When it comes to storytelling on the small screen, beauty plays a lead role. Just ask Daisy Jones and The Six makeup department head Rebecca Wachtel, who brought Prime Video's '70-inspired rock...
The second generation of Vanderpump Rules is expanding yet again. The first round of babies were born out of a pregnancy pact between Stassi Schroeder, Lala Kent, and Brittany Cartwright.
Stassi and her husband Beau Clark are giving their daughter Harper a sibling. The Next Level Basic author previously expressed the desire to expand her family in 2023. And on March 1, 2023, the Pump Rules alum confirmed her pregnancy.
Co-star Scheana Shay, who also has a two-year-old daughter, reacted to the news during an appearance on Page Six’s Virtual Reali-Tea podcast. “Oh, wow! I did not know that, congratulations!!” Scheana said. She got the details about Stassi’s fertility plans in November 2022 when the two caught up at a party Lisa Vanderpump threw for her grandson, per Page Six.
“I had a good conversation with her at Pandora [Vanderpump]’s son’s birthday, and I know she said she was ready for baby No. 2 — I was like ‘I am not there at all’ — but oh my God I am so happy for her! I literally just got chills,” Scheana revealed.
Raquel Leviss, who is the mom to fur-baby Graham also took part in the interview. Scheana was asked whether she and Brock Davies were also hoping to get pregnant again. The question made the Scheananigans podcast host noticeably emotional.
Scheana answered, “Here’s where the tears come in because I had a very traumatic labor. I had a miscarriage, [and] there’s a lot of fears around me being a mom again, so I’m so happy for her, but I’m not there.”
Indeed, Scheana’s pregnancy and her post-partum journey have not been easy. Shortly before giving birth to daughter Summer Moon in April 2021, Scheana was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia.
Not only did she suffer physical challenges, but the Good as Gold singer also dealt with post-partum OCD. Thankfully, Scheana is now managing her diagnosis with counseling. “I feel like the amount of work I’ve been doing in therapy with learning I have postpartum OCD, I feel so much more confident as a mom,” Scheana revealed during a previous appearance on Virtual Reali-Tea.
Scheana described living with post-partum OCD as being plagued with invasive, disturbing thoughts towards the health and safety of her daughter. She explained, “That’s the thing with OCD is that it attaches to your biggest fears and then you just see them happening all of the time and it’s terrifying. But I just have to tell myself, ‘This isn’t going to happen, it’s not going to happen, you got this.’”
Despite having a challenging friendship with Stassi during their tenure on VPR, Scheana had nothing but encouraging words for her former co-star. She concluded, “Oh my God, I’m genuinely really happy for her. I know she wanted this. We don’t have to get along, but in moments like this, we can be genuinely happy for one another.”
As for Scheana, time will tell if she ever feels comfortable enough to try for baby number two. The challenges she has faced to become a mother shouldn’t be taken lightly.
TELL US- WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO STASSI’S PREGNANCY NEWS? ARE YOU SURPRISED BY SCHEANA’S REACTION? DO YOU THINK ANY OTHER VANDERPUMP RULES STAR WILL EXPAND THEIR FAMILY IN THE NEAR FUTURE?
[Photo Credit: ABC/Frank Micelotta]
The post Scheana Shay Tears Up Over Stassi Schroeder’s Pregnancy With Baby No. 2 appeared first on Reality Tea.
Don’t blame the player, baby. Blame the game. Since this isn’t Sister Wives, Bachelor star Zach Shallcross only needs one wife. Sadly, he decided it wasn’t you. Buh-bye!
I hope someday Jess Girod, will realize that she actually orchestrated her own exit. During their stay in picture-perfect Tallinn, Estonia, Jess got into her own head. She was convinced that not having had a one-on-one date with Zach meant that he didn’t like her. She was practically her own drinking game. Every time she opened her mouth, the words, “I’m the only one who hasn’t had a one-on-one” fell out. She grew increasingly hysterical by the minute.
During the evening portion of the group date, she was so worked up about her lack of a one-on-one that she totally blew up her private time with Zach. He wasn’t able to make sense of why Jess was so focused on the one-on-one. He tried repeatedly to explain that it was about the quality time they spent together. Not the quantity. The one-on-one date meant nothing.
But it was as if they were speaking different languages. He didn’t get what she was saying. And Jess grew more and more frustrated that he wouldn’t “fight” for her. Zach was confused and wondered, “What am I missing?” As she kept talking in circles, you could see him emotionally distancing himself from her. Finally, he realized they just weren’t communicating. And we all know how important communication is to Zach.
Eventually, Zach realized he was just never going to get through to Jess. He had no choice but to let her go, though he was really sad about it.
As Jess later told Us Weekly, “The exit was frustrating on both ends.” She added that they were both “confused” during their chat. “I think he’s an amazing guy. We both just weren’t understanding each other, and it doesn’t mean that I was in the right and he was in the wrong. It was more of just, like, I wish we could have understood each other,” Jess said.
The E-commerce coordinator concluded that it was “100 percent” a misunderstanding between herself and Zach. Sadly, good communication is key to a healthy relationship. Zach and Jess just weren’t able to communicate. “I definitely was blindsided,” she added.
