Off The Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe - Bri Springs: Pursuing your career AND a family

Episode Date: March 18, 2021

Bri Springs joins Kaitlyn on the pod to recap The Bachelor finale and gives the inside scoop on behind the scenes moments that viewers didn’t get to see on Matt’s season. Bri shares about the pressure coming off the show, the struggle that so many women face when it comes to balancing work, love, family and friendships, and that there was so much more involved in her decision to leave her job in order to stay on The Bachelor than the show portrayed. Bri and Kaitlyn also throw a KEN YOU NOT at the quad flip and discuss the disappointment of how so much drama has overshadowed a season that was meant to represent change. You can find Bri on IG at @brisprings  SPRINGTIME SUPPLEMENTS - Receive free shipping on your first order with code VINE when you visit springtime.com CLARINS - Go to clarins.com and enter promo code OFFTHEVINE10 for 10% off your purchase. GEICO - Go to geico.com and in 15 minutes you could save 15% or more on car insurance. JENNI KAYNE - Go to jennikayne.com and get 15% off your first order when you use code VINE at checkout. VIZZY HARD SELTZER - Go to vizzyhardseltzer.com/VINE to find out where you can purchase vizzy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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So whether it's your first time experiencing Pride and Prejudice or you've read it a million times, you're going to fall absolutely in love all over again. So go listen to Pride and Prejudice now at audible.ca slash Jane Austen. He's on with OTV. Podcast One presents Off the Vine, Great Therapy. Caitlin Bristow's going to answer your questions. Drink to your confessions and hear what you have to say about anything Bachelor. Let's shake it up some more. Here's Caitlin.

Welcome to Grape Therapy. I'm your host, Caitlin Bristow. Your session is now starting. I'm very excited for you guys to hear today's episode because I got to finally sit down with someone who was noticeably missing from our TV screens this week. We had three hours of Bachelor content on Monday. It was all necessary and a lot.

But I was personally disappointed to not see her beautiful face on After the Final Rose. Bree Springs from Matt's season. Join me on the pod today to talk. about her experience on the show, share her thoughts from the season finale and AFR, and to answer questions from the Bino's. We also, of course, get into some confessions and games to learn more about everyone's fan favorite this season. I love this beauty. I hope we'll be seeing more of her in the future, whether it's a part of the Bachelor franchise or just following her

life out in the real world on the ground. Enjoy today's podcast with Bree Springs. Thank you so much for taking the time. I would have to meet with me. I just, first of all, have to say congratulations on this next season. I'm stoked for you and Tasha. So this is going to be awesome. Kiv, I'm not going to lie. I wish it was not that I love, I love these two girls, but I'm like, you were so many people's favorite. Not that they weren't, but like, I'm like, well, can't we just do three then? Like, if we're going to do two. Let's just do three. Let's just do three. Yeah, like screw paradise, screw the bachelors. Let's just keep it going with the bachelorette. I was talking to my other, one of my best friends, her name is Brie. And she was

actually the one that signed me up for the Bachelor. She was like, I'm so sad. She's like, I always root for the breeze, but I really liked this one the most. And she really wanted you to be the bachelor. Well, I appreciate it. And everything happens for a reason. I'm going, I will actually get behind the Bachelorette every season from now on. Like, if we just did The Bachelorette, that is absolutely something I can get behind. You know what? I'm going to put it out there. And I'm going to suggest it in my next meeting with the producers. And we'll see what they say. Let's do it. Let's do it. but I'm excited for you guys. Thank you.

It'll be so much fun. I'm just, it's so crazy to be back and part of, like, it's been six years for me, so it's so wild because it feels like it was two years ago for me because I just always stay so invested in the show

and the people who come off of it and then I end up podcasting. I've become friends with everybody, and it just feels like it's such a weird little dysfunctional family we have going on here in this Bachelor Nation world, but it's like the best. I love it. It was probably it's the best buying experience.

Like the fact that I can walk away with so many new friends now after this, I'm like, this is perfect because I wouldn't have met all these people during the pandemic. So it worked out. It's so true. People always say that I don't come here to make friends. But I feel like everybody leaves with like serious friendships that bond you for life with something that you've went through together. Yeah.

That's actually, I was just thinking this. You guys had, you know, the season was kind of nasty at the beginning and it was a lot of bullying going on. Did it really feel like that? And I'm sure you get asked this all the time, but I have to know for myself. Did it really feel like that in the house? Okay. This is what I actually meant to clarify on this, because I told Nick yesterday, I said it was balanced.

