So, what's next for you? If you, you know, let's not talk about the Bachelor thing, but what are you going to do next?

Kiptyn Locke:    Oh, thank you for asking that. You know, it's a beautiful summer in San Diego. And I think for me it's just getting back to my business and then just enjoying the -- my family and friends and people I was away from when making the show. I think that, you know, just time to get back to all the positive things that I have in my life.

Paulette Comb:    And, do you get recognized now? And are women starting to like, maybe want to proposed to you?

Kiptyn Locke:    Proposed to me, as opposed to get to know me? I've been recognized a little bit. It's all been really positive, though. And that's, you know, one of the things that I'm most grateful for is that everyone that does take the time and is nice enough to say hi to me has been really positive about the whole thing. So, it's been a good thing.

Paulette Cohn:    Great. Thank you.

Kiptyn Locke:    Thank you.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Monica Garske with Flash News.

Monica Garske:    Kiptyn, thanks for your time.

Kiptyn Locke:    Thanks, Monica.

Monica Garske:    Now you were mentioning you're starting to get recognized a little bit. And I know you haven't exactly dated too too much during the taping wrapped. But, are women starting to ask you for dates or anything like that? Fans of the shoe or like bloggers or anything?

Kiptyn Locke:    That feels so strange to talk about. I've gotten a few interesting emails and stuff. But definitely not -- nothing too forward or inappropriate by any means. It's been -- if anything, it's been flattering and people have been really, really supportive.

Monica Garske:    Great. Now, how is that -- that dating pool out in San Diego? I mean, I'm in San Diego too. So, have you not had much luck as far as like dating in your respective city?

Kiptyn Locke:    No, you know what, I've been very fortunate. I mean, I've met and been lucky enough to be in relationships with amazing people. I just -- I guess that question comes back around to how did I end up on the show with this?

Or, I would say that I've been very lucky, hands down. I think the people that I've dated have been amazing, and I just haven't found "the one" or someone that I could spend a lifetime with. So, I definitely am optimistic and think that that person's still out there. It's a great place to meet people as well.

Monica Garske:    Okay. And as far as dating on TV, I mean, it's got to be really awkward at some points, you know, because it's completely unnatural to date on TV...

Kiptyn Locke:    Yeah.

Monica Garske:    ...but tell me a little bit about that whole experience. I mean, was it just like the weirdest dating experience you've ever had pretty much?

Kiptyn Locke:    Yeah, I'll be honest with you. It's definitely a unique experience. What, I think about two weeks' time, it wasn't that strange to me. I think that you've just got to learn to tune out the cameras and anything else around you and really just hone in on the person that you're focusing on, in that case, of course, Jillian.

And for whatever reason, that sort of disappeared for me early on. The cameras I think kind of just fell to the background and I was really able to just focus on that connection with Jillian. And it definitely is a unique thing. But was a really fun thing.

Monica Garske:    Great. Well, you were really fun to watch on the show. Thank you so much.

Kiptyn Locke:    Oh, thank you very much.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Sara Bibel with Fancast.

Sara Bibel:    Following up on the prior question about dating on television. How much do you think general, both for yourself and in general like the emotions, the strong emotions you end up feeling are as a result of sort of being placed in this bubble where you have almost nothing else to think about but the process of being on the show?

Kiptyn Locke:    You know, it's a good question, it's a really good question. And it was something I was aware of throughout the whole process, and I may have even over thought it at times. You have your time with Jillian, and then you have so much time after that to really reflect.

And I think people -- it's really necessary that in this process, you take a step back and really think about what you're feeling, how much of it is real and try and keep a gauge on that. And I did that every single day while filming to make sure that I didn't fall in love with the process, I fell in love with the girl. And I'm confident that my feelings are real.

Sara Bibel:    And when you -- what has the experience been like of watching the show? Do you think that everything went down pretty much as was portrayed and do you feel like gosh, that you got a little short changed in the edit because you stayed on the show the whole time and didn't have any strange rumors about you, that you were just the really good guy who did all the right things?

Kiptyn Locke:    You know, that's kind of a two-part question. I think that it really -- I'm happy with how things came out. I don't feel short changed at all that I want involved with any of the drama or strange twists. I mean, I was just me. When I decided to do this show, I promised myself that's the only way I'd do it is just being real the whole time to myself and being honest with Jillian.

And I did those things. And I didn't make for some of the most crazy and exciting and, you know, blood boiling highlights, but it made for a real relationship and that's all that I was hoping to get out of this. So, I'm happy with it.