The other woman who didn’t receive a rose this week was Alyssa (“Aly”) Jacobs. Aly had a one-on-one date with Zach in Episode 3. They jumped out of a plane together! Zach apparently didn’t have as strong a connection with the healthcare strategist as he did with some of the others. See, Jess? A one-on-one date is no guarantee of success.
“I definitely did not see it coming,” Aly told Us Weekly. “I felt like with a lot of the ladies, he did have moments where he gave them that, I don’t know, chat that he wasn’t there or he was trying to let them know that something felt off, [but] we just never had that conversation.” She continued, “I always felt confirmed and validated with him. And so it was a little bit of a shocker.”
Even though she was eliminated, Aly is still hoping that Zach will “find his person” within the “phenomenal” group of women remaining. “He could not have chosen a better group of women,” Aly said. “We were so, so, so, so, so close.” That’s pretty close.
When she didn’t hear her name called at the Rose Ceremony, Aly was stunned. But she managed to keep her composure. “It’s just a lot of emotions at once,” she admitted. “But I smiled and I walked up and we walk out, and I don’t think you really see me cry until I get into the car, until I’m alone. And because it’s like all hitting at once that my relationship with him is done, and so that was painful,” Aly said.
“I think everyone got to see from the moment we went on a one-on-one [date] that we really did have a great friendship,” Aly continued. “He was wanting a friendship. He reiterated that multiple times — he wants a best friend. And I felt like we got to that point.” She continued, “It was unfortunate he couldn’t get past kind of the friendly vibes into something more romantic. And so it was painful, but I understood.”
TELL US – WERE YOU SURPRISED WHEN ZACH SENT JESS HOME? HOW ABOUT ALY? DID YOU SEE THAT ONE COMING?
[Photo Credit: ABC/Nino Munoz]
The post The Bachelor Contestants Jess Girod and Aly Jacobs Were Both Blindsided By Their Eliminations appeared first on Reality Tea.
This week’s episode of Married At First Sight was full of so much drama! I am still in shock that so many couples are struggling this early. Even the ones that seem okay are having their own doubts. Will we even have anyone who will stay married this season? By the looks of things, I am not so sure. But there is no shortage of entertainment. I don’t think I have sat on the edge of my seat so much in the first few weeks of any other season.
The Nashville newlyweds plan housewarming parties. The guest list sparks controversy for one couple. Others get grilled by their guests during their parties. Another couple reveals they’ve crossed the threshold into sex, while another reconsiders their divorce. Let’s get straight into the recap!
Nicole goes to lunch with her friend, Julianne, to discuss her new life. Although things have been easy so far, she finds herself waiting for things to go downhill. She even admits that despite her best efforts, she can’t help but overthink the situation. As much as I want to say that I think she is just being over the top, I am also waiting for something to happen. Is that bad? As much as I am rooting for them, I kind of feel like it’s only a matter of time before something changes.
At the housewarming, Nicole’s friends pull Chris aside to make sure that his wife’s personality isn’t too much for him. They encourage him to continue to be nice, but not to become a pushover. Apparently, Nicole likes a man who can call her out when necessary. Sigh! I don’t know if Chris is quite up for that task. While talking to Chris’ friends, Nicole acknowledges her strong personality, but she wants him to speak up as well
Clint meets with one of his married friends to get some advice on his relationship. His friend makes a great point that the experiment doesn’t allow them to build in a low-stress environment. He also notices that Clint is being really careful about how he communicates his feelings. I’m sure he has learned his lesson from his last mistake.
Later, Gina finally decides to move into the shared apartment. Before anyone gets too excited, they will be sharing separate bedrooms. Hey, that still counts for progress. Just last week, Gina was not budging on her decision not to move in and now they are living together.
Airris meets with his opinionated cousin, Falina, that warned him he wasn’t ready to get married. He reveals that he isn’t attracted to his wife, but he believes she would have his back. In a post-interview, the cousin admits that she thinks that Jasmine is fake. She also declines to attend their housewarming because she doesn’t feel the need to invest her time in something that isn’t going anywhere. But before she leaves, she suggests that he should have sex with Jasmine and work on their intimacy. I have to disagree. He has already told anyone who will listen that he only sees Jasmine as a friend. Having sex would only send mixed signals. His wife has also admitted she falls in love easily, so why complicate the situation?
Jasmine and Airris disagree about their guest list for their housewarming party. She does not want to entertain Airris’ cousin, Falina. Jasmine is still offended that she was called disingenuous. Unbeknownst to her, Falina doesn’t want to be around her, either. I guess Airris didn’t take their beef seriously because he invited his cousin earlier that day. The sparks are definitely going to fly if she decides to show up last minute. During the party, Airris and Jasmine voice some of the problems they have encountered. When he speaks to her family alone, he tells them he would be excited if she gave up three of her four dogs. Meanwhile, Jasmine voices concerns about their lack of a sex life with his male friends. I definitely wasn’t expecting her to say all of that. But I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have a male opinion.