It wasn't, in my opinion, it wasn't balanced. And what I mean by that is, I do think that you saw a lot of negativity on the show. And you probably understand this too. But one of the unique aspects of the show is you're only privy to your experience and your perspective on the show. So from a personal, from a personal standpoint, I didn't think that, didn't see that much bullying going on. I didn't think that there was that much bullying going on, but watching it back, I can look back and say, oh, wow, that was, that was really toxic, but I wish that people could have seen the friendships and relationships that we were forming

from day one throughout the season because they were there. And like a perfect example of that was the dates that got cut out, the date with Tisha and then the hide-and-seek date. And those dates were just my favorite dates because it was the times that we all got to like be with each other and be silly and be goofy, and I wish people could have seen more than that, honestly. I saw the funniest TikTok the other day of it was like a, like it wasn't a real producer from the show. It was like someone pretending to be a producer. Did you see that? I feel like I have there. Oh my God. It was so funny because she was like, why are we creating so much drama between the girls and then making them apologize for it at the women tell all? And I was like, wait, that's so funny

because you do stir up so much of this drama and then at the moon tall, like, it's so, it's so interesting. But I mean, it's, it's funny to think about, too,

just television and where it's going and where it's at. It's obviously going through such a change right now for the better. And I always wonder if they'll change that aspect of it with the drama, because I kind of want to see the girls' friendship bonds and, like, women empowering women. And I kind of want to see those friendships forming. Caitlin, I hope so because,

I mean, something I wish, like young women would have been able to take away from it is, you actually just said this like I know people will probably say oh I didn't come in to make friends but it's kind of a dumb move if you do come in and say that because you're with these people all the time like there's more of a chance that you're not going to walk away with a person in the end than walk away with each other so you can at least make like get take that away from this entire experience I'm so thankful that I was able to do that because that was really really important to me and it was a missed opportunity to show

everyone and I see everyone get along. I know. I think we need to see more. I'm going to I'm going to suggest it. I act like I can like have the power now. The powers that be. She comes in for one more season and I'm like, I run this place. But I do. I think that would be so fun. I know that I made some really strong friendships out of it. And it is so fascinating though that you're all chasing after the same guy yet forming the strongest friendships. It's so strange. But it's weird. It says a lot about women and and when you put that many women in a room like it's just powerful you know so many good things can come from it and friendships are definitely one thing that i remember loving loving the girls that i was in the house with so that's i'm glad you got some friendships out of it yeah and

you know what too something else i'll point out i think i want to say kit said this a long time ago but that everything was so gendered on the show i was rewatching tasha season back recently and the guys did the same exact thing the girls did like gained up on one guy and no one said anything. No one looked at that and called it bullying. But whenever, I mean, don't get me wrong, like there was definitely some negative energy in the house for sure. But whenever girls do like stand up for themselves or whenever women, you know, speak with on their mind and might say it very directly, it comes off as bullying or being toxic. And I wish that we had that's a good point. Probably the same lens as looking at men as we do women because I think that a lot

of people did get like unnecessary. Some people did get unnecessary backlash in my opinion for just speaking up, just using their voice, just saying being direct, saying what they wanted to say. That's actually really interesting that you said that now I'm going to have to take a look at my own self because I think I called it bullying too. But you're right because I think about that a lot in the workplace for men and women. I did a whole campaign years ago with like a tampon company, but it was more about women empowerment because if, you know, if a woman comes across assertive and stern it's she must be on her period or she's a bitch if a man does he's powerful and he's in charge yeah and that is interesting because that is probably a good good thing to think

about going into next season with how we're looking at yeah how we talk to the men and how we talk to the women and what that's like because you're right they do it happens on every season and i don't want and i don't want to downplay it like there was definitely some things that were said that that were definitely offensive and i probably would have been offended if i was on the receiving end of that but I wish that we looked at it. We looked at both with the same lens. I'm not saying that we should discount anything that took place from our season, but maybe we should have looked at the guys from last season and said they were bullied.

Right. Because they were. That's very fair. That's a good point. Tusha. And I know you said recently on an Instagram post that you described life after the show is mentally draining, which I can obviously relate to. But can you, what's kind of the hardest part about coming off the show for you? Yeah.

I would say the fact that we, no one expected our journey. journey to play out the way it did. And what I meant whenever, you know, it's hard to explain that, but what I meant whenever I said that was, I look at all of the pain that has happened and the mistakes that have happened to get us at the point where we're at now. And yes, while these were important conversations to be had, they were at the expense of a lot of people's lives, people's livelihoods. And it just is a reminder of how far we have to go still. And I think that is probably the best way to encapsulate our entire experience is because I think women,

especially like black women, the women of color the season had really high hopes and expectations for this is why we went on the show because the appeal was back that Matt was going to be the first Black Bachelor and it was going to be this monumental historical season and we were going to see these in-depth love stories that were indicative of the world that we lived in.

But then we saw drama and we saw like potentially over-exaggerated. a lot of times and we didn't really get to see all of our love stories unfold because especially within all the controversy that happened. It just seemed like one thing after another. It was a domino effect of just everything wrong that could happen, happened.

That's so true. I mean, I can't speak from that experience. I'm like, I think everyone comes off the show mentally drained, but then especially this season and they're, like you said, it was just something after another and you didn't get to see those love stories. which again, we're all craving. I want to see the love stories and the girl friendships.