And to answer your question about whether or not I think it's a real portrayal, in most cases, it is. I think that the hardest thing is not to say that you're showing something that wasn't true, it's just that you're not shown -- there's only two hours and you can't see the whole week of filming that went into it that might better explain some things. So, you know, it's -- I think that ABC and the show does an awesome job with what they have.

Sara Bibel:    Thank you very much.

Kiptyn Locke:    Yeah, my pleasure.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Carrie Bell with People Magazine.

Carrie Bell:    Hi, Kiptyn. How are you?

Kiptyn Locke:    Good, Carrie. How you doing?

Carrie Bell:    I'm doing well. I wondered what your thoughts were on, you know, Reid coming back and when, I mean, if you knew that he kind of came back in after you had left and was that something you anticipated from him?

Because, you know, a lot of other guys along the way have kind of talked about Reid, you know, he was called a dork and then another guy said he was, you know, too neurotic for the show. And to me, it seemed like a real kind of a character change for him and a real chance that he maybe wouldn't have taken before during this process? And I'm just kind of wondering what your take on that was.

Kiptyn Locke:    Hmm. I did not know he was or had came back until after the show was done. I always liked Reid. And as much as those guys had their thoughts about his quirks, let's say, I think it was just the process that we were on. And those -- Reid is a really good guy.

And you've got to understand it's tough for a guy like him to be in the situation with 20 other guys and not knowing what's going on at any given time because it just, it plays against everything that he's comfortable and so that's all that was. I think you get Reid in a real life setting outside of this situation with a girl and those things, those issues won't be present.

Carrie Bell:    Right.

Kiptyn Locke:    That being said, you know, I -- my only concern with Reid coming back was -- when I found out about it, was if it was hard on Jillian. I think this process is tough enough as it is. And Jillian's the kind of woman I think somewhat of myself in that we really fear and hate hurting people.

And I could tell that every single rose ceremony, Jillian was sincerely hurt in letting people go, no matter what the connection was. So, my only concern with Reid coming back was, "Man, I hope that wasn't, you know, devastating and hard for Jillian."

Carrie Bell:    Right. Do you think that, you know, even Reid seemed to express a bit more, I don't know, I don't -- I guess feelings or residual feelings than you did. I mean, you seemed a little more over it for lack of a better term on the, you know, after the final rose.

And I'm wondering if seeing her with him or knowing, you know, hearing her say she's happy, you know, seeing the, you know, the stuff of her talk about, "Oh, I'm in a good place. I'm happy." Did that help you kind of say, "Okay, well, you know, it sucks that I didn't get the girl. I was in -- you know, I fell in love too." But, you know, she's...

Kiptyn Locke:    Yeah.

Carrie Bell:    ...also your friend?

Kiptyn Locke:    That's -- it's (unquestion), that's exactly what it was. And I've had the chance to see all her interviews online and on TV just talking about how happy she is and that gives closure. I mean, you know, I really fell in love with Jillian, just not for myself, but just in the person that she is, and you really do want the best for her.

And if I had heard that she wasn't happy at this point in time, I'd really have some uneasy feelings about how things happened. But to hear her say that she's absolutely in love and on cloud nine and really excited about the future, helps me get closure on the topic and just be happy for her.

Carrie Bell:    Okay.

Kiptyn Locke:    But it wasn't for lack of feelings. I mean, it, you know, I definitely -- nothing to hide there. I did indeed fall for Jillian, but to know that she's happy makes it a little bit easier for me to be okay with how it ended.

Carrie Bell:    I think that's totally understandable. You also got, because you were, you know, there till the end, you didn't have to sort of choose sides in terms of the, you know, Wes situation and things like that. And I know you -- and you haven't even had to comment on it really.

And I kind of -- it made me wonder, because you seemed like a guy, you know, and especially with what you just said, I mean, you cared about Jillian and that seemed to be one of those situations that really kind of dragged her through the muck of the process. And I'm wondering if you were around for any of that? I mean, did you notice that?

And how did you feel when, you know, you heard that Jake went back and told her, you know, for essentially the same reason, that he wanted her to be happy, and he wanted her to know all the details?

Kiptyn Locke:    Whew. You're right. No one has asked me about this yet. Well, I have to preface it with the fact that I was close with both Jake and Wes, even though they are very different people. I don't ever want to take sides, but I will say that I think Wes is a much better guy than was communicated.

I think that it was a tough situation, but Jill, you know, Jill is a very smart woman who has a pretty good read on people and there's got to be, whether viewers see it or not, there's got to be a reason for all her decisions. And she had, you know, she had some interest in Wes and that's why he was there that long, but Wes, while he was there, was good to all the guys, didn't say, you know, many negative things aside from that interview that I saw.