Related: Married At First Sight Season 16 Episode 8 Recap: “Poised for Battle”
Shaq and Kirsten decide to invite two married couples that are important in their lives to come to their housewarming party. I definitely think this is a good idea because these two could definitely use some advice. Very quickly the topic of their sex and intimacy comes up. Considering Kirsten is still using the excuse that she isn’t a good kisser to avoid kissing her husband, things get awkward. Her cousins give Shaq some great advice. Meanwhile, his friends speak with Kirsten and share some of their insights about growing into attraction and eventually love.
Domynique is over Mackinley and the show at this point. During the visit with Pastor Calvin Roberson she informs Mackinley that she wants to get a divorce. This is where her age is beginning to show. I know that her husband wasn’t everything she expected, but I think she gave up much too quickly. Why go through the hassle of marrying a stranger only to give up in a few weeks when you only had to make an effort for two months? Although she is apologetic, Mackinley can’t help but feel embarrassed as he watches his wife walk out the door. Sigh! What a season!
Domynique meets with her mother to discuss the state of their marriage. She is still unaware of where she has made mistakes and solely places all the blame on Mackinley. Her mother gently tries to get her to see where she could have gone wrong, to no avail. Oddly, the couples have a group potluck and both of them stroll in together.
When they explain the situation to the group, they clearly don’t agree on the breakdown of the relationship. The other couples are shocked and encourage them to give things another try. Domynique claims she may reconsider. But after the party, she tells Mackinley she only agreed because of peer pressure. Sigh! Mackinley is disappointed and declines to remain friends.
TELL US – DID DOMYNIQUE GIVE UP TOO EARLY? WILL ANY OF THESE COUPLES DECIDE TO STAY MARRIED ON DECISION DAY?
[Photo Credit: Lifetime]
The post Married At First Sight Season 16 Episode 9 Recap: “Party-ing Ways” appeared first on Reality Tea.
One way or another, Raquel Leviss is gonna get Tom Schwartz. The Vanderpump Rules star tried shooting her shot with her newly single co-star on the Bravo series' March 1 episode, despite prior...We don’t know if Larsa Pippen will hear wedding bells in the future, but the Real Housewives of Miami star might be able to ditch her OnlyFans account if this works out in her favor. RHOM viewers know Larsa had been denying a romance with Marcus Jordan since September 2022.
After multiple paparazzi shots showed Larsa and Marcus hanging out and looking cozy, they finally copped to a relationship. In February 2023, Larsa shared a Valentine’s Day post with Marcus which apparently verified the couple as Instagram official.
Now that Larsa is claiming this plot twist of a relationship, she’s hanging out with Marcus’ family. Granted she’s probably hung out with Marcus’ family before, but he was a child and she was married to his father’s teammate. Now she’s leveled up to girlfriend instead of wife.
According to Page Six, Larsa has “been hanging out with” Michael Jordan. This is where I would probably drop a questionable emoji. Larsa appeared on The Tamron Hall Show this week and briefly discussed her ship with Marcus.
She said, “I’ve recently been hanging out with them [Marcus’ parents], but I don’t really want to talk about them. I feel like it’s not about, you know, my parents or his parents — they’re all happy; our whole family’s fine.”
Hear that everyone? Larsa does not want to talk about them, as she then proceeds to talk about them on an actual talk show. She added, “I feel like it’s more about where I am, where [Marcus] is. I feel like we’re in a great place. We motivate each other. We’re really happy being together. And I feel like that’s the most important thing.”
Exactly what is Marcus motivating Larsa to do? Think of more enticing foot photos? Either way, Larsa shared they have even spent family holidays together. “We’ve spent holidays together, and it’s good. We’re in a great place.”
Apparently, Marcus’ parents have given this relationship their blessing. Larsa made sure to include she and Marcus “literally just met at a party four years ago” and a friendship began. “We have a lot of mutual friends, and so we’re kind of in the same circle.” And it’s totally not because she knows all of Marcus’ friends’ mothers. Larsa also said she and Marcus have “everything in common”. Let’s all join hands and say, sure, Jan.
Larsa isn’t allowing their pesky little age difference interfere with true love. Sixteen years separating them biologically is no big deal. She maintains age does not “determine your level of maturity”. Age absolutely does not determine a level of maturity, but that doesn’t mean most people feel comfortable being close with someone who wasn’t even born when they started driving a car.
Larsa continued, “I’ve dated guys that were a lot older than me. Scottie [Pippen] is 10 years older than me.” We all know how well that one worked out. Larsa was also asked if she and Marcus are “in love” and she responded, “I think so”.
Looks like Larsa is in it to win it. Any bruised feelings Scottie might have about Larsa being close with MJ’s son are seemingly a non-factor. Larsa confirms she “didn’t plan it like that” but “[doesn’t] care” how Scottie feels about it.
Up next, Scottie starts dating Kim Kardashian for revenge! While that’s not likely to happen, Scottie must certainly have feelings on this relationship. We will have to wait and see if Marcus shows up on RHOM. Producers are quietly salivating in the corner, praying they don’t break up before Season 6 begins filming.
TELL US- DO YOU THINK MARCUS AND LARSA WILL MARRY? HOW LONG DO YOU GIVE THIS RELATIONSHIP? WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MARCUS ON RHOM?