And I know that's not like the format of the show usually, but I do think they are going to make important changes. And I do hope that's one of them. But that's, I can, I can hear you now why you say that was so, that was the hardest part coming off the show for sure. And it's, it's a hard transition to like, especially in a pandemic because, you know, sometimes people go back to their lives and either go back to work

or they would be able to start all these opportunities with travel and going to different events. And now you're, you go through this whirlwind that is the show and your emotions are so heightened. And you go through this experience and you grow so much as a person from it. And then you just go home and have to sit alone. And you're so used to being around friends. You're so used to being around producers who will talk to you about your feelings at all hours of the day. And then you go home and there's like, and then you're just left with your thoughts.

And like, you're like, what does it? Happen to me. Yes. And I think, well, one of the craziest things that I wasn't expecting was for everyone to check in because people do care. And I did feel so incredibly supported by my family, my friends, my support network. But I wasn't been expecting for everyone. Because again, I lived through this months ago. And this happened a while ago. So watching out back, I keep forgetting that people are watching it for the first time. So after every anything that happens, everyone's like, how are you? okay, how are you doing? Which obviously I can appreciate to some extent, but the fact that you have to then relive everything and then it's be like, yes, I'm fine now, but maybe I wasn't

then before. I don't know, maybe I'm not fine now because I'm having to relive the experience again and it feels all the same. Yeah, it's, it is crazy because it's not in real time for you, but it is for all of us watching. Yeah, and it's, it's so hard to put yourself back in that, in that position. I always ask people who come off the show and, and don't end up with the lead if that if watching back gave you closure yes absolutely i mean as odd as it sounds watching the breakup back gave me the closure that i needed and being on stage and talking to manual that also gave me closure to walk away from the experience i mean you you know this we're you're you leave filming and you don't know what happened you're kind of left to put all the puzzle pieces

back together, especially the fact that I left and I knew that there was still two other women there, but I don't know who it is, who he's with. And then you watch it all back and it starts to become a little bit more clear, right? Like I didn't see his relation, his connection with Michelle. I had no idea how strong his connection was with Rachel. And so watching out back, I'm like, oh, this all, it all makes sense. Yeah. That's how most people feel that same way where because you don't, you don't see the other relationships developing and you don't see when they're together. And you just can't believe that someone has a stronger relationship than what you have because you have such a strong relationship right off the bat, you know, yeah. And so you're like, there's no way. And so watching it all back, you're like, wow, this really sucks. But also, like you said, it gives you a lot of clarity and closure and understanding and putting those puzzle pieces back together a little quicker than you were before. Exactly. And, and I I was appreciative of that because I think stepping away from it, one of my biggest concerns was, well, am I going to get closure watching this back?

Will I see these connections with everyone else? And it was helpful. And it did. But I do also understand the flip side to that is some people do completely get blindsided and don't get the closure that they need. So I was happy that at least for Michelle and Rachel and the other women at women's tell all we're able to do that. Yeah, absolutely. And I was talking to Abigail about this about getting the first impression rose and how that gives you, we called it big dick energy, but like big, um, big first impression

rose energy. Yeah. Did you feel that was it terrifying going on as the first one-on-one date? Like, did people give you crap for that? Or did you feel like, oh, my gosh, this is it. Or I feel like having that first one-on-one date and going as well as it did for you guys, it, it, one makes it a lot harder for the rest of the season because then you have to wait and wait and wait and wait and wait until the end. Yeah, what it felt like. that to really yeah and it's it's you question a lot but also i feel like it puts like a target on your back and with the women because they're like oh it went so well in the first one-on-one and you know they have this connection that we don't but what was it like for you yes i mean it was

weird because going in you know what i can't say is that everyone had people who had their one-on-one days afterwards all had built this foundation with him already whether there was conversation from night one the conversation from the group date after that and after that But me, I was going in being like, well, I just need to figure out if I even like him. Because we have, we talked for like so briefly. I need to figure out that we can even relate to each other, connect with each other. Do we even get along? Am I going to find him funny?

And so that was, there was a lot of pressure on that date. And it seemed, it was funny as watching back, I was like, that was only 1% of what happens. But you could tell immediately that we hid it off from the beginning and we did form a really strong connection. And one of the most challenging parts was being able to continue to stimulate that relationship the further you got down the line, especially whenever there was that added twist of new women coming in because now it's like, oh, now I've got to focus my attention here. How do I manage? How do I balance?

Wait, you were the one that got thrown off the ATE of them. When he was whipping you around like that, I was like, can you not? That was so aggressive. I was saying, can you not? And I knew that it was going to happen. I could already tell because he was being pretty reckless on the past beforehand. So as soon as I got in the back, I was like, we're going to flip. We're going to flip.

So I was almost like kind of prepared for it. You could have really gotten hurt. I felt like such a mother in that moment. I was like, she's going to get hurt. Oh, whenever my mom heard about it, she freaked out. That reaction wasn't in there. But. Gosh.