And I'm not saying that I'm going to -- I would hook him up with my own sister, even though she's not single, but I also think he's a much better guy than was portrayed, and he'll be a friend of mine.

Carrie Bell:    Okay. Great, thank you.

Kiptyn Locke:    My pleasure.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Mark Stone with Kelowna Daily Courier.

Mark Stone:    Hey, Kiptyn. How's it going?

Kiptyn Locke:    Hey, Mark. Good. How are you doing?

Mark Stone:    Pretty good, pretty good. I just have a question for you. If you guys were filming for three months, how difficult was it for you, like, Bachelorette aside, how difficult was it for you to transition back into your normal life after being under vacuum like that?

Kiptyn Locke:    Mark, it took about two months total and it was tough coming back. There's definitely a, I don't know if culture shock is the right word, but there's definitely a, you know, your daily process changes and your whole mindset kind of has to acclimate when you get back home. So, it was tough. I think it was an amazing experience, but it definitely has a transition time coming and going.

Mark Stone:    So, you were able to do it okay, though?

Kiptyn Locke:    Yeah, yeah. I think for me, I was in a unique situation where I came back to a business that I had to dive right back into, and I also had an annual charity event that was a month out. So, I pretty much didn't pop my head up to say hello to friends or go out in public for about five weeks upon getting home because I had that -- my charity event coming up.

Mark Stone:    Yeah, wow. Five weeks. Yeah. I've got to tell you, as a guy it was like seeing that, if anybody doubted the reality of the whole thing, like seeing you in that limo, that was heartbreaking for everybody.

Kiptyn Locke:    Oh.

Mark Stone:    We all felt...

Kiptyn Locke:    I'm so...

Mark Stone:    What's that?

Kiptyn Locke:    Yeah. I'm so, I'm, you know, I'm glad I put myself out there. I'm sorry that so many people had to see it like that, because I've gotten so many emails of people feeling bad. And I never wanted anybody to feel bad. I never wanted anybody's sympathy. I just, you know ..

Mark Stone:    Yeah, I know, I don't think that -- as, obviously like you were out there and you were putting yourself out there when you signed up for the show.

Kiptyn Locke:    Yeah.

Mark Stone:    So, I mean, there's sympathy, but it really shows how real this thing is, because...

Kiptyn Locke:    Yeah.

Mark Stone:    ...I mean, you weren't faking.

Kiptyn Locke:    No, I promise you that.

Mark Stone:    And, yeah, you come across as a really genuine guy. So, congratulations for...

Kiptyn Locke:    Well, thanks, Mark.

Mark Stone:    ...for everything.

Kiptyn Locke:    I really appreciate that. Thank you.

Mark Stone:    Okay. Thanks, Kiptyn.

Operator:    Again, ladies and gentlemen, if you would like to ask a question, press star 1 on your telephone keypad.

And, we have no further questions.

Yani Chang:    Okay, well terrific. Thanks everybody. Kiptyn, thank you for your time.

Kiptyn Locke:    Thank you guys so much for taking the time to talk to me.

Yani Chang:    So, we're just going to wrap this up. Kiptyn, if you wouldn't mind disconnecting.

Kiptyn Locke:    Okay.

Yani Chang:    Thank you again. So, everybody else, we're just going to hang tight and wait for Reid.

Operator:    And Mr. Rosenthal has joined.

Yani Chang:    Terrific. So, everybody, we have Reid Rosenthal and for spelling purposes the first name is R-E-I-D, last name R-O-S-E-N-T-H-A-L. And, we can go ahead and start with the questions.

Operator:    Again, ladies and gentlemen, that's star 1. Your first question comes from the line of Delaina Dixon with delainadixon.com.

Delaina Dixon:    Hi, Reid, nice to talk to you.

Reid Rosenthal:    Nice to talk to you.

Delaina Dixon:    Okay, so, when are you planning to get back into the dating game?

Reid Rosenthal:    Probably pretty soon.

Delaina Dixon:    Okay, I know...

Reid Rosenthal:    Immediately.

Delaina Dixon:    ...a lot of people are very excited about that. And do you think that when you do meet a girl that you'll tell her how you feel sooner in the relationship? Have you learned that lesson or what do you take away from your experience with Jillian?

Reid Rosenthal:    I mean, yeah, you obviously have to open up and tell people how you feel. But at the same time, it's a little bit different when you're in a controlled situation, when there's only a certain amount of time and there's 20 guys going after one girl. You know, it's kind of a weird situation to be in. So, I don't know. I mean, hopefully. I mean, I definitely learned from the experience, and I think I'm definitely more open to expressing my feelings. So, I guess that's a "yes."