[Photo Credit: Romain Maurice/Getty Images for Haute Living]
The post Real Housewives Of Miami Star Larsa Pippen Getting To Know Marcus Jordan’s Family; Larsa Has “Been Hanging Out With” Marcus’ Father Michael Jordan appeared first on Reality Tea.
Below Deck star Captain Sandy Yawn has been called out for having a bias against her interior teams. There’s a distinct trend of her uplifting or glossing over problems on deck teams, while nit-picking at the interior crew. Sandy, (sorry, Captain Sandy), even went after the immensely talented chef Rachel Hargrove. Captain Lee Rosbach only ever supported Rachel, and rightly so.
During her interim tenure on the motor yacht St. David, Captain Sandy fired second stew Alissa Humber and deck/stew Camille Lamb. The interior was left with two OG’s by the end of the season. According to Us Weekly, poor Fraser Olender was also on the chopping block.
As a department head, it was Fraser’s responsibility to set the tone for his crew. He erred by gossiping about Captain Sandy and undermining her authority. He admitted the mistake once confronted. Fraser’s remorse saved his job, but just barely.
“There was a moment [where I considered firing him]. Absolutely. Because listen the walls are thin and [it is important to not] jump on their bandwagon,” Sandy stated. “Change that narrative. That’s your role as the superior here.”
She continued, “You’re absolutely responsible for your team. So I didn’t go to the [interior] team members [with my issues]. I went to the chief stew and said, ‘This isn’t happening. You hired them. Fix it.’”
Captain Sandy defended her management style by saying it was all in the best interest of the client. She explained, “Like, if you need help, ask me. But until then, I stay out of it. I will only help if I see that the client is suffering in service. If I see something going wrong or there’s disharmony on board in my eyes — that’s when I step in.”
In the midst of a confrontation with Fraser, Captain Sandy called him a “cancer.” It seemed an unnecessarily harsh term to use, especially in a professional setting. Certainly not a word that can be attributed to constructive criticism.
Sandy admitted it was wrong to speak to Fraser that way. She said, “I had cancer and I will say this — I should have chosen different words. I’ve been a captain for many years [and] those were the terms we used. So [in terms of] evolving, I would change my terminology for sure. [It was a] bad choice of words,” Captain Sandy added.
To her credit, Sandy did give Fraser a second chance. She admired how her message was received.
“We all need humility in our roles. So, humility isn’t [about] being humiliated. It’s just being humble. And Fraser on the bridge admitted to me that he had never done this before,” Sandy explained. “When you’re in that position, I always have an open-door bridge policy. I would’ve helped him and guided him and tried to say, ‘Hey, delegate and let them make mistakes.’”
Fraser did struggle in his new role. He was often advised to delegate more to his team, at the risk of burning out. Captain Sandy opined that Fraser was “afraid” of the chief stew responsibilities. She added, “I think that was a hard thing for him because in his mind [he thought he was] supposed to know everything. But I don’t wanna take a risk because they don’t know anything. As a captain, I still defer to my team. I don’t know everything about everything. And there’s no shame in that.”
While filming, Fraser acknowledged that he learned a lot from Captain Sandy. And she was happy to function as a mentor and help the chief stew take “pride” in his growth.
Of course, the entire crew had to adjust to Captain Sandy stepping in for Captain Lee Rosbach. The latter always took a hands-off approach until s–t really hit the fan. Fraser admitted it “took some time” to “get used to” the interim captain’s management style.
“I think they have, overall, very different management styles. I knew Captain Lee and I knew how he worked. He also trusted me and he gave me the confidence to be creative and enjoy my take on [it],” he explained.
Contrasting that with Sandy, who has been accused of micro-managing and playing favorites with her crew, Fraser said, “But equally, she taught me a lot about myself and I think at the end of the season [you’ll] understand what I mean by that. She really opened my eyes to things I previously wouldn’t have dealt with so well — without her making sure I did.”
It’s great that Fraser turned his dynamic with Sandy around. Certainly, it would have been the end of his career on Below Deck if he hadn’t changed the narrative. Prior to his conversation with Captain Sandy on the bridge during the February 7th episode, Fraser imploded.
“Pure rage. I’ve never been in a fight and said, ‘It’s not the right time to speak to me,’” he said during confessional. “I’ve never felt so sickened by a captain in my entire life. I’m in actual shock.”
Those interested in learning more about Sandy’s leadership style can read her new book, Be the Calm or Be the Storm: Leadership Lessons. Captain Sandy explained why she wrote the book. “The fans were asking for a book on leadership, and I thought [I would] just throw a little bit of my personal life in there. I wanted to show them that you could go from who I used to be [but] that when people invest in other people you can actually change your life and become a super yacht captain. I had no idea that was possible,” she said.
Ironically, after all this drama, Captain Lee is back on Below Deck for the remainder of the season.
TELL US- WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE RESOLUTION BETWEEN CAPTAIN SANDY AND FRASER? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HER MANAGEMENT STYLE? WILL YOU BUY HER BOOK?
[Photo Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo]
The post Below Deck’s Captain Sandy Yawn Reveals She Almost Fired Fraser Olender During Season 10; Says She Regrets Calling Him A “Cancer” appeared first on Reality Tea.
