Not a Great Year for Bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky

ali and roberto

Ali and Roberto have called it quits. Count me among those who are not suprised.

It has not been a good year for Ali Fedotowsky. First she had a head injury in a kayaaking accident. Then she injured her leg kickboxing which required surgery on her femur. By August, she had left her job at Fox5 News San Diego and postponed the wedding. In October, she said there are no wedding plans. On Nov. 1, she was fretting about needing another knee surgery. And on Nov. 7, it was announced the Style Network wasn’t giving her a TV show after all (the show had been announced in April.) The only work I see she has now is on a shopping website called OpenSky. She has a PR firm, and a manager, but her website has been “under construction” forever.

Ali and Roberto didn’t seem to have a lot in common to me. She was bent on a show business career, signing with William Morris soon after her engagement, and then she had a gig on Fox 5 San Diego (now over.) He’s an insurance agent and a jock. What was there to talk about at dinner?

Who knows what went wrong. I think they are very different people, from their politics to their values. She’s much more of a free spirit, while he’s pretty traditional. She’s into clothes, fun and celebrity, he’s into sports and work. They lasted 18 months — probably not long enough under their contract with The Bachelorette to even keep the ring.

Here’s hoping next year is better for Ali. I suspect she’ll be moving to LA (if she’s not already there.) If she really has her heart set on a TV or broadcasting career, she should consider acting and speech lessons while she’s recuperating. She’s very telegenic, enthusiastic and facially expressive, and instantly recognizable, but her voice and speech cadence need a lot of work. The Bachelorette may be a short-cut to a media career for some, but it’s not a substitute for talent. Self-promotion and PR reps will only get you so far.

Bach’ette Ali Dishes on Brad Womack’s Upcoming season

In an interview Monday, published on Zapit, Ali is all smiles as she’s interviewed by someone from ZapIt– about her and Roberto’s life, Tenley and Kiptyn, her eventual marriage, and how great it is to be getting to know each other better right now. If you listen, there’s a hint that she’s not crazy about the “suburban” area in San Diego where the couple rented an apartment. She’d rather be “in town.” I think town is a better fit for her as well — and if not “in town”, then certainly La Jolla or Del Mar. I have the sense she’ll get there soon enough. Kiptyn is a long time resident of the area, he could help her and and Roberto find a perfect rental starter house.

She didn’t say what she was doing, whether her new daytime quickshow on local tv was rewarding, or whether she longed to report on more serious matters.

She does seem happy though, which makes me happy for them.

(Recommended Resource: Watch Brad Womack in Season 15 of The Bachelor online.)

Bachelorette Ali: Love and A Contract With William Morris

Ali and Roberto really do seem in love. The finale was wonderful to watch — Mike Fleiss and Co. delivered the most romantic final episode in many seasons. Congrats to the happy couple, just watching them smile lifts the spirits. Roberto really grew on me last night. I wish we had seen more of his personality during the season. I also really liked Ali’s family, they were so level-headed (as compared to some families we’ve seen in prior seasons.)

Ali has signed with William Morris, so much for those protestations she wants to get back to regular life. I’ll bet she’s commuting from San Diego to LA in no time.

Whether Ali’s ultimate fairy tale ending is that she ends up happily married or with a show biz career, or both, remains to be seen, but a fairy tale ending it was, complete with Prince Charming.

Here’s a nice photospread from the Final Rose Ceremony. Just click on the photo and they all come up. And here’s what the couple had to say on the ABC teleconference call today.

Bachelorette: Who Got Fleissed?

Did Reality Steve, who released the first spoilers at the beginning of the season that Ali ends up alone get Fleissed? Or did Fleiss himself get Fleissed by Reality Steve? Today, Reality Steve admits he got Fleissed. He says his sources were wrong, Ali ends up engaged to Roberto and Chris leaves early.

Chris leaving early is nothing new. The show practically spoon-fed it to us in previews. That Ali chooses Roberto is also nothing new — or at least it’s something that has been predicted here and at FORT for weeks as the most likely ending (if for no other reason than Roberto has been MIA since filming ended while Chris has been out and about.) Roberto as F1 has been evident as well, except to those who had a different favored outcome (like wanting the F1 to be Chris.) I wrote last week, it is likely to end with “A final rose ceremony with only one guy. The suspense might be in “Will Roberto Accept?” rather than “Who did Ali Choose?” (My tweak on it, which probably won’t happen, was to further speculate she proposes to Roberto rather than the other way around.)

This weekend, the ending became even more obvious. The New York Post had an article with new comments by Bachelorette producer Mike Fleiss and Bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky. The money quotes:

Fleiss: “The audience is going to be very satisfied with the outcome.”… “I think it ends up pretty well for her. I think she’s happy.”

Ali: “The finale is really good. Sometimes they can seem very orchestrated. This one is very real,…I feel like I made the best decision that I could.” Continue reading

Bachelorette: Extended Finale Preview

It’s still impossible to tell who Ali is favoring. Which may well mean she ends up with neither. Or, Chris could leave before the Final Rose Ceremony day, and Roberto could show up and propose. There’s pictures of Roberto arriving by boat, but none of Chris so far. And it’s still a possibility that Roberto could propose and get rejected.