Delaina Dixon:    And last thing, that girl yesterday on the show was really cute. Are you going to fulfill her wish and go out with her?

Reid Rosenthal:    She was young. I mean, she's cute, really cute. But she was -- she looked younger than 21.

Delaina Dixon:    She did look kind of young, but...

Reid Rosenthal:    Yeah, I would say like 22 is like my -- I think I've got to draw the line there.

Delaina Dixon:    All right. Well, then I'm definitely in the running. So, that's good to know.

Reid Rosenthal:    Yeah, I guess.

Delaina Dixon:    Good luck with everything.

Reid Rosenthal:    Thank you.

Delaina Dixon:    Okay.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Robyn Ross with TV Guide.com.

Robyn Ross:    Hi, Reid. Thanks so much for doing the call.

Reid Rosenthal:    No problem.

Robyn Ross:    So, my first question is would you want to be the next Bachelor, because most people want you to be?

Reid Rosenthal:    I have been thinking about it. And I am not sure yet.

Robyn Ross:    Okay.

Reid Rosenthal:    There's....

Robyn Ross:    And you talked about the ring that you had gotten for Jillian. Were you able to at least return it?

Reid Rosenthal:    I was able to return the ring, yes.

Robyn Ross:    Okay, good. So, do you plan to return to real estate or are you looking at new career opportunities now?

Reid Rosenthal:    I am at my desk at the office right now in real estate and I am open to options. However, you know, my priority right now is getting my business organized. It's so busy from the show, which is...

Robyn Ross:    Yeah.

Reid Rosenthal:    ...just amazing. And, but at the same time, there's been some opportunities that have been coming to me that I never even imagined.

Robyn Ross:    And what's dating in Philly like? Would you want to leave and move maybe to LA or New York or you're happy there?

Reid Rosenthal:    I love Philly. The dating scene is not my optimal thing. You know, I'm here because my family is close by and because I got into the real estate game at the right time when, you know, everything was booming and I kind of got, you know, built a business here and I got stuck here. But, you know, I like it -- I like it enough to be here for the last seven-eight years.

Robyn Ross:    Yeah.

Reid Rosenthal:    So, who knows? Depending on what opportunities arise, you never know.

Robyn Ross:    Yeah, and there's lots of single ladies in New York.

Reid Rosenthal:    There are lots...

Robyn Ross:    Thanks so much. Good luck to you.

Reid Rosenthal:    All right. Thanks.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of David McAlpine with Reality Wanted.com.

David McAlpine:    Hey, Reid, how are you?

Reid Rosenthal:    Good. How are you?

David McAlpine:    Good. Thanks so much for taking the call.

Reid Rosenthal:    No problem.

David McAlpine:    So, watching last night on the after the rose, it was heartbreaking to watch you kind of deal with Jillian coming out on stage. Now that you've had a couple weeks to think about it since the taping, is there anything that you wish to say to her? Because it seemed like there was and you didn't want to say it on TV. And then, you know, do you regret not saying anything to her?

Reid Rosenthal:    Yeah. No, I don't regret saying anything to her at the taping, just because I feel like if it was meant to be, it was meant to be. And if there was anything that she wanted to talk to me about, I'm sure somehow she could have tried to contact me or get in touch with me or, you know, and, you know, some time had gone by.

So, I think that she seemed like she was happy. And, you know, knowing that and being friendly with Ed also, it just wasn't my place to I guess ask questions or question their relationship.

David McAlpine:    And then kind of on that note, at the special last week, it seemed like everyone was kind of on your case about being the neurotic guy.

Reid Rosenthal:    Yeah.

David McAlpine:    Are you going to stay -- who are you kind of friends with on the show and who do you think you're going to stay in contact with afterwards? Is there like a camaraderie that you built or...

Reid Rosenthal:    Oh, yeah, of course. I mean, there's definitely certain guys that I think I've, you know, already been in touch with and have been hanging out with and, you know, will continue to hang out with in the future.

David McAlpine:    Well, great. Thanks so much, Reid.

Reid Rosenthal:    All right. Thank you.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Mark Stone with Kelowna Daily Courier.

Mark Stone:    Hey, Reid, how's it going?

Reid Rosenthal:    Not bad. How are you doing?

Mark Stone:    Very good, very good. Well, my question -- someone kind of asked about if you're going to change the way you approach relationships, but is it going to drastically change the way you approach dating? Like in a major way or...