They can outwit. They can outplay. They can outlast. But can they overspend? There are many reasons to go on Survivor these days: People want to test their limits, they're a super-fan who has...
Zach Shallcross wants to prove he's obsessed with Nickelback for all the right reasons. This season's Bachelor has not shied away from his allegiance to the much-maligned rock group—after all, he...
As the show opened on a scene of quaint, colorful storybook-like buildings, host Jesse Palmer revealed that this week, The Bachelor had traveled to Tallinn, Estonia. My friend Google told me that Estonia is in Eastern Europe, across the Gulf of Finland from Finland (duh!).
Brooklyn said she felt like she was in the movie Frozen, “Like, it’s cold, and there’s castles, and it’s a fairy tale.” All the buildings have pointy roofs and spires, and they do look like castles. Where’s Olaf? Someone proclaimed Tallinn as being “so fricking cute,” as they strolled the cobblestone streets looking for Zach Shallcross.
While the women were stalking him, Zach was hiding out in a local cafe with Jesse. He must be all recovered from his bout with COVID, because he has emerged from isolation. Still seemed to be drinking tea, though. Or maybe he and Jesse were just enjoying a cup of Estonian coffee.
Jesse broke the news that Greer was now feeling “under the weather.” (I’m really surprised it wasn’t Gabi, since she was the one who had the one-on-one date with Zach right before he got sick.) Even though he just said she was “under the weather,” Jesse assured Zach that Greer “feels fine, [she’s] asymptomatic” and quarantined in her room. Zach told Jesse to assure Greer that she should just get better and not worry about anything.
Only nine women are left. Yay! Maybe now I can finally figure out who’s who. At Jesse’s request, Zach filled him in on where he is with each woman. Jesse told Zach it would be a “big week,” kind of a comeback for him. Or a “bounce back,” as he called it.
As the women were checking out their elegantly cozy accommodations, I was wondering where they were staying. But then we got the mandatory (it’s in the contract) shot of the name of the hotel. They’re in the Swissôtel Tallinn, which Google says is a “luxury hotel” in Estonia.
The eight COVID-negative ladies were lined up on the comfy couch, when the knock came on the door. Date Card! Charity was feeling sad that her date got canceled in London, due to Zach’s illness. She was hoping she wouldn’t just get “skipped over.” Fortunately, Gabi read out loud, “Charity, let’s make up for lost time. — Zach.” Charity was the happiest girl in the room, for sure. The rest of them? Not so much.
When Zach walked into the room to pick up his date, the squeals of excitement were a little louder than usual. After all, they hadn’t seen him in probably a week or so. Kat joked, “I didn’t even recognize you for a second.” He gave everyone a hug, before taking a seat on the couch. “Today was my first day out of quarantine fully,” he told them. “No more room service and pacing the room.”
Kat interrupted him, “Zach, before you go, can you come with me?” Uh-oh. I smell trouble. Seriously? She had the nerve to “steal” their communal boyfriend on Charity’s time? Charity was all, “Wait, what?!”
Out in the hallway, Kat said, “I want you to have fun today and enjoy your time with Charity [but not too much], but I just missed you, and I wanted to say Hi to you before you left. Call it needy, but I don’t care.”
She told Zach that she had been going a little “stir crazy” and to prove her point, she pulled him in for a big sloppy kiss. Zach must have been a little “stir crazy” himself, as he seemed more than happy to oblige. Really, Zach? You’re going to start Charity’s special day with Kat’s saliva in your mouth? Ewwwww. At least stop by your room and brush your teeth. Ugh. I hope he didn’t have Kat’s lipstick all over his face when he returned to take Charity on their date.
And Charity wasn’t the only one who was annoyed by Kat’s audacity. Though Zach appreciated Kat’s “initiative,” the other ladies were definitely not pleased.
The atmosphere in the room was a little tense when Zach returned to the eight maids a-sulking. And congrats to Detective Gabi for noticing the traces of “lip gloss on his lips,” following his private time with Kat. Kat was not going to have a good day after Zach and Charity left for their date. A few of the women looked ready to give her a good, shall we say, talking to?
As soon as they left, Aly asked Kat, “How was your chat?” In her head, Aly was definitely making air quotes. The rest of the ladies were not happy either with Kat “taking a moment” for herself. Brooklyn came right out and said taking her moment on Charity’s time was “classless” and “selfish.” Kat didn’t come here to make friends, y’all. She’d better hide her toothbrush because somebody’s liable to use it to clean the bathroom tonight.
RELATED: The Bachelor’s Greer Blitzer Claps Back At Zach Shallcross After Awkward Zoom Date
The first stop on Zach and Charity’s date was a ride through town in a horse-drawn carriage. All the streets are cobblestoned, and the buildings are straight out of a Disney movie. The architecture looks very similar to Russian, with all the domes, conical roofs, and spires. So pretty!
They came across some kind of competition or race where men were carrying their female partners on their backs upside down, with the women’s legs wrapped around the men’s necks and their arms wound around their waists. They stopped to watch, and a man asked them if they wanted to try it. Before Zach could say anything, Charity volunteered them. Way to prove you’re up for anything, Char! The man told them it was called “Wife-Carrying.”