No people get seriously hurt on them. I would say Matt's pretty, a pretty reckless. person, though. Like, he's just very adventurous and just does... Totally. He's, yeah, I feel like he's, um, fearless. He's like a fearless. That's the he is. He totally is. And I could obviously tell that given the dates that I had, but he was just going to go out there and do whatever. Yeah. Yeah, he sure did. I was like mad at him in that moment. I was like, don't hurt her. Don't hurt her. You just made her get on the back. Our problematic queen, don't hurt her. Grab a coffee and discover nonstop

action with BudMGM Casino. Check out our hottest exclusive. Friends of one with multi-drop. Want to even more options? Play our wide variety of table games. Or head over to the Arcade for nostalgic casino thrills only available at BetMGM. Download the BetMGM Ontario app today. 19 plus to wager, Ontario only. Please play responsibly. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to you, please contact Connix Ontario at 1866-531, 2,600 to speak to an advisor free of charge. But MGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. now back to off the vine grape therapy on the show you were obviously vocal about how you get you'd given up a lot to be there which was your dream job and i cannot imagine how difficult that i was like i loved what i did but i was also like get me the hell out of here at a certain point so i was so excited to leave but that must have been a really difficult decision would you have done things differently looking back or do you feel like if you had you had you had end up together you would have been willing to move to new york to consider a

a career change or what's that looking like now? Yeah. So I gave us a lot of thought beforehand before coming on the show. And I told Nick this yesterday, but one of the things that I wish people could have seen was the turmoil behind the decision making process that led me to make that decision that I did. Because it wasn't easy. And I don't think people were able to quite follow how I got to that decision of

wanting to be there and find love. and my career was important to me and it still continues to be extremely important to me so I don't have any regrets but I knew that it was something that I wanted in my life like you're in the situation where you're forced to hyper focus on what you want in a relationship what you want down the line things that I probably wouldn't

have thought about had I not gone on the show and I in my work you know I realize I've been prioritizing my work for this long I think it's about time it's appropriate that I see what's out there in terms of love. And I wanted, I got this once in a lifetime opportunity to do that. And I wish people could have seen that because it just came to this like abrupt conclusion of, okay, well, Bree gave up her job to be here.

It didn't see, no one saw how hard it was. No one saw like a little bit of the wavering. And it was something that I thought that a lot of women could relate to whenever you do decide between career and love or career and a family. So I wish people could have seen more than that. But even in the beginning, like, I kind of knew that my work could potentially take me to New York. I traveled a lot prior to the pandemic between San Francisco and New York.

And so I didn't feel like a need to be there. But I was like, yes, if this were to happen, like I looked at it very pragmatically, like, and this were to happen, I would be willing to move to New York because that's where my career was taking me in and that that wouldn't have changed and things haven't changed so that's great so you got your job back i did not get my job back i'm i'm so i'm i'm polishing my resume but here's the thing is like i knew what could potentially happen coming into this and i'm happy that i've given myself a break to really sit back allow myself to process the experience and what happened and and I kind of needed this like I needed this refresher to

help me further decide what career path I want to go down so I'm I'm happy of that it's not like I'm not like looking my wounds like I feel like I needed this I needed this okay good I'm really glad to hear you say that because I remember when you got sent home like Twitter was going nuts being like she better get her job back like we will fight for this and oh people are on a mission they're on a mission And that's what I was saying. I wish people could have seen more because I think a lot of people's responses where I would never give up my dream job for a man. And the thing was, was I had been prioritizing my career.

And love was really important to me. A family is going to be really important to me. And so I wish that people could have seen that because I think a lot of women right now, especially are having to struggle with career, family, career, baby, career, love. Like, what, what do I do? How do you decide? And we're so quick to judge, and we shouldn't, we shouldn't be. That's so fair.

And you can also have both, when doors open with new opportunities, those other doors, like this opportunity of you to go on the show, not, you didn't find love, but I mean, it's going to open up other doors from you. And it probably helped you learn a lot about yourself and what you want and so many things that are going to lead you in the right direction anyways for your career. I love that. you say that because that was probably one of my biggest takeaways is that I could have both. You know, I wouldn't have put myself in a situation where I couldn't return back to my career

or, you know, go down another path that I was interested in exploring. So I'm happy that I was able to walk away from it and being like, you don't have to choose. You can in fact have both and I didn't. And in my career, I just placed a brief pause or I'm going to pick something else up. Like, I'm very confident in that much of myself that I can go back to the role that I want to go back into. Yeah, I feel like I was like, come on Twitter. Let's believe it. Should you try to get Bree's manager on the phone?