Reid Rosenthal:    I don't, I mean, I don't think in a -- well, maybe it is a major way. I mean, I'm definitely -- it made me realize you have to tell people how you feel and that they don't always just, you know -- you might have a connection or a physical connection, but girls need to hear it.

And, you know - so I guess that small amount of knowledge I guess is a drastic thing and might change relationships. I don't -- I mean, it's a tough question.

Mark Stone:    Yeah, I guess it's hard to know until you get into your next relationship, right?

Reid Rosenthal:    Yeah, and you're not, you know, you're not in competition. Well, I guess you kind of are in competition.

Mark Stone:    Well, you are, but not in the same way.

Reid Rosenthal:    Right.

Mark Stone:    Every person is different too. I mean, the next girl is not going to be like Jillian, so...

Reid Rosenthal:    Right, exactly. So, it's hard to answer that.

Mark Stone:    Yeah, it's hard to say. So, how has your family reacted to everything? Have they been cool with it?

Reid Rosenthal:    Yeah, they're -- my mom's -- my mom reads all the blogs and it's almost like, you know, there were only a very people that knew the outcome and what was going on and that was my parents. And she'd get on the blogs and she'd start believing the bloggers more than her own son. And I'm like listen...

Mark Stone:    Oh, no.

Reid Rosenthal:    It happened this way, get over it. You know, stop reading the blogs. You're driving yourself crazy. But, overall, I mean, they're happy with everything and, you know, in reality TV, you can I guess come off looking like an idiot sometimes. And I think that, you know, I was true to myself and I'm happy with the way at least I was portrayed and they are too.

Mark Stone:    Awesome. Well, thanks a lot Reid. Good luck for everything.

Reid Rosenthal:    All right, thanks.

Mark Stone:    Okay.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Sara Bibel with Fancast.

Reid Rosenthal:    Okay.

Sara Bibel:    Hi, Reid. My question is what was with the outfit you wore when you proposed to Jillian? A lot of people have been asking why the sneakers?

Reid Rosenthal:    Oh my God. I mean, I've said every five seconds. I was making a fashion statement. No, I'm kidding. I was in a huge rush to get back. And I didn't have time to do laundry. And I didn't know what was in my luggage. And when I showed up, I didn't have a lot of -- there wasn't a lot of time. So, I literally flew back to Hawaii. I didn't have any clean clothes.

And I got there and I'm wearing, you know, linen pants and sneakers and I thought I was going to have time to really, you know, get going and shower and change and -- and when I showed up, I guess I looked really bad, so I had to put on one of Chris Harrison's jackets. So, that's basically how it went down.

Sara Bibel:    So was that really like an airport minivan or was that just something that the producers rigged up to sort of differentiate you from the two guys in the limos?

Reid Rosenthal:    I don't know. I guess the producers could have had me get picked up in, you know, a limo or something. But I think because I came back on my own terms and had to do everything on my own, it was up to me to -- you know, they told me where they were going to be obviously and it was up to me to get there.

Sara Bibel:    So, it really -- so you really did do this on your own? Because there's been a lot, you know, there's of course there's always speculation with a reality show that the producers are like, oh, maybe, you know...

Reid Rosenthal:    Right.

Sara Bibel:    ...are like oh maybe the producers begged Reid to come back to sort of, you know...

Reid Rosenthal:    No, no, no, no. I should have -- the minute I got kicked off in Hawaii, I was like, "How can I change this? You know, what can I do to change this?" And I think the producer that was there at that moment was, you know, saw that I was sincere and I mean the ball might have gotten, you know, started rolling then, but then I kept calling when I got home and I think maybe that producer was the one that allowed me to come back.

But I don't think really they had -- they just wanted me to do it on my own terms. So, I don't think it was a real planned, produced-type thing.

Sara Bibel:    And on the After The Rose ceremony special, you started to ask Jillian a question about the Fantasy Suite and then you stopped...

Reid Rosenthal:    I knew you'd ask this.

Sara Bibel:    What was the second half of that question? There's been a lot of speculation about that.

Reid Rosenthal:    I know. And I actually had a relative in the audience and they're like, "Uh-oh, you know, we were trying to yell 'No,' and that you were kind of being arrogant by bringing that question up and looking sulky." But, really I was going to ask who she had the most fun with in the Fantasy Suite.

Just me, Ed, or Kiptyn, but because I, you know, stopped myself and thought that that was just an inappropriate question, I made it look like that people thought I was going to be asking about the, you know, the thing that was a big deal that everybody was saying about Ed, which I don't really think happened. I'm not sure for sure. I wasn't there.

But, it kind of came out looking like that's what I was going to ask. I was just simply going to ask, you know, a couple serious questions and then one kind of fun, funny question.