Charity gamely stepped over Zach’s shoulders and hugged him around the middle, while hanging upside down. She admitted in an interview, “I never thought I would be upside-down, my face in his ass. I hated it, but I loved it at the same time!” Zach blew the other guy away, winning both the race and a big congratulatory kiss from Charity.
Back at the hotel, some of the women were still stewing over the Zach-stealing perpetrated by Kat earlier. Brooklyn was still sticking with “classless” and “selfish,” but had added “disrespectful” to the list. I don’t disagree with her, but maybe it’s best just to let it go and not make an international case out of it.
Meanwhile, in another room, Kat was complaining to Ariel about “harsh words” being directed at her and how she “felt attacked” by the other women. Kat’s feelings were hurt that her “character” had been attacked, and she didn’t understand why she wasn’t entitled to “have my moment.”
Ariel, bless her heart, gently told her, “It doesn’t make you a bad person, but it just rubs people the wrong way. When you had your one-on-one, no one interrupted, no one kissed him before your date.” Though Kat insisted, “The rules left when [Zach] got COVID. Everything has shifted right now,” Ariel calmly said, “I don’t think respect ever shifts, though.” It was like Ariel was talking to a child. She would be a good mom.
After a quick visit to a local shop, where the proprietor made them stand on one leg with one hand on their head, while drinking some kind of nasty, peppery potion they both hated, Zach and Charity next tried some sweet almonds from a street vendor. The almonds actually looked delicious. Next, they taste-tested some local marzipan. (I hate marzipan. Yuck!) Charity made a Dad joke (wait, that’s supposed to be Zach’s job) about being on the way to “Smooch City, Estonia.” Sadly, Kat had already beaten her there.
Back in the suite, Jess was worrying about not yet having gotten a one-on-one date. She was in her head about why she hadn’t yet gotten one. Gabi thought the environment of the show was hard on her, causing Jess anxiety. Gabi asked Jess if she’d react badly if she didn’t get the next one-on-one. “We shall see,” Jess foreshadowed.
As Zach and Charity were walking into the nighttime portion of their date, Charity narrated, “I’m feeling amazing going into tonight. Everything about today just felt so natural and so comforting.” Their dinner table was set up in what looked like Cinderella’s house. Charity prepared to tell Zach about her past and her background, “Just so that he knows, like, my heart, like, the reason why I’m here, what I want from this, and ultimately, what I want my future to, like, look like.”
[Side note: My hubby and I saw Hank Azaria interviewed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert the other night. Hank was saying that he and his wife watch The Bachelor and have been making a game out of counting the number of times people say the word “like.” If it were a drinking game, you’d pass out before the first commercial. LOL.]
In her opening speech to Zach about where she’s come from and what her life used to be, I counted 16 times that Charity used the word “like.” Someone needs to coach these girls.
Charity finally got to the point and revealed to Zach that prior to “coming here,” she’d been in “an emotionally, like, abusive relationship.” Another one? She told Zach, that there had been several incidents of infidelity. “It just became this vicious cycle of manipulation,” she explained. She hid the abuse from her parents, even though her mom “is quite literally my best friend.” Even though she was ashamed to have gone through that type of relationship, she said she was grateful that it made her the person she is today.
To comfort her, Zach talked about going through another relationship “before this,” where he lost himself and neglected his own self. I thought he was going to talk about Rachel Recchia again but thankfully I was wrong.
Charity felt super relieved that she’d gotten that information off her chest and received only positive support from Zach. After he said she was “pretty awesome,” they made a quick trip to “Smooch City,” before Zach offered her the rose, and she happily accepted it.
As they waited for the second Date Card, Jess was still going on about how much she wanted that one-on-one with Zach. Something told me her wish wasn’t going to be granted, and the aggressive knock on the door agreed with me. Gabi must have been appointed official Date Card Monitor this week because she immediately jumped off the couch to answer the door.
Jess said, “I am crossing both fingers that my name is not on the group date card.” Isn’t that how crossing your fingers is supposed to work, Jess? You can’t cross one finger. You have to use both.
Gabi announced, “I have a Date Card!” Thanks, Captain Obvious. We knew that. “Brooklyn, Kaity, Kat, Gabi, Aly, and Jess: True love feels like magic. — Zach.” Ariel dissolved into giggles, when she realized her name wasn’t on the card and she would be going on the other one-on-one date. As she had a tiny celebration for herself, Jess burst into tears of disappointment.
“Does it mean something that I’m the last one [to get a one-on-one date]?” Jess sobbed. Gabi reassured her that she was not the last one and reminded her that Greer hasn’t yet had a one-on-one. “But Greer has COVID,” she sniffled. Jess seems very young. She’s only 23 years old. I think she’s got some growing up to do yet.
The next morning Charity was recounting all the things she and Zach did on their date the day before, as the women waited for the Bachelor to pick them up for the group date. Out of the blue, Kat brought up how “yesterday was a lot and I don’t want to have this conversation before we go into the group date.”
Brooklyn wasn’t having any of it and cut Kat off, “Oh my God! You don’t want to ruin the group date? You don’t want to have it ruin your time like Charity’s [was]?” Yup. She said it.
Kat responded to her with, “Ew, why are you being so aggressive?”
