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The Bachelor: Angie Kent on the cocktail party move that 'threw me'

Angie Kent is Yahoo Lifestyle's new Bachelor 2021 columnist! Angie won't hold back on her spicy opinions and insider insights into everything and everyone from Jimmy Nicholson's new season.

Angie Kent headshot
Angie Kent is Yahoo Lifestyle Australia's Bachelor 2021 columnist. Photo: Supplied

Just like that we are back for another year of The Bachelor. I personally can’t even remember what I did last week, let alone what I have done since the shambles that was last year's Bachelor season.

Look, I don’t like to take the mickey out of anything to do with the franchise (anymore that is. Yes Gogglebox was a different story). Gone are the days where ignorance was bliss and I could LOL freely on my couch. Now I am well aware of the blood, sweat and tears the bachelors, bachelorettes and production put into this love safari.

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Let's face it though, last year's Bachelor and Bachelorette was hard to watch. It could be one of two reasons. I was still truly, madly, deeply triggered from my recent breakup and my season only being the year before. Or we can blame lockdown. That really threw a spanner in the works.

I am going to get a wee bit deep from time to time during these recaps. I totally get we have had a huge year and a bit - we are tired, we are cross and we want to see some god damn LOVE. So let's get this love party started. 2021 Bachelor we are back with vengeance, well, ish. Ratings are in and they aren’t great. But let's give this puppy some breathing room and time.

Jimmy Nicholson on The Bachelor
This year, pilot Jimmy Nicholson is on a quest for love. Photo: Channel 10

First things first. Jimmy Nicholson, our 31-year-old Bachelor for 2021. He loves dogs (tick), his family seem absolutely darling (tick), and overall he seems like a real down to earth solid dude (tick tick). He’s clearly nervous as all hell, but hey, it is early doors so give him time to warm up. Those baby blue eyes and massive grin, oh and did they mention he is a pilot? Did you catch the 455 thousand pilots puns over the last two episodes?

Question - Why do we always focus on the Bachelor’s occupation as a selling point? For example we went nuts over the fact Matt Agnew was an astrophysicist, every man and his dog knew Honey Badger and the fact that he was a footy player and Locky the adventurer etc. Why do we do this? Does an occupation make you more desirable as a cisgender man? I don’t think they ever even said what I did for a living other than sit on a couch with my best mate, Yvie Jones, heaps of dogs and watch TV.

What you didn't know about every red carpet episode

The red carpet. Ahhh what a night(s). Little fun fact if you didn’t already hear along the grapevine, the red carpet, first cocktail party and the first rose ceremony is actually filmed over three nights (if not more when you add up all interviews). Heavy right? Three whole nights of absolute chaos.

They had him comin’ in hot with his jet entrance to chat with Osh. We had cake, a game of novelty sized chess, tarot cards, side boob, fart jokes, biting Chihuahuas, a fellow Sunny Coast gal (represent). I am sure some of you have picked up on the tricks they use when it comes to who Jimmy’s top picks may be. You can usually tell by the sound of the music, how much they show of them together on the red carpet, and/or a backstory. Oh and how much Jimmy longingly stares whilst simultaneously smiling at you. His words not mine.

Angie Kent on The Bachelorette
Angie Kent on The Bachelorette in 2019: Photo: Channel 10

The bachelor and his contenders are in a full blown pressure cooker of a situation. That first night brings out your inner crazy for sure. The girls most probably are hungry but can’t eat because of how skittish they feel. Tired AF, as I mentioned, this night does go for three nights and when you’re running off pure adrenalin you become completely fatigued, drained and depleted.

With all this being said, I do understand that when we are in new situations and running off nerves we can do and say things we would not normally do or say. I did notice that Jimmy threw out a couple of irking old school phrases that no longer really need to be shown nor serve us.

Jimmy mentioned he didn’t want to beat Jay in her game of chess that she presented to him on the red carpet as a way to get to know her. That to me suggests that he thinks it wouldn’t be very gentlemanly of him if he beat her? Yeah it would. We aren’t precious. Let's play this game of chess Queen's Gambit style.