Sara Bibel:    Great. Well, thanks and I have a feeling you are going to have more women than you know what to do with now.

Reid Rosenthal:    That might be a whole other issue. Two extremes, not enough and now too many.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Julie Gordon with AM New York.

Julie Gordon:    Hi, Reid, how are you?

Reid Rosenthal:    Good. How are you?

Julie Gordon:    Good. So, I mean, being in real estate, your contact info is kind of out there online. Have you gotten a million emails and phone calls from girls?

Reid Rosenthal:    Oh my gosh, yeah. I'm going through it all day and I'm trying to figure out new systems for business. And I brought on a girl in my office who's really helping me. And I kind of just gave up on Facebook and it's hard to get back there. It's stressing me out. I've got left arm pains right now.

Julie Gordon:    Oh, no, I guess you're a lefty. Do you -- are you going to change your email?

Reid Rosenthal:    No, no, I can't.

Julie Gordon:    Oh, it's work.

Reid Rosenthal:    I can't, but I did take my cell phone number down and...

Julie Gordon:    That's good.

Reid Rosenthal:    ...I have somebody filtering all my clients, calling them back and then prequalifying everybody. Kind of two levels of filter to figure out who's real and who's not.

Julie Gordon:    That sounds good. And then just...

Reid Rosenthal:    But they still call my voicemail and, you know, leave really funny messages. Some girl...

Julie Gordon:    Oh, no, what'd she say?

Reid Rosenthal:    Some girl, I think her name was MK, left me a rap, a really funny rap about me and Jillian and then at the end said, "Oh my God, I can't believe I did that. I'm so embarrassed," and hung up.

Julie Gordon:    Well, I hope you didn't call her back. About, you know, considering being the next Bachelor, what do you think the upside would be and what are your, you know, hesitations, if you have any.

Reid Rosenthal:    Yeah, I mean the upside is you get 25 girls coming after you.

Julie Gordon:    Yeah.

Reid Rosenthal:    Which is never a bad thing. And I think I trust the process at this point, even though it's a little unnatural. But, it really, you know, puts you in a situation where you have to get to know somebody faster than you typically would. And for me, that's kind of a good thing, because I tend to, you know, play the field when I'm out there and dating and I never really step it up to the next level. So, I trust...

Julie Gordon:    Okay.

Reid Rosenthal:    ...I trust the process. That's the upside. The downside is -- it's, you know, a ton of work. Which, you know, work doesn't scare me. But, now with real estate being so busy, it's going to be really hard to try to figure out how to keep my business and at the same time, you know, do that...

Julie Gordon:    Yeah.

Reid Rosenthal:    ...the first summer, I kind of lost some business. But, I easily made it up now after the show. And, you know, and then you have the whole -- the Bachelor stigma for the rest of your life. You know, your that guy. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I just am not sure if I'm ready to do that, but, I mean, the thought definitely of being the Bachelor excites me I'd say 55% of the time. So, I don't know. I just have to -- I've got to really think about it.

Julie Gordon:    Okay, cool. And then one more quick question about what you said about how it's a little unnatural. I mean, obviously Jillian seems like an amazing wonderful person. But do you think that everybody there was really, you know, falling in love with her and, you know is as crazy about her as everyone seemed?

Reid Rosenthal:    Probably not.

Julie Gordon:    Yeah...

Reid Rosenthal:    Because...

Julie Gordon:    ...it just seems like it would be surprising that everyone would love the same person.

Reid Rosenthal:    Yeah, that wouldn't be a good thing if everybody really was. There'd be fights and probably guns and knives and -- I mean, I think there was -- I think there was definitely some guys that were acting a little bit and some guys truly, you know, maybe did fall in love with her faster than others and didn't last as long. But, you never know. You know, certain people I thought I knew and towards the end of the show, I'm like, "Wow, I don't know this person at all," so...

Julie Gordon:    Okay.

Reid Rosenthal:    Yeah, everybody has their own game plan when they go into it. Some people, I guess would lie to the guys thinking that was like helping their cause. But, I went into it thinking, "she's going to like who she's going like and if you're yourself, you know, you're either going to get her or not get her."

Julie Gordon:    Okay. Well, thanks so much.

Reid Rosenthal:    All right, thanks.

Julie Gordon:    Okay, bye.

Reid Rosenthal:    Bye.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Monica Garske with Flash News.

Monica Garske:    Hi, Reid. Thanks for your time today.

Reid Rosenthal:    No problem.

Monica Garske:    So, you've been mentioning a little bit about how business is booming for you over there in the real estate market and everything. Are you just getting a lot of clients who just want to do, you know, home things through you because, you know, they think you're legit or whatever?