Brooklyn shot back, “‘Ew.’ Because you have your head up your ass!” In an interview, Brooklyn recalled how Kat had pulled Zach out of the room when he was there to pick up Charity for her date. And when he returned, he had lip gloss all over his lips. “That made me want to box her ears off.” That may just be the most Oklahoma thing anybody’s ever said on this show. “You literally kissed the man before [Charity] went on her one-on-one date.”
Kat rationalized, “Ok, we are all dating him.”
But Brooklyn still insisted it was “tacky.” She narrated that Charity looked hurt and there would be a lot of “walking on eggshells, but not me. I’m not walking on no eggshells.” I like Brooklyn.
Kat said it wasn’t necessary to intentionally hurt each other’s feelings. But Brooklyn told her, “If it hurt your feelings, like, if the shoe fits, lace that bitch up.” Okay then. Everybody have a fun day today!
As Zach was walking to the group date, he said, “Today’s gonna be fun!” Poor Zach. He had no idea.
While Aly made a really weak attempt at the traditional “run, jump and wrap your legs around the Bachelor” move, Kat didn’t even try. Instead, she told Zach, “My body will not do that, but nice to see you.” Zach hugged each of the women. He narrated that he wanted the day to be “magical” and an opportunity to progress some relationships. Today they would tap into some of the more “unusual” Estonian culture. What is “usual” Estonian culture then?
The group walked toward a log cabin, where a woman was beating a handheld drum while she circled an open fire. She introduced herself as Heli, an Estonian witch. “I’m [a] grand witch, and I use witchcraft for more than 20 years.” She said her job is to help people, to heal and maybe help them find love. She invited them all to make a circle around her fire. “Today we will see,” she told them, “who is ready to find love.” And they all joined hands and did ring-around-the-rosy by the firepit.
Next, she invited Zach to “cleanse your ladies,” as she handed him a smoldering stick of sage. Brooklyn was not over it, as she said, “You can definitely tell there’s a little tension. [Kat] knows that what she did was wrong. So there’s not enough sage in the world to cleanse Kat.”
As the women tried to find love with Zach by looking “through the flame into each other’s eyes,” Jess was still in her head about not yet having had a one-on-one. Girl, as the song says, “Let It Go.” You’re only sabotaging yourself. But as Jess and Zach were doing the candle “staring through the flames” thing, the candle blew out, signaling to Jess an extinguishing of their love. Bummer.
At the after party that evening, Gabi pointed out, “This is the smallest group date [only 6] any of us have been on yet. And so, hopefully, we will all get time to talk to him.” And despite her “anxiety attack” earlier in the day, Jess claims she’s all good now. “I’m the only one here without a one-on-one.” Really, Jess? You’ve only mentioned that about a dozen times. Stop it.
When Zach arrived, he made a toast, “To all of you incredible and beautiful women. I’m happy to be here.” Who will be the first to pull him away for a private conversation? But Zach pulled a fast one and asked Kaity to join him before any catfights could break out.
When he sat down with Gabi, they both expressed how comfortable they felt with each other, even though they still had butterflies. They missed each other when Zach was sick. I think Gabi has the edge right now. Is it too early to predict Gabi as the winner?
Back in the other room, Jess was once again telling Aly and Kaity, “I’m the only one here without a one-on-one.” Jess could be her own drinking game. She’s totally self-sabotaging. When Zach asked her if he could steal her for a conversation, the music of doom in the background was a little heavy-handed. I don’t think this is going to go well.
When Zach asked how she was doing, Jess told him, “I know what I signed up for. But . . . I don’t have that much confidence. It’s a lot to see all these women progress in their relationships with you. I was waiting for that one-on-one to, like, open up more.” And a cloud seemed to descend on Zach’s face at this point, as Jess started to cry.
Jess continued to go on and on about the one-on-one, and Zach started to get annoyed with her obsession. He wanted her to look at the whole process and not just keep track of one-on-ones. Zach was confused. “What am I missing?” As she kept talking about one-on-ones, you could see him emotionally distancing himself from her.
She said she told him at the beginning, that she wasn’t the type who would fight for someone. She wanted someone who would fight for her. “I’m not gonna fight. I’m not gonna beg for you. I’m not doing that.” But you’re begging him to fight for you. I think I was just as confused as Zach was as he walked her out to the waiting van. Bye, Jess! Too bad you never got a one-on-one date. Too soon?
Zach was so shaken by having to let Jess go, that he decided not to give out a date rose. Maybe they can each take a petal like they did last week. Rose petals for everyone!
The next morning, Zach was still reeling from the Jess of it all. I guess he really liked her. But he accepted that it was for the best, and today is a new day. He was looking forward to his date with Ariel.
When Ariel arrived, Zach surprised her with the news that they were having a spa day. Fun! As they walked away, though, they passed a sign that was translated for us non-Estonian-speakers as “Nudist Sauna.” Uh-oh.
It looked really cold there. You could see their breath in the air, so a nice warm sauna sounded like a welcome treat. They were in for a surprise. When they got to the spa, they were greeted by a sweater-wearing woman named Laura. Everyone else seemed to be wearing robes. I guess even nudists have to bundle up when it’s cold outside.