Like, how do we, how do we get Bridie here, her job back? People were ruthless out there. I will podcast with them just to get answers. But like you said, like you are confident in so many ways and you are independent. And I feel like a lot of that, you, learn from parents, and it is who you are in your core, too, but your mom, I just, she was so great. She was, I wanted to be her friend after watching that. She just, she seems that way, you know, like she seems like she's very independent and strong. And, and that's kind of what you and Matt

bonded over was both having, you know, these strong independent mothers. So I just, what did that support, having her support mean to you when you came, came back and introduced Matt to, to her? Oh, my God. I mean, there's no denying that I did not get choked up whenever I saw her because, you know, I mean, that had been the longest time that I had gone without talking to my mom, my family, my friends, and we have, she's my best friend. She's there for me through anything. And there wasn't a day that goes by that we didn't talk to each other. So not being able to have that support from her, it weighed heavily on me. As you can see, whenever we embraced each other and there was so I think I knew how I felt about Matt all of that time, but it wasn't until I had the

vote of confidence from my mom and then my best friend, Bree, that it really gave me the courage and it felt comfortable in order for me to lean in to those feelings. And that is what my mom is for. Like, she is there for my support and to just give me that extra nudge and say, it's okay like you can do this and i needed to hear that in that moment from her that's that's so amazing and when when you got sent home i'm sure she's one of the first people you called were you like i only asked because i was so devastated for like a week and then being removed i was like was that even my person i don't know like it was it just once i was removed so when you left were you just devastated or were you trying to process or were you

like okay he's not my person like what was your after which we didn't see yeah it was I was devastated and I was heartbroken because I did really allow myself to open up and be vulnerable fall in love with Matt and I thought I thought I was the one for a really really long time and so to walk away from that I I did feel defeated yeah well because I'm so pragmatic I was like well he chose two other women over me so clearly it was wasn't there for him. And if it wasn't there for him, then probably is not going to be there for me down the line. And I know that he was making the best decision. That was best for him in that moment. And then I had to respect that. So it was easy for me to walk away from it same way as you,

maybe like a week later and say, that happened how it should have. Yeah. That's, did you see it coming when you were standing there or were you completely blindsided? So, so okay, hometowns was a really big turning point for me because I think it was after hometowns where I finally realized like I started doubting our connection compared to his other ones. I thought maybe he has a stronger connection with Rachel or with Michelle. And I even doubted like if Serena did not send herself home that night, like would I have stayed? And then I was able to like talk myself out of it and and be steadfast in the feelings that I had had shared with him because I was like, hey, like, you got to get through this.

Don't be in your head. See yourself at the end of this. So then I talked myself out of it. And then it really wasn't until I was standing again at the row ceremony. And we like made eye contact and I just, I knew. I knew. I was watching with my family friends and they're like, free, you look, you look pissed off.

And I was like, yeah, I think I knew that it was not going to be in me as soon as you walked in. Oh, that's so hard to process. So looming feeling that you feel. Yeah. It's, I did not. not see when when i got dumped i dumped that sounds so terrible when i got sent home i remember being like this guy's a love of me i ain't going anywhere i was like oh hey you and me both i mean was somewhat

blinded i remember saying like oh i'd be surprised if i go home tonight and then in that moment i'm like oh my god i'm going home tonight wow it's it's such a it's the weirdest thing to process all in that short amount of time your brain's just like and then you like have to hear him be like so sorry say good your goodbyes you're like but you're saying that's the one going home oh no everyone's going to watch this now i have my car ride ahead of me yes yes and that was the craziest thing is only knowing your experience and not knowing what has i had no clue what his relationship with rachel looked like or his relationship with michelle looked like until watching it back and watching it back I was like, oh, I see it.

It's undeniable. Yeah, that's good. Yeah, that's, I totally understand that. What do you feel like we didn't get to see about Michelle and Rachel as viewers? Oh, everyone's funny personality is like, yeah, you, okay, you've got to see Michelle's personality and the bleepers never, she did the pushups. Yeah, that was so funny. So funny. Like, I wish that we could have seen more of our personalities.

I mean, I even had people tell me, like, we didn't even see. your personality, Brie, until the bloopers. Like, it wasn't until the bloopers. We were like, oh, there's Bree or, oh, that seems like something Brie would do and say. So I wish you got to see that. Rachel, I thought you were going to see a lot more of our, like, dining, dining room conversations that how we spent all of our time in the dining room eating. And that's where I feel like we had our funniest, most relatable conversations with everyone

because we just spend there out. There's nothing else to do, but eat. Right. Eat and girl chat. Yeah. That's, yeah. For some reason, they don't like showing people eating on TV either. No, they, they don't. But I just remember us saying there, we were, I remember us thinking like, I wonder how many of our conversations they're going to show from this dining room because there were camera. I know. Isn't it funny? How much content you give and then you're like, watch. Oh, and then I saw none of it. It's crazy because you only have like, with commercials, I guess, an hour and a half every Monday to show and try and get everything in. So it's got to be. I know. tricky for everyone. I was thinking about this just because, you know, Matt had never been in love and then, you know, that you're supposed to get engaged on the show and he chose not to.

Do you think he was ready to be the bachelor or to go on the show and take this journey? Or do you think he, well, I guess do you think he wasn't ready? It's a good question for him. I think maybe a question that I probably would have asked if I, if I talked to him because I can sympathize with him on one hand being, going into this environment being open to falling in love and being open to getting engaged at the end of this, as we all were. And then you finally get there to a point where you're like, oh, this is serious. Like, I'm literally about to get a ring. I'm about to get proposed to in two

days. Like, my life can change. My life can turn upside down. I remember at one point, we kept using the word life changing, life changing. And it's because it is. And it all finally hits you in that moment. So I sympathize with him on that. And on the other hand, I also realized how people were so confused because I left walking away from being like, oh, Matt's ready for engagement. Like he told me, he reassured me, my mind's at ease. This is going to be great to only then come to find out that it didn't end an engagement. But again, maybe it was his family that led him to make that decision, you know, having that reality check within himself that he was never ready. And he had never been in a relationship before.