Reid Rosenthal:    Yeah. I mean, I think that it's just that, you know, the real estate business if, you know, there's so many realtors that anybody can just kind of get a referral from a friend or a family member or they can go online and look up, you know, a multitude of realtors, but, you know, it's name recognition. I guess they just see Reid, Realtor, Philadelphia.

So, if somebody's moving to Philadelphia or somebody's thinking about selling their property, they're like, "Oh, that guy. He seems like a good guy. Let's call him."

Monica Garske:    Mm-hmm.

Reid Rosenthal:    But, then half of the people are just like psycho crazy...

Monica Garske:    Yeah.

Reid Rosenthal:    ...and I've got to weed them out.

Monica Garske:    Exactly. Well, that's pretty close. So, it's just kind of just like instant advertising for you almost, you know?

Reid Rosenthal:    Yeah. I didn't think going into it that it was really going to be as good for -- I actually, one of the reasons why I wasn't going to do it was because I thought it would hurt.

Monica Garske:    Mm-hmm.

Reid Rosenthal:    And, you know, I think I was one of the last people to send my contracts in to do the show. And it was because of that. But it turns out that it was a good thing.

Monica Garske:    Yeah, definitely. Well, I'm so happy to hear that. Good luck with everything. Thanks so much, Reid.

Reid Rosenthal:    All right, thanks.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Derek Santos with Reality TV World.

Derek Santos:    Hi, Reid. How are you doing?

Reid Rosenthal:    Good, how are you?

Derek Santos:    I'm doing fine thanks. I was just wondering if you could talk a little bit more about what happened there after Jillian eliminated you and led up -- what led up to your return. Like how many days actually passed in between there and what were you, you know, doing during that time?

Reid Rosenthal:    I would say three days maybe. I flew back -- yeah, it was about three days. And I was just thinking, you know, I -- I thought I, you know, sabotaged myself basically during those three days and thought that I was the best guy for her and, you know, I knew that I wanted to spend, you know, tomorrow with her. I wasn't 100% sure that we were going to get married the next, you know, if she said yes, that we were going to get married in six months or a year.

But, I knew that she was someone that I wanted to spend a lot of time with. And I actually thought that our relationship was by far, you know, 15 times better than the other two guys.

So, you know, I just thought that it was like my job to come back and get her, because I wanted the time with her and I just thought that if I told her how I felt, that there would be no competition. But, I was wrong.

Derek Santos:    So, did you actually like get back home to Philadelphia or did you like turn around in an airport or something like that?

Reid Rosenthal:    No, no, they fly -- they're pretty efficient. They fly you right back.

Derek Santos:    And what happened with the ring there? You mentioned that you kind of put your own ring together? The producers didn't actually offer to get you one or...

Reid Rosenthal:    No, they flew me to Philadelphia. And when they said I could come back, I flew through LA and I went and bought a ring. I spent as much as I could at the time. And, flew right to Hawaii.

Derek Santos:    Okay, great. Thank you very much.

Reid Rosenthal:    All right, thanks.

Operator:    Your next question comes from the line of Carrie Bell with People Magazine.

Carrie Bell:    Hey, Reid. How are you?

Reid Rosenthal:    Good. How are you?

Carrie Bell:    I'm good. I have a question. You said when you left the show the first time that you didn't see her with either of the other two guys. And, you know, and then last night, you said, you know, then you came back and you kind of said, you know, your piece, like I think it's me. I think we should be together. And I think you still even made a comment on your way out that time, "I just didn't see it with the other people."

Reid Rosenthal:    Yeah.

Carrie Bell:    And, I'm wondering if that changed when you went to the "After the Final Rose" and saw her interacting with Ed and now knowing that, you know, that's a choice, and they're saying they're going to get married in a year.

Reid Rosenthal:    Right.

Carrie Bell:    And she's going to move...

Reid Rosenthal:    Right.

Carrie Bell:    ...to see him. Do you feel like you're mind is changed about that now?

Reid Rosenthal:    A little bit. I mean, I think she was torn. I think she was really legitimately torn. But, I think that when -- and she might still even be torn a little bit, but I think that because they met her parents and he asked her then for her hand in marriage, I mean, that does something to a daughter.

And I'm sure, you know, and I wasn't there for that. And I'm sure that made a huge difference, because when she came to Philadelphia, I wasn't so sure how I felt about her and that's when everything changed, when she met my family. So, you know, it kind of makes sense that she, you know, decided to go with Ed.