But then Laura came over and welcomed them to the traditional Estonian sauna. She told them, “Saunas are a sacred place here in Estonia. We go there to cleanse our bodies, our minds, our spirits and really purify our souls. We go in the sauna nude.” Zach and Ariel tried not to show any expression, but Zach just kind of cocked his head a bit in surprise.
Ariel told Zach he could wear his “birthday suit,” but she would be wearing a bathing suit. “Like a Baywatch situation,” she said. Zach said they could “meet in the middle.” It didn’t sound like he was ready to go full Monty with Ariel yet.
When next we saw the happy couple, Zach was wearing black swim trunks and Ariel was in a very modest red one piece. They were both saying how grateful they were to be indoors when it was so cold out. Finally, they were in the warm sauna, making out. But then the door opened and a totally nude couple walked in. “Can we join?” Zach and Ariel graciously welcomed the other couple, though they were obviously embarrassed. Ariel kidded, “Can’t wait for my parents to see this.” Zach admitted he felt “traumatized.” Oh, come on, Zach. Grow up. Just look them in the eyes, and you’ll be just fine. Just don’t lower your gaze to the kibbles and bits.
The other couple gave them some good advice when they found out this was Zach and Ariel’s first date. “Be honest,” the man said, while his partner added, “Give each other space. And trust is everything, I would say.”
“Also talking is very important!” they both agreed.
When the naked people told them that they should “enjoy the hot tub,” Zach and Ariel were out of there in a nanosecond. I’m sure they enjoyed a nice, hot soak in the outdoor tub since it was such a cold day. And a glass of champagne never hurts, either.
But before too long Mr. and Mrs. Naked joined Zach and Ariel in the hot tub. They jumped right in, as Ariel told them, “We missed you guys!” But it kind of cramped their style when the other couple started making out on the other side of the tub. I don’t think Zach signed up for an orgy.
Next up was an apparently early dinner (since it was still light outside) in an adorable cottage with stained glass windows. Maybe that’s why they brought them there in the daylight, so Zach and Ariel could enjoy the beautiful windows.
Zach narrated, “I had one of the best times I’ve ever had with Ariel today. She makes me laugh. We get along. It feels like she could be my best friend.”
After Zach told her exactly how he was feeling about her, Ariel told him, “It’s hard for me to be at times, very, like, vulnerable and kind of talk about the things that I feel or things that I want. I’m really good at using humor as a veil because I feel like I’m not able to articulate what I want and what I’ve kind of been through.” Uh-oh. Is she going to tell him about a past abusive relationship?
Ariel went on to say that she’d been through many relationships where she couldn’t be herself, and a lot of heartbreaks. She admitted that “in those heartbreaks, I kind of stopped loving myself.” They both agreed that being in a relationship where you can’t be yourself is the worst kind of sacrifice. Zach assured her that he liked her for who she is and would never want her to change for him.
In an interview, Zach admitted that his one-on-one date with Ariel “far exceeded” his expectations. Saying Ariel “might be the best surprise yet” in his journey to find love, Zach offered her the rose, and she accepted it “1,000 times over.”
Apparently, the dates were not shown in the order they were filmed, because both Gabi and Zach referred to all the emotions surrounding the Jess situation “last night.” Zach explained that he wasn’t expecting the night to go that way at all, and that was why he was so upset. He said all of their support and kind words had made it all easier for him. He went home last night knowing “my person is absolutely in this room.” Cheers!
In the surprise move of the night, Charity asked Kat if she could have “a moment.” Contestants don’t usually ask to “steal” each other, instead of the Bachelor, so it was a bold move. While Kat was still defending her right to spend time with Zach, Brooklyn entered the room as a backup for Charity. But Kat didn’t want to “deal with the drama,” so she stomped out of the room. I’m team Brooklyn on this one. I don’t necessarily agree with Brooklyn that Kat “knows she’s wrong,” but I do agree that she is. We’ll see what “No Drama” Zach thinks of the drama when he finds out about it.
While Kat was kvetching to the producers about Brooklyn’s “aggresiveness” towards her and how “it’s not fair,” Zach suddenly walked into the room. I thought she might tell him about her conflict with Brooklyn, but she just dodged his questions when he told her that she had seemed “off” at the group date.
Just as I hoped someone would tell Zach about the drama between Kat and Brooklyn, Jesse Palmer and his tinkling Champagne Glass of Doom signaled that it was “time for the Rose Ceremony.” Line up, ladies. Only seven are left since Greer is still in quarantine.
And the roses went to Gabi, Kaity, and Brooklyn. Kat received the Final Rose tonight. “Aly, please take a moment to say your goodbyes.”
TELL US – DO YOU WISH SOMEONE HAD TOLD ZACH ABOUT THE TENSION BETWEEN KAT AND BROOKLYN? WHOSE SIDE DO YOU THINK ZACH WOULD HAVE BEEN ON? DID YOU KNOW JESS NEVER GOT A ONE-ON-ONE?
[Photo Credit: ABC/Nino Munoz]
The post Bachelor Season 27 Episode 6 Recap: Kat Steals Charity’s Time And Zach Sees Naked People appeared first on Reality Tea.
