Shawntel Newton

She may not have won Brad Womack's heart, or Ben Flajnik's, on The Bachelor. But Shawntel Newton got Paola Poidmore to offer her his final rose.

Or at least an engagement ring.

"I said YES! We are engaged!! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!! #Love #Happiestgirlintheworld," the cute California mortician tweeted excitedly this week.

"We are excited to get married! Let the planning begin :)"

Continue Reading...

Ben Flajnik said he rejected Shawntel Newton on The Bachelor because it was only fair to the women he'd already met. Sounds nice ... but was there another motive?

Namely the chance to get in Courtney Robertson's pants?

"I'm pissed. It's very unfair to me. It's not what I signed up for," she said after Shawntel's surprise return, threatening to pack her bags if Shawntel did not.

Later, after getting the first rose, she whined to Ben about "What's-her-butt" and said that her return was "a lot." Her displeasure with the events was clear.

THEN, after a fainting spell by loser Erika, Ben nixed Shawntel. Did Courtney's veiled threat - or a more overt one we didn't see during that interlude - influence him? Watch:

The Bachelor Week 3 Rose Ceremony

"There was a connection there with Ben and I and I think he just wasn't being man enough to accept that," Newton said after her dismissal Monday night.

"That's great that he's trying to be fair, but this is about someone you're going to be with for life. I don't think fair comes into play. I just feel so dumb."

Not as dumb as viewers subjected to Courtney Robertson and some of the other women. Wow. Wonder what Ben thinks watching these episodes now.

On a side note, The Bachelor spoilers reported earlier this winter accurately predicted Shawny's return and exit. Will the supposed winner be correct too?!

Wow.

That's what many viewers are saying after last night's Bachelor episode in which Shawntel Newton, from Brad Womack's season, entered the game unexpectedly.

Ben Flajnik, the star of this season, was caught at the center of the "$h!t storm" last night, and reacted similarly by the big twist designed to rile up the women.

In a new blog post, he explains why he sent Shawntel packing:

"So I have heard from everyone that makes this show happen that this was truly the craziest cocktail party and rose ceremony in Bachelor history," he writes.

"Having only seen one other season, I would have to agree. Wow. Nothing in my life would have ever prepared me for the $h!tstorm that happened that night."

"After watching, I didn't realize that the women were so mean to Shawntel and I was a bit taken aback," Ben reflects in the understatement of the year. "I mean I knew it was a bold move on Shawntel's part, but some of the women took it a bit too far."

Continue Reading...

The Bachelor really cranked up the absurdity this week, with girls skiing in San Francisco in bikinis, a contestant leaving voluntarily, one from last season inexplicably returning only to be rejected the same night, one fainting during the rose ceremony (!) and more.

In the end, Ben Flajnik narrowed the field to 15 women, with the rest of us wondering what lengths this awesomely terrible "reality" show will go to next.

Follow this link for The Bachelor spoilers we know so far to see what we think comes next, then join us for THG's +/- Bachelor recap of week three ...

BEST SKI TRIP EVER: Kudos to the story editors for conceptualizing this one.

Lindzi, Kacie, Courtney, Emily and Jennifer get mentions when Ben talks to his nice sister Julia about the journey so far. Sorry, other dozen girls! Plus 12.

For reasons unbeknownst to human kind, Ben thinks his sis would hit it off with Courtney. Doesn't he know his own sister? Isn't Julia normal? Minus 15.

Emily gets the first date card which says that "love lifts us up." Cue obligatory climbing / skydiving / bungee jumping date and associated metaphors! Plus 5.

It actually is! They are climbing the Bay Bridge! Plus 8.

We realize sharing an intense experience is a great way to get to know someone, but they seriously recycle the same cliches every single season. Minus 4.

The girls spy on them via telescope. That's classic. Plus 7.

Ben stops to give a petrified Emily a kiss and the courage to go on. Plus 6 for the Top Gun reference ("Talk to me, Goose!") and for being a good guy.

Continue Reading...