The Bachelor

Of all the girls on The Bachelor this season, few probably had Ashley Hebert pegged as the next Bachelorette. Or as a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model.

While we're not sure what we think of her new look, which she debuted Monday night on the Women Tell All special, she sure looks the part right here.

Below are some of the photos taken during her awkward, but sizzling group date this season, during which Ashley Hebert posed for the swimsuit issue:

The pride of Madawaska, Maine, may not fancy herself a supermodel or a woman who commands the attention of 25 men, which she reportedly will be.

We could get used to the idea pretty quickly, however, and we're guessing the The Bachelorette will have no shortage of applicants with her in the lead role.

What do you think of Ashley as The Bachelorette?

Last night on The Bachelor: Women Tell All special, Ashley Hebert debuted a new look, and quite a striking one at that. But did she need a makeover?

The Maine native's appeal, on top of her brains and effervescent personality, is that classic, cute, girl-next-door look. She's approachable and sweet.

That said, why dye her hair, style it this way and have her wear so much makeup, ABC? Is this a prerequisite for her being the next Bachelorette?

Just our opinion. Tell us what you think her best look is ...

 

Blonde

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Vote for Blonde

Brunette

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Vote for Brunette

Does Ashley Hebert look better as a brunette? The Bachelor (and reported Bachelorette) star debuted her new look last night. But is it a winner?

View Poll »

Ashley Hebert was ousted last week, leaving Emily Maynard and Chantal O'Brien to vie for the affections of Brad Womack on next week's season finale.

Follow the jump for Ash's full interview with Chris Harrison last night:

The traditional two-hour filler episode of The Bachelor provided no huge revelations, but there were some fireworks last night on the Women Tell All special.

The Hot Seat was aptly titled at times. We'll take what we can get.

How didit all  play out when Brad Womack's outcasts reunited for mediation sessions with host-pimp Chris Harrison? Here's THG's trademark +/- recap!

First, props to the great Chris. This is who you'd want in the room if you were being sued. Not as an attorney, just a debonair, calming, pimping presence. Plus 13.

We don't recognize half of these women and we watch every week. Minus 15.

One of the season's final four, the adorable mortician Shawntel N., did not say a word. Did she not wish to? Is she not interesting enough? Either way, Minus 11.

There will be a Bachelor Pad 2. It will feature Vienna Girardi. Plus 10.

Michelle Money was the unquestioned highlight of the night, using all her camera time to bash the other women, then crying when they turned it around. Wash.

Dramatically trying to catch your breath, Michelle? Acting much? Minus 4.

Chantal O'Brien. Emily Maynard.

The Bachelor star Brad Womack says both "would make incredible wives, incredible mates" and that he labored over who to give his final rose to.

"Both had qualities I was looking for," he said during a taping for the Women Tell All special tomorrow night, with the season finale set for March 14.

Chantal O'Brien is "up for everything, fun ... we hit it off early. There was immediate physical chemistry. But we had a lot of highs and lows."

"When she gets so upset, like she did in Anguilla, it makes me wonder if we could find that rhythm and make it work for the rest of our lives."

As for Emily Maynard? Brad calls her "an incredible mother – [a] really sweet and a caring, sensitive woman that is also quite easy on the eyes."

"She went through a tough situation with the plane crash and becoming a single mom. But she rose to the occasion beautifully. I admire that."

"She makes me a better person when I am around her."

So who's it going to be? The Bachelor spoilers have indicated a finale with these two for months, but the winner has long been in dispute.

One thing's for sure - Brad is not dwelling on either's past.

Two-time Bachelor Brad Womack says it's been difficult keeping his engagement to Chantemily secret this entire season. We can imagine so.

The long wait comes to an end March 14, however, and he says he can't wait to reveal his choice to the world. He's counting down the days.

"Every Monday night since January 3 has not been a good night at my house," he told People. "We will see how [my fiancee] handles it."

"I was particularly scared of the overnight, exotic date episode."

The pre-season finale blitz has Brad excited, but increasingly antsy.

"It's brutal. You go on [the show], you find someone, you choose each other and then you hit pause. You can't just start the daily life stuff."

"I'm excited to move in together and go on real dates," Brad Womack adds. "My only intention [in doing the show] was to start a future."

Hard as it's been, and unclear as The Bachelor spoilers have been about the direction of the season, Brad was always sure of his choice.