Ok, first cocktail party. Look, the editing of the music generally makes people and situations appear far more hectic than what they actually are or what is actually happening. The whole ‘pilots are cheaters’ comment probably would have been quite a small scale throw away comment or something Stephanie just needed to get off her chest due to past relationships with pilots. Throw in the music, the repetition of her appearing like she has said it 100 times in a short amount of time and TA-DA you got yourself your first bit of drama ladies and gentleman. In saying this, I also think it is important to not project from past dating experiences. Not all pilots are the same now are they? We can unlearn our conditioned mind based on what happened to us in the past and start fresh.

Angie shocked contestants let Jimmy sit down

Jimmy then made a little speech, which is extremely hard to do by the way. They make you do it a fair few times so they can get all the angles and make sure you get all your points across, with 20 or so wide eyes just staring at you pretending they are listening but they are probably low-key thinking ‘when can I get another drink into me?’. But I noticed Jimmy sat down. That threw me when he sat down, and the gals didn’t come up to him.

The difference between the Bachelor walking into a cocktail party and the Bachelorette is the guys race to get that first chat, like legit SPRINT. And I see the ladies sit back and wait for the Bach to come to them. Get in there ladies. It is ok to be clear about what you want. Let’s break down the barriers of being polite, lady-like and waiting our turn, or being afraid to look too keen. For years and years, women have been conditioned through a series of spoken and unspoken rules to walk an exhausting line between being "too much" and "too little," Forever checking ourselves for the benefit of others. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Get- Get IT GIRL (s)

Brooke on The Bachelor 2021
Brooke was the chosen lady for Jimmy's first-ever Bachie date. Photo: Channel 10

First single date….drum roll….Brooke. They generally make first dates something personal, so it makes sense that they would go flying because Jimmy is a pilot, just in case you forgot.

The last time I was on a small flying object in the sky with an eligible bachelor for a first date he offered me his pocket to spew in. I turned green and as soon as I got off I raced to the toilet and chucked my guts up. Cute mems. So thank God that didn’t happen for Brooke and Jimmy.

Brooke is a great communicator. She said who she is and what she is looking for in a partner. Go off queen, more of this. First kiss done and dusted. Predictable but precious. Love those first kiss feels.

How I broke The Bachelor 'curse'

There was this Bachie curse that I was told when I picked Carlin for my first date. You should never pick the person you really like for the first up, as the first date pick never makes it to the end. Well, didn’t we prove them wrong. Carlin was my first date and my last date on the show. It might not have lasted in the real world for as long as I hoped for but hey we broke the Bachie curse and my heart (sad one). So that counts for something surely.

First group date - the photoshoot. We know the drill. Between the crotch grabbing, the no undies call (look, that’s something I would have said so no judgement there) the pulling on Jimmy and pretending to punch on, I am not here for these photoshoots anymore.

They are just a recipe for drama and battle of the egos. Pinning the ladies against each other, who is the sexy character in the fantasy? Who can pull off the quirky nerd girl?. And really, in a world where we want no more gender stereotypes (well that's the world I wanna live in) I really don’t think this would fly (accidental pun and not intended).

Lily and Jimmy on The Bachelor
Things got hot and heavy between Lily and Jimmy, with the pair sharing a steamy pash. Photo: Channel 10

Lily got the second kiss. Do we have a problem with girls kissing the bachelor in front of the other girls? I personally would not do it, but that would be a fear-based decision. Not a respect- based decision. That’s what you are there for. To connect, to pash rash to feel the feels. I don’t think she should cop all the flack from it either. It takes two to tango and two to pash. Lily didn’t force a kiss on Jimmy. They are both consenting adults who kissed. We are watching The Bachelor here people. And ladies, if you have watched the show before, you know there is bulk kissing and minimal time.

Speaking of kissing and minimal time. The business lounge key just reminds me of the orchard where my main boys would always suggest we would go if they thought they would be out of sight and get a cheeky pash out of me. At least with the business lounge you will never get caught, if that is something you are worried about, because no one can sneak up on ya in there.

There were a few verbal punch ups between gals already. They have been in the mansion for a whole week - 24 hours a day, 7 days - by the time you see that second rose ceremony. There is a lot you don’t see. Remember, we all ask and do weird shit when we are nervous. It’s early days. Be kind, sit back and enjoy the show.

And just like that, week one is off to a flying start (last time I promise)

I hope it works out for all of us! (Again, Jimmy’s words not mine).

Until next week avid Bachie watchers.

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