Kaitlyn Bristowe Says Shawn Booth Romance Not Because Of The Glamorous Dates On ‘The Bachelorette’

Critics might say it’s easy to fall in love on The Bachelorette. Contestants are given copious amounts of alcohol, set up in a luxurious mansion — with a dozen or so other men — and jetted off to exotic locations for romantic dates. But to hear former Bachelorettes tell the tale, those romantic settings aren’t enough to make sparks fly. If relationships happen on the show, it’s because of the people — not the champagne.

In a joint interview with Glamour, former Bachelorettes Kaitlyn Bristowe and Ali Fedotowsky said their relationships — one as a result of The Bachelorette, one after the show finished — were because of the chemistry they found with their partners. The way Bristowe described her union with Shawn Booth, who won her season, was that it was almost happenstance.

“Shawn is the person I’m supposed to be with, and we just happened to be on that show.”

Fedotowsky offered that a relationship simply can’t be forced. She eventually broke up with her season’s winner, Roberto Martinez, and married someone she met through a later media gig. She told Glamour everything worked out the way it was supposed to.

“I ultimately walked away from a relationship that wasn’t right and that in of itself is a success.”

Ali and Kevin Manno are currently expecting their first child, something Ali seems to be loving — if not just for the amazing maternity looks she’s been sporting on her fashion and lifestyle blog. She gushed to Us Weekly back in January when she confirmed she was expecting.

“People always say that pregnancy is a miracle. I had NO IDEA what they truly meant until now. I am in awe by my body every day and blown away at every ultrasound.”

Bristowe and Booth are still engaged and, according to Bristowe’s blog, set off to Hawaii last week for their first vacation together. She’s not bothered by the probing questions about the status of their relationship, which is a constant source of speculation for most couples at the end of a Bachelor or Bachelorette season. Most winning couples do not last beyond the After the Final Rose special, or even make it to that point.

“The more people push us, the more we back off. We’re just the kind of people who do things when we’re ready.”

That includes making some media appearances as a couple and showing off PDA on Instagram, which Kaitlyn and Shawn do on a regular basis — showing they are keeping the romance alive even after a new Bachelor chose his winner (Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell) and a new season of The Bachelorette has gotten underway.

Bristowe has been blogging about JoJo Fletcher’s season of The Bachelorette. Amidst her humorous take on the events — including teasing season bad-boy Chad for snacking in the kitchen when the other guys went to confront him about greeting JoJo with wine prior to the cocktail party — she poked some fun at one of those “glamorous” romantic dates.

“The episode ended with a bonus clip of Christian surprising JoJo with a bath in his tight little speedo. Yes, it’s what every woman dreams of – a bubble bath (with a guy she barely knows) who’s wearing a banana hammock and after she’s just [spent four] hours getting ready. I can think of a hot tub session with a third wheel eating chicken wings which was less painful than that.”

Bristowe was especially famous for the bullying she received while the star of The Bachelorette, when she wasted no time in getting cozy with her preferred men. Fedotowsky told Glamour she real-life dating advice is to date a lot of people in order to find out what you want and to stop yourself from zeroing in on someone who may not be best for you.

The Bachelorette airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. on ABC.

[Photo by Araya Diaz/Getty Images]