So I can imagine that hearing something like that would scare you. For sure. And he probably, I mean, he probably looks at relationships and love now completely different is probably more open to it. So like now he might be ready to follow one. But maybe he needed, he just needed this process. Yeah, he needed this process and needed that push. Just the experience. We all learned really valuable lessons from from this and can walk away from the experience having learned a lot, I'm sure. I mean, I think we as viewers learned a lot and took away a lot from, from this season. And especially after Emmanuel hosting last night, I thought he did such an incredible job. Phenomenal. What did you think were some of the lessons, like, he takeaways from the season? I loved what he said about history, but it doesn't always have to be celebrated. I think that was just he had so many good lines that I was like, wow, that, like, I felt that.

And I'm really going to take that away with me. Just the way he, he's just so well spoken and has, has such a powerful voice and so much to say. And especially as a 30 year old man, which I actually just ordered his book too, because now I'm like, oh my gosh. And just, you know, how he talked to Rachel, I thought was really impressive. Just, just his approach and how he still had lessons in there, but wasn't just so like pointing fingers and asking her questions. I thought just his whole approach of the after, the final rose, was really impressive. He was so inviting. Yeah.

That's why I could also relate to Matt and Rachel sitting up there because you're walking up there. You're so anxious. I was so anxious to get up there. And I was just saying this, but I didn't even have anything to worry about. So I can't imagine feeling like I need to be apologetic for something. Plus, on top of that, wondering what the world, thinking of me, what are people going to say, what I say, how I carry myself, how I look, how I cry, have a smile. All of these things are going through their head, but he just made you

at ease whenever you sat down in that chair with him. And I mean, I hope it was the same for for Rachel and Matt, because it was a really good breath of fresh air after everything that had happened. How come we didn't get to see your conversation? That's a good question. It's a good question. I thought, yeah, I thought that we had, Emmanuel and I had a really great conversation to kind of, you know, bring a conclusion to my journey and my experience. You know, I, I respect that there was a lot of content to digest with Matt, Michelle, Rachel, Katie and Michelle being announced as The Bachelorette. Like, it was disappointing to not see that conversation, but I understand it was a lot. It was a lot

and the show had a lot to tackle. Yeah, that's true. I mean, and that's also an opportunity for podcast hosts like me to say what was your little recap if you could give us a recap of your conversation with him like what what was um an important takeaway for you it was the important takeaway was like we said the fact about how i wish people could have seen more of the decision making process and the turmoil behind me quitting my job but the fact that i could take a way that you can have both yeah and i did my career was important to me it is still important to me and i walked away from this taking very valuable lessons that I can then bring into my relationships going forward and it coming full circle like getting the closure that I needed being able to

dive into the relationship I had with my mom that people won't get to experience or see that was huge for me. I love that. I don't think many people can say that, you know, you get to see how close I am with my family and parents on national television. So that was amazing because my mom means the world to me. And just where I think the franchise can go from here in terms of next steps and they've already started doing those things. And so I think that's great. Amazing. I mean, if Matt called you tomorrow and asked you back out, would you say yes? Because he is single now. Or is that ship sailed?

I can confidently say that the ship has sailed. I'm not still in love with him. But I wish him the best. I have to be able to sympathize with him because I know that I probably was not an easy season. It wasn't easy experience. It wasn't easy for any of us. So I can only imagine the pressure that he felt, the pressure that he was under. And he's a good guy.

And he has a good heart. And I trust that he'll continue to make the best decisions for him. That's really sweet of you. I have some questions for you from off the vine listeners. We call them vinoes. Oh, so they, Holly Ann wants to know who do you, who did you get along with the best in the house? Probably Serena P.

Serena P really... Funny. In the moment, Serena P and I, I was like, we, it's like we went to school together. Like,

we immediately just connected to each other. Always looked for each other whenever we needed to get a glass of wine and sit and talk and laugh about it. I would say Serena P was probably someone that I was, be closest to on the show. I like that. She was one of my favorites.

Probably because she's Canadian, but the, and I'm Canadian. And she's so nice. I love it. love it. Kayla wants to know, theoretically, on Bachelor in Paradise, who would you want to see walk down those stairs?

If I were to go to Bachelor in Paradise, my girlfriends. I love that. All my girlfriends, I would love to see all my girlfriends on. I mean, I'm not going to lie, that is probably the most enticing thing about going to paradise is getting, being able to sit on a beach with all your girlfriends in the show. because hopefully I'll get to them soon, but that just seems like the more likely thing to happen. That's so funny. That was a really good loophole that you found there. But I'm going to ask you again, is there anyone?