Bachelorette: Back to Ali Ends Up Alone?

The latest preview from ABC makes it seem both Roberto and Chris aren’t ready to propose to Ali. But if that were the case, it wouldn’t be her decision, it would be their decision. And she repeatedly has said she’s happy with her decisions. In the clip, Chris tells her he’ll miss her. And the clip ends with a shot of Frank.

So what’s the shocker in store for us at the finale, the thing that’s never happened before? Is it just that both reject her…or does she find out the one she wants most isn’t going to propose and so she takes a risk and proposes to him instead? And if so, does he accept? That’s one of the few alternative scenarios that accommodates either ” will she find love or leave paradise with a broken heart.”

But something else may be in store for us, as ABC says she makes a “last minute, heart-wrenching decision which changed all of their lives forever.” That suggests she picks no one. In fact, today’s press release from ABC: Something happens on the Last Chance Dates. Chris’ sounds particularly ominous. Continue reading

Bachelorette Ali’s Surprise Ending: The Possibilities

Ali Fedotowsky says the ending to her journey for love on the Bachelorette is a surprise, something that’s never happened before on the show. What could that be? As far as I can tell, only two things. Either her final choice rejects the final rose she offers (no proposal, she ends up alone) or she proposes to him rather than the other way around.

I’ve been leaning towards believing she ends up alone and is happy about something else in her life, like some exciting new show business or fashion job she’s been offered and anxious to start.

A few things point the other way. The finale was filmed on May 9. So far, we haven’t seen previews with an engagement ring in them. So, did the guys pick out rings? Here’s jeweler Neil Lane in an interview in the Boston Globe on Thursday May 6th. Lane was going to be in Boston on Thursday, May 13 to talk about his art and clients at the Museum of Fine Arts Fashion Council. (Here’s their Facebook post about it.) The event was not open to the public.

Q. “The Bachelor” pops up when you search your name online.

A. I’m going [this week] to film my fourth season with “The Bachelor” on an exotic island. This one is “The Bachelorette.” I’ve become part of that. I will present the rings for “The Bachelorette,” for the two bachelors she chooses, for them to decide on the ring. Doing these things are like – OK, why not?

Continue reading

“Men Tell All”: Kirk’s Broken Heart

ET! The Bachelorette “Men Tell All” preview.

Poor Kirk. Or should we say lucky Kirk? Monday night is the “Men Tell All”, which typically isn’t much more than a placeholder until the Finale the following week.

Rumors are running the gambit between her picking Roberto, Chris and no one. Some are speculating she’s back with Frank. I think she’s single, and on the “After the Final Rose” episode which airs right after the finale, she’ll finally tell us why. Is she engaged, does she have a new love, go back to an old love, or does she have an incredible new job or career move? As of now, I’ll say it’s a new job or career venture.

Bachelorette Tahiti Sneak Peek

Where does all this take place? Le Taha’a Island Resort & Spa, Relais & Châteaux. Here’s the Tahiti Tourisme press release:

Nestled in the shadows of Bora Bora, Ali will explore the hidden paradise of Le Taha’a Island Resort & Spa by diving further into the depths of romance with her remaining bachelors. From cruising the crystal clear lagoon to flying high above Tupai Island (heart-shaped island) and Bora Bora in a private helicopter, America will witness how Le Taha’a Island Resort Spa was able to play matchmaker in creating such sacred and pivotal moments for Ali. Plus, viewers will not want to miss an unforgettable Rose Ceremony.

Bachelorette: Is Frank Ready for His Close-Up?

Is Frank Neuschaefer ready for his turn as the Most Hated Man in America? It’s coming, Monday night.

How poorly does Ali take Frank’s news?

But not to worry, the next day she’ll be ready for love again, first with Chris and then Roberto.

She either picks no one or is engaged to Roberto. The show wants us to think she’s engaged to Roberto. Reality Steve , who’s been right all season, says she’s alone. Cash, who is a much-trusted sleuther at FORT, has a source saying she’s engaged to Roberto, and the source’s scenario fits pretty well.

What about Chris? He’s being offered the next Bachelor spot. Will he accept? I think so. If he was adverse to being on national tv, he wouldn’t have done the Bachelorette. With his story and his family’s “phenomenal” edit, it will be a gold mine for ABC and they’ll make it worth his while. There may be others the camera loves more, but with the Bachelor, it’s the women whose personalities and drama are showcased. The men are there for their hotness and Chris will do fine in that department. Especially after the stylists get done with him and he’s pumped iron for three months.

I’m not completely sold on the Roberto engagement rumors. I think she’s been bitten by the show business bug and she’d rather take a shot on Dancing With the Stars than move to Charleston, S.C. and open a dress shop or help run a State Farm agency.

Here’s the ABC episode guide for Monday: Continue reading