Carrie Bell:    You know, we just talked to Kiptyn and he said that, you know, seeing her happy and seeing her with Ed and hearing, you know, stuff about him helped him gain a little bit of closure. And I think by far, you seemed still -- at least at the time of the taping of "After the Final Rose," you seemed to still have stronger feelings for her than he did.

Reid Rosenthal:    Mm-hmm.

Carrie Bell:    And I'm wondering if you're getting more closure now that you're, you know, doing this and seeing her do interviews saying she's happy and blah blah blah and making plans. You know, is there closure for you or do you still feel like even now, you know, however many months out that we are that you still love her?

Reid Rosenthal:    I think that -- I think at this point, I definitely have strong feelings for her, but I, like I said at the taping, I think everything happens for a reason, and I've always thought that way and that helps me, you know, have closure right there. Everything kind of works the way it's supposed to work.

Carrie Bell:    Mm-hmm.

Reid Rosenthal:    And, you know, I think that way with everything, so...

Carrie Bell:    Okay. Well, I wish you luck. You have a lot of fans on People.com, for sure. And there's a lot of people calling for you to be the next Bachelor. And I appreciated your wit throughout -- and humor throughout the process. It was very fun to watch.

Reid Rosenthal:    Thank you. I appreciate it.

Operator:    Again, ladies and gentlemen, if you would like to ask a question, that's star 1. Your next question comes from the line of Derek Santos with Reality TV World.

Derek Santos:    Hi, Reid.

Reid Rosenthal:    Hey.

Derek Santos:    I just had a question. Going back to when you actually got to the -- to Jillian there back in Hawaii. After she told you she needed to think about what she was going to do, you made some comment something about like, "What's there to think about?"

Reid Rosenthal:    Right.

Derek Santos:    What was, you know, what was in your head there at that time? Did you -- had you envisioned it was going to be as simple as, you know, you showed up, professed your love, and the two of you were gonna kind of run off or, you know, did you not realize the feelings she might have had for the other two at that point or...

Reid Rosenthal:    Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking at the time. I was a little stressed out and, I just, I -- yeah, I guess I felt that there was no competition if I came back and told her how I felt. I almost felt like it was like a test on her part. And I guess it wasn't. I guess I just didn't trust that she really had these feelings. I mean, she even said at the taping, if I would have told her how I felt earlier, she would have sent Kiptyn home and it would have been between Ed and I.

But, I really never thought that she had those feelings for Ed. I guess the first time I thought there was maybe something there was at the Spain rose ceremony, she was kind of looking at him in a way that she had never really looked at him. Typically, like I felt like I was the guy she would look at after the rose ceremony, that we had this little thing going. But, when Ed came back, she kind of had that thing going with him. And, I was like, "Oh, man."

That was when I thought there might be something. And I don't know. I still feel like when he left, you know, when I left all of a sudden my feelings grew strong. So, when Ed left, you know, it might have been a good strategy for him. I don't know. I just think like when you leave, sometimes, you know, the heart grows fonder and maybe that was like his plan all along. Who knows.

Derek Santos:    Jillian made a comment there about "you realize what's going on today?" What did you know going into that? Obviously, you knew it was the final rose ceremony, right? And I think she showed a clip of Chris telling you Ed was on his way?

Reid Rosenthal:    Yeah.

Derek Santos:    So, did you know that she was planning to pick Ed or what was...

Reid Rosenthal:    No.

Derek Santos:    ...at that point?

Reid Rosenthal:    No, I didn't know that at all. I didn't know what was going on. I just knew I was there, and I was going to do what I planned to do.

Derek Santos:    Did you even know that Kiptyn had already been there?

Reid Rosenthal:    I don't remember. I really was in my own world and kind of nervous and I really didn't think, like I said, there was going to be any competition. I was just kind of nervous for the whole thing. And, yeah, so I wasn't really thinking about all that.

Derek Santos:    Okay. Well, that's pretty much it. Best of luck with the future.

Reid Rosenthal:    Thank you. I appreciate it.

Derek Santos:    No problem, thank you. Bye bye.

Yani Chang:    Hi guys, this is Yani. Just wanted to try to wrap up this phone call. So, if we could start getting last questions that'd be great.

Operator:    And you have no further questions.

Yani Chang:    Oh, okay, terrific. Well, thank you so much for your time, Reid. I really appreciate it.

Reid Rosenthal:    Okay, no problem.

Yani Chang:    And thanks everybody for being on this call. It was a great season and we look forward to the next season with "The Bachelor" with all of you.

Reid Rosenthal:    Okay. See you everyone.

Operator:    Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes today's conference call. You may now disconnect.

END