Or you can say no, there doesn't have to be someone. Okay, I'm just going to go out there and I'm going to say no. I mean, if I'm being honest, I don't know that people will see me on the beach. Well, I mean, but I would have liked to see you as a third bachelor. So we better see you on the beach. Okay, so maybe we'll see that. Maybe we'll see that instead. I'm going to put my thinking cap on.

I'm a very good matchmaker. So maybe I'll give you some thoughts. Give me some pointers. Give me some pointers. And here's the thing too, is like I actually, the first season I ever watched was Pete's season. So I don't even, I'm not even familiar with all of the guys.

Oh my gosh. Did you watch because you knew you're going to go on the show? I started catching up on. episodes whenever I knew I was going on the show. So like I, I sat back and I watched Ben Higgins season. Yeah. And I think, I think, um, Juan Paulo season was also on Netflix. And so I watched Ben Higgins was in my final three. I, I sent him home and then he became a bachelor. And he's still such a dear friend. I love him. He was, he was so nice. We just chatted this morning and, and he's great. So I did start like, like, trying to do my homework afterwards. I was like,

yeah, I have to have that idea of how this works a little bit. Yeah. That's so funny. That must been wild going into that experience not watching that's probably a good way to do it though yeah i had no yeah i had no idea hannah wants to know because we know that you slid into his dms before you went on the show have you spoken to him since the show no no matt and i haven't you haven't okay since the show okay i just picture him being like why did i send her home i'm going back i mean maybe it's a thought who knows i'm gonna i'm gonna ask them stephanie and a lot of the other vinos actually wanted to know more about your relationship with your mom. What it was like growing up with such a young mom.

Was it like the Gilmore girls relationship? Somebody said that is probably the biggest misconception between my mom and mine's relationship is everyone was like, oh, you must have been best friends. And growing up, my mom will always say this. My mom was never my best friend. She was my mom. So she was demanding. She was equally supportive as she was.

demanding and but she was strict like there was we weren't friends my mom you know drew a fine line of you're the child I'm mom you do whatever I said that's great it really wasn't until I got older like in my early early 20s that we then did just start to become so much closer and we did become best friends and share our lives with each other like in that way I love that because that's not that my mom wasn't super young but we also she was just very much like you know there you didn't cross that line she was my mom and then we became so close as like friends after and one of my girlfriend yeah her mom had her really young and the she said the exact same thing that with the misconception and as i was reading that question i was like oh i hope i'm wondering if you were going to say the same thing

because same same way like oh my gosh her mom was so strict and she's so grateful for that of course and then you become so close. Like Jason and I actually talk about this thinking about having a family. We always talk about how you can't, you can't be a friend if you're a parent. Like you have to be a parent first. And then once you do become a certain age, you know, and they become their own adults, then that's when you can become friends. I think that's exactly what my mom told herself as well.

She kind of had to. I love that. Okay. Several people are asking about your skincare routine. Okay. Okay, let me just tell you. L-T-M-D cleansing wash. Right, chef, yeah. Followed by skin-suitable antioxidant.

Yes, the vitamin C-E frule. Perhaps the vitamin C. Yes, I do that too. I'll use the vitamin C anti-acin. Smells like hot dogs. And then skin medica, sheer moisturizer, followed by. You sound like me right now. I'm like, I'm literally on the same plan.

Followed by an L-2-M-D tinted moisturizer. That's so funny. That's all good stuff. I love how I haven't, I haven't come out with it yet just because I'm like, there's so much stuff. People are going to think that I'm absolutely crazy and everyone's just going to look at, like, I mean, be like, do people actually do all of these steps like to wake up and to go to bed? And I'm like, they do. And that's people always want to know people's skincare, but that's the truth. And that's, I do. I have seven steps in the morning. It's, it's quite embarrassing. But it's ridiculous. It takes up too much time. So much time. I'm like,

if you can, if you can cut it down. That's another thing that I said about when I have kids. I'm like, My skincare routine is going to go to shit because I'm just going to go to bed and be like, I don't care, just sleep. That's how I feel right now sometimes. I'm too tired to take it all. I'm too tired to go through the three, five steps. That's so funny.

Brittany wants to know, because this always happens, if anyone from the Bachelor franchise has slid into your DMs yet, in I'm sure a lot of supportive ways, but I was just going to say in all of the supportive ways, like especially the guys from the season, because obviously this season, there was like a really big, what felt like,

a support network of like the women of color from the season, the black women and the men of color and the black men from Tasha season, everyone just was, was just wanting to be supportive of one another. So in that sense, absolutely. I love that. Okay. And in the other sense, not so much. Okay, now we're going to play a little game before I let you go. It's a game I like to call, how do you proceed where I'll present you with hypothetical scenarios and find out how you'd go about handling them, okay? Oh, this is so fun. Okay. okay you're texting with your boss and the guy you're currently dating at the same time you and your boss are discussing this week's agenda while the combo is getting hot and heavy with your man you send one of the most scandalous messages you've ever said only to realize moments later that you've actually sent to your boss how do you proceed oh my god i'm just like my old manager immediately comes to mine and i'm not going to lie that doesn't sound far fetch from something that would happen i think

