So, to sum up what’s been going on in The Bachelor SA, just in case you haven’t been paying attention…

Things are most definitely hotting up both inside and outside of the Mansion! Our Bachelor, Lee, is starting to get to know the girls a lot better and knows who he wants to spend more time with, who he wants to see having fun on group dates, and who he wants to spend a bit more one-on-one time with. That said, the initial excitement that the ladies felt when their fellow competitors returned from spending a bit of alone time with Lee is starting to wear off, and resentments and jealousies are starting to creep in.

Episode Three saw Kerry, Thenjiwe and Annalene bidding farewell to Lee and their chances of finding romance with him. We caught up with Kerry and Thenji to find out what their experience on The Bachelor SA was like.

Thenji wanted to try something new and different. She’d always seen the overseas version of The Bachelor and wondered “Who does that?!” So when she saw there’d be an SA show, she immediately jumped at a chance to be on the show to find out who she’d meet in the process. Although she did only tell her Mom once she’d made it onto the show, and got a bit of a shocked reaction, she did have great support from her family and friends.

Kerry had broken up with her boyfriend not long before she went onto The Bachelor SA, so when she was asked if the show had changed her perception of life and how she views love and friendship, she’s quite open about the fact that when she first started her Bachelor SA journey she was feeling quite unemotional and was in a space where she was unsure how to express herself. However, being with everyone 24/7 and learning about their own individual struggles allowed her to understand that they all experience their own challenges.

When she was able to open up and cry on the show, she was so relieved that she was expressing her feelings once again – something that she hadn’t been able to do for a long time.

Kerry didn’t realise she’d make so many friends and says she appreciates life more now and that being inside the Mansion without your own family and friends does that for you. She feels that she’s really grown as a person through the entire experience.

She also admits that the way the girls relate to each other and support each other is something that the audience probably won’t understand. She says that she knows it’s strange that they have that kind of supportive relationship, even though they’re competing for the same man, but it’s an inexplicable bond! For her, this was the highlight of her Bachelor SA experience: creating a new ‘family’ with the other girls. Thenji too says that some of her most memorable moments on the show where getting dressed up, helping each other with hair and makeup. She says this was an amazing opportunity for all of the girls to bond and there would always be lots of laughs and lots of helpful tips being exchanged.

 

That said, after a thoughtful pause, she also admits she found the cocktail parties and Rose Ceremonies more competitive and intense than she expected. She thought that it would be a lot more relaxed and that they’d each get the opportunity to spend more time with Lee. She was quite taken aback as to how watchful some of the other girls were, and how downright savage others became!

She says Lee is a great guy, even though she didn’t get to know him so well or spend much time with him, but for her, she benefited from meeting the other girls and building the foundations of lifetime friendships. It was completely different from anything that she was expecting!

When asked why she’d come on the show and why she thought she’d be able to win our Bachelor over, her response that she figured she had a pretty cool personality and that she’d be bubbly and ‘out there’, but she didn’t count on the presence of all those cameras. “I’ve never been good in front of a camera, so was a lot more reserved that I expected to be and was in my shell a lot.”

So inevitably, all that added pressure of being televised added to the overall stress of how she behaved with Lee and the other girls. Kerry admits to having no filter. “I say whatever I want, and I have anxiety around that, so it was always at the back of my mind.”

Kerry’s parting words were that nobody wants to go home early, but she’s proud that she acted classy throughout, stayed away from confrontations and did her best – not easy when you have that adrenaline rushing through you … all … the … time!!

Thenjiwe’s opinion is that each and every one of the ladies remaining in the Mansion is incredible and she wishes Lee the best of luck when it comes to having make a choice!

Kerry and Thenji’s advice to the remaining ladies: be yourself, do your best, NO altercations, continue looking amazing, and … remain friends.

Well, you can’t really ask for more than that, can you?

The Bachelor SA screens every Thursday night at 19h00 on Mnet Channel 101. It’s also available on Catch Up if you miss it!

And don’t forget to put yourself in line to win some amazing prizes by playing The BacheLEAGUE at https://m-net.dstv.com/show/the-bachelor-sa_828/the%20bacheleague