Emily Maynard. Chantal O'Brien. The Bachelor spoilers have predicted one, then the other (follow the link for the most current speculation and reasoning).

Soon we will know for sure who Brad Womack chooses. Will it be Chantal, whose chemistry with him is so obvious, or Emily, the fan favorite from Day One?

THG breaks down both finalists in another edition of The Pulse ...

The Pulse: Who Will Win The Bachelor?

Who do you want to win The Bachelor, Chantal or Emily?

The Bachelor season finale is rapidly approaching and in light of the recent Bachelor spoilers we've relayed to you, Emily Maynard is coming increased scrutiny.

Is the gorgeous, sweet single mom from Charlotte hiding something? In Touch wants you to believe that, setting out to expose everything bad about Emily.

But is any of this true? And should it dissuade Brad if it were?

First, her "secret celebrity fling." True or not, it almost certainly happened before they met and Brad has his own past with Laurel Kagay. So, no big deal.

Second, she's a gold digger obsessed with fame? She sure doesn't act like it, and from all indications, her family and her late fiance's are QUITE well off.

Speaking of the late Ricky Hendrick (the father of her daughter Rickie), ITW claims his engagement to Emily Maynard is a sham. Okay, this is ridiculous.

Certain elements of her back story are going to be embellished by The Bachelor. It's a TV show. But this looks like nothing but a tabloid smear job to us.

Whether or not you want her to win, Emily's done nothing to suggest that she's the slightest bit disingenuous. In fact, she seems like an upstanding girl.

In any case, who do you want to win The Bachelor?

In light of The Bachelor spoilers, revealing not only the rumored winner of this season but the rumored Bachelorette this summer, last night was not a shock.

You didn't even need any spoilers to predict this outcome, honestly. With two of Brad Womack's remaining three women, there is serious chemistry going on.

With the third, it's like they had been trying too hard to make it work.

When you have to try that hard, it's not meant to be. So it goes. How did everything play out in South Africa last night? Here's THG's trademark +/- recap!

We're not usually enamored with their choice of venues, but South Africa truly is stunning, especially in HD. You really feel like you're there in person. Plus 8.

Chantal O'Brien has put on noticeable weight this season. She looks hotter! We worry she may be a stress eater, but it doesn't look bad on her at all. Plus 5.

Wisdom from Chantal: "If I'm getting engaged to someone, the thought is that I'm planning on marrying them, not getting engaged thinking that I'm going to get unengaged." Who does she think this guy is, Jason Mesnick? Minus 7.

Speaking of, happy anniversary to Jason and Molly, who honeymooned at this very South African reserve (what are the odds). Glad they're going strong. Plus 4.

Chantal was QUITE excited about getting it on. Plus 3, but ...

The fantasy suite is an outdoor treehouse? Cool as it is that such a thing exists, that sounds like every woman's nightmare, not fantasy. Fail, Chris. Minus 6.

This evening on The Bachelor, Brad Womack takes his final three potential wives - Ashley Hebert, Chantal O'Brien and Emily Maynard - to South Africa.

There can be only one Final Rose doled out March 14, though, which means two emotional decisions await Brad before then. Two beauties must be cut.

We now know for sure who wins that final rose - and if you've been reading The Bachelor spoilers up until now, it's actually NOT who you think.

Will Brad pick Ashley (left), Chantal (center) or Emily (right)?

Last week, we reported that one of the women above would be the next Bachelorette. This still appears to be the case. But the winner of this season?

Intelligence now suggests a different conclusion to the finale than we believed to be accurate as recently as this weekend. So who's it gonna be?

Follow the jump for all The Bachelor spoilers ...

Shawntel Newton is sad.

She harbors no hard feelings about being eliminated last week on The Bachelor, but she was devastated just the same. She even uses the l-word to describe it.

Here's what Shawntel had to say about taking Brad Womack to her unusual workplace, the tension with her family, who she thinks will win and more ...

On taking Brad to work: "I thought I might as well lay my cards out on the table. This is my job. This is what I grew up around and if he wants to get down on his knee and propose, he should see what I do. It's the final test almost."

On her family's concerns: "I always thought that I would stay in Chico and take over the business. It was a shock to my family. Everything came at them at once – me saying I'm in love, I might be leaving this lifestyle in Chico, moving."

"I was falling in love so I was willing to move."