think I would have to tell her disregard and she would immediately disregard. I hope this finds you well. Please disregard. Kind. Kind regards. That's it. That is it. We would just be like, this is where we draw a line. Just disregard. She would probably go in and Billy did so to make sure she'd never see it again. Well, that's amazing. That's what you want. Okay. You and your single best friend walk into a bar and you end up meeting two cute guys. The four of you share some drinks, some laughs and have a great time all around. It becomes clear that you're feeling it with one of them and you really want to talk to your friend about it. So you go off to the bathroom to debrief. But before you could tell her about your feelings, she tells you she's feeling the

same way for the same guy. Brings you back to Bachelor World. How do you proceed? I've got to let my friend go for it. Really? I've got to let my friend go for it because it's, I don't know. I'm just the type of person where I just, I don't like stepping on people's toes and especially with With men, I know girls, we can be like, women can be very touchy. And to me, it's just easier to salvage the friendship, not go there, not approach it. Stay on good terms with your bestie and let them have it. That's really nice. I want to be friends with you.

No guys worth an argument. I'll tell you that. You know what? I agree with you on that one big time. Yeah, and I think a lot of people learn that the hard way. But yeah, I wouldn't even go there. I like that. Okay, you're a good friend.

You're visiting New York post-pandemic, and you're really excited to explore the city. You post on your IG stories asking for recommendations when Matt James responds and offers to show you around. Now, he doesn't necessarily hint to anything romantic. He just wants to spend the day together. How do you proceed? That's good. That's really good. I think I'm going to have to figure out if Matt and I could be friends in the real world.

Well, what better way to find out than spending the day together? Than spending the day with him in New York. You know what? Maybe I'd take him up on some good restaurant recommendations because I love restaurants in New York. I do. Well, we'll see about that. Maybe, I don't know, maybe we need to draw a line though.

Where do you draw the line? I don't know. What would you do? I'm friends with a lot of my exes from the show, so I don't know. Okay. Thinking about on it, I could totally be friends with an ex. Yeah. I could see you in Matt.

being friends because I liked seeing you guys together. I've accepted that you're not, but I still enjoyed seeing you guys together. We had, okay, we had so much fun together. Like, one thing that I cannot deny is we always made each other laugh. So there's that. That would, and that's a great quality and a friend. Okay, well, that's all of the awkward scenarios I'm going to put you in. Thank you so much. And is, thank God. I know. Everyone's always like, even my boyfriend starts sweating when I put him on the podcast. He's like, what are you going to ask me? Like, why?

I was not expecting that either, by the way. So you have to confess to me, and I'm really excited for this. Here's my confession. It's quite gross. Yes. I love gross confessions. I've had bedbugs twice in my life. Oh.

But whenever I've lived in Europe. So whenever I lived in Spain, there was an incident where I had bedbugs and I was like started getting eaten alive. We had to uncover this mystery on like unsolved what fights were all over my body. Come to find out it's bed bugs. And I went back to Europe. I went back to Croatia and studied there. And I woke up one night. I remember talking to my best friend, Breaving like, really like I'm getting eaten alive. Like I feel things crawling my bed and she's like, shut up, go to bed. And then next, you know, I turned on my flashlight and there are literally bedbugs all. I just got it.

all around the room like I have a legit fear now a legit fear it's disgusting because I don't think it's something that people experience and I would not wish it on my worst enemy okay but at least it wasn't like on it wasn't like your fault it's not like you brought on the bed bugs no thank gosh for that because then that would have been a really good profession like you were like smiling I gave my friend bed bugs or I gave like my friend's parents bed bugs their house Yeah. No, not that, not quite that gross, but still, but still, that's gross, but not too gross. That's perfect. I was hoping for grosser, but that's okay. You're forgiven. Thank you so much for being on the podcast. You're such a delight. Everybody loved you and your presence. And I really hope I see you on the beach hanging out with your girlfriends. And, yes, and tell everybody where they can find you. Of course, Bree Springs on Instagram. Amazing. Well, good luck with everything. and your new career journey and everything. You're such a lovely,

I was going to say a lovely young lady. What am I 80? Gosh, I'm so old. I'm getting old. I'm getting old. It's happening. I'm going to go before I say other dumb shit. Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it.

And good luck to you and Tasha. I'm very, very excited for you guys and can't wait to watch. Thank you. Thank you so much. Maybe we'll, maybe we'll see you because maybe maybe you'll have guy. Yeah, maybe I'll need to be there. Yeah, maybe this guy's really. perfect for Brie. I don't know. We'll see what happens.

I mean, good friends will look out for good friends. There you go. Yeah. And you have that karma. Okay. Thank you. Bye. I'm Caitlin Bristow and your session is now ending. Thanks for listening to Off the Vine, Grape Therapy. Tune in to hear new mini-sodes every Thursday and check out new full-length episodes every Tuesday exclusively on podcast.1.com, the podcast one app and subscribe on Apple Podcasts.

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