Emily as 'Bachelorette?' Shawntel Nods in Approval
Before stealing Ben Flajnik away from a perturbed Elyse on Monday's episode of The Bachelor, Shawntel Newton was sister girlfriends with Emily Maynard during Brad Womack's second stint at the title. Though unconfirmed by ABC, rumors surfaced earlier this week that Emily would assume the role of The Bachelorette in the upcoming season.
Who better to comment on this speculation than a gal who lived in the mansion with her? Shawntel said that Emily appeals to viewers and is "a great person." However, she's worried that Emily would once again struggle with parting from her young daughter for an extended period of time for filming.
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There are also murmurs around cyberspace that villain Bentley Williams would be interested in pursuing Emily's affection. "That would be even more drama than me coming back for Ben," Shawntel laughed.
Speaking of curveball appearances, when Shawntel showed up at the cocktail party unannounced, she was not well embraced by the other women vying for Ben's heart. Chris Harrison warned her she'd be walking straight "into the lion's den" upon her arrival in San Francisco, but nothing could prepare her for the way she was treated. "I felt like the kid on the playground that everyone picks on," she said metaphorically. "It was right out of the movie Mean Girls."
Feeling deserving of an apology, Shawntel hopes the women retract their "unladylike" comments at the Women Tell All taping. If they stand by their original statements, "I would probably walk out," she said.
Shawntel was not the only beautiful brunette to develop feelings for Ben by watching him on The Bachelorette. Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt reached out to the winemaker and visited him in Sonoma, CA. "I heard a couple of girls say, 'Please don't tell me that's Jennifer Love Hewitt walking in right now,'" Shawntel remembered of her entrance.
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She arrived a little too late. Ben was already "head over heals" for Courtney and the model's 'ultimatum" of leaving if Shawntel was given a rose, "influenced" Ben to send Shawntel home. "I think he chooses her in the end," the funeral director predicted.
Back in the dating pool, Shawntel is looking for a "man that is going to set fair aside" in pursuit of love. If Ben winds up single when The Bachelor is done, she "wouldn't be interested" in giving him another chance.
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The Bachelor airs Monday nights on ABC.