THE BACHELOR S29. E9. | WELCOME TO THE BACHELOR FINALE

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC/The Bachelor Key Art

PHOTO CREDIT FOR THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS | Disney/Matt Sayles

It’s the finale! We will see how it all goes down as well as getting a recap once the show transitions into After the Rose! Jesse Palmer welcomes us and lets us know that we’re definitely in for a ride here and we’ll have to wait until the very end to see how it all plays out on tonight’s ABC’s The Bachelor!

We’re ready to see what happens with Julianna and Litia and up first is that each of the women get to meet Grant’s family. First up is Litia. She meets his mom, sister, and his father. It’s the first time in 10 years that apparently, his mom and dad have been in the same room! You can tell that she gets along well with his parents and even his sister says that she liked her from the beginning. The family likes her, they both let each know that they love one another which is the first time that she has ever said that to anyone. Their date seems like it went well.

In Julianna’s date you can see that her and Grant are quite a match. She lets his mom know that she has not said that she is in love with him and is hesitant and has been holding back a bit. His mom sees that she may not be there yet. She tells him that if she doesn’t say that she loves him, he needs to walk away. Interestingly enough, she does tell him that she loves him so now it’s interesting to see how everything will play out.

We come back to the stage and see Charity, Gerry, and Clayton who provide their opinions on what it’s like to make those decisions. They give their thoughts and even Joan gets to weigh in as well!

Now that both women have met his family, they will not have their last individual dates. Julianna and Grant are in Punta Cana getting time together as they sail around the island. You can see that they have a great bond with one another. During their night date, he asks her if she will break his heart as an engagement is coming up. She acknowledges that she has held back, but that she doesn’t want to hurt him. She lets him know that through this process, she knows that she can commit to him and that she feels that they can handle the road ahead and she says that she is ready.

Litia’s date includes riding horse and there was a bit of rain that allowed them to talk and connect again. Later on they talk as they try to figure out how they would navigate their life as he wants time to travel and she wants have children. She let him know that when you are with someone, it’s about compromise and she is ready for that.

As he decides who he will pick, his father comes by and tells him that he will make the right decision. We’re back with Neil Lane as he selects a ring for the woman that he intends to ask.

As we finally arrive to the venue which is raining, Grant has to let Jesse know who he will see first. He seems that he is still undecided and he lets him know that he has gone back and forth with his decision.

The first one out of the limo is Litia who makes her way to Grant. Although he said sweet things to her, he opted to not get engaged to her. He definitely let her feel that things were going in a certain direction throughout their time together and to change it up at the end after promising her that it would be them - is shocking. We hear more about what he promised her when she chatted with Jesse and it’s such a shame to see that how he presented himself and what happened is so far apart. Grant makes his way on the stage and Litia tells him that she thinks he started out with great intentions, but along the way he continued to say things to her where she had no way of thinking that he wasn’t sure.

We’re back in Punta Cana and we had to remember that we still have to wait to hear what happens with Julianna! He tells us that he wants to be with her. We know that she wants to be with him as well and ultimately, he does ask to marry her. We can see how happy they look while they are in the Dominican Republic. She receives the final rose.

RECEIVED A ROSE AT THE FINALE | Juliana.

DIDN’T RECEIVE A ROSE | Litia

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

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GRANT GAVE THE FINAL ROSE TO

JULIANA

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THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ALEXE

ALLI JO

ALLYSHIA

BAILEY

BEVERLY

CAROLINA

CHLOIE

CHRISTINA

DINA

ELLA

J'NAE

JULIANA

KELSEY

KYLEIGH

LITIA

NATALIE

NEICEY

PARISA

RADHIKA

REBEKAH

ROSE

SARAFIENA

SAVANNAH

VICKY

ZOE

THE BACHELOR S29. E8. | FANTASY SUITES TIME!

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC/The Bachelor Key Art

PHOTO CREDIT FOR THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS | Disney/Matt Sayles

Last week, we enjoyed the Women Tell All and we got to hear from the previous women that were on the show. It’s time for Fantasy Suites on this week’s ABC’s The Bachelor! We find ourselves in the Dominican Republic with Grant who takes some time to play basketball with Jesse Palmer. We know that his first date is with Julianna and she’s catching up with Daisy from Joey’s season - to get her advice. Grant and Julianna go ATV’ing together in the jungle. He lets her know that he likes her and is falling for her. He feels that although she has told him that, that she is still holding back as well. He hopes that she can open up more so that he can get to know her better. They chat with one another at dinner, dig deeper, he says he’s falling in love with her and it seems like she is very happy. When the Fantasy Suites card comes out, they decide to spend time together and he feels that it feels right to be with her. He’s looking forward to being with her away from all of the noise and just to spend time with her. It seems like they both had a great night and Juliana lets him know that she will spiral for a bit while waiting to see him again.

We move onto Zoe who is a bit nervous. This is also the first time that she will have 1-on-1 time with him. She gets the chance to talk with Rachel who was on Joey’s season as she also got the least amount of time when she was competing for him. It will be interesting to see her interaction with him because she has only had stolen moments with him as opposed to an official solo date.

They meet up and learn that they will do a yoga date where they will have to be quiet the entire time. The fact that she has had the least amount of time with him to talk, why would they get a date where there is no talking? There is something to be said for this style of date, it’s just tough when she hasn’t had solo time with him. It’ll be interesting to see what the dinner portion of the date will be.

As they sit down for dinner, he acknowledges that although they didn’t have a 1-on-1 date, he always knew he liked her and wanted to meet her family at Hometowns. Hearing them chat felt like they were in week 1 or even week 3 - we can’t imagine that he will select her even though they went to the Fantasy Suites.

They finish their date with a picnic on the beach the next morning. It seems like they had a good time and he got to know more about her.

We end the Fantasy Suites with Litia - it will be interesting to see how their date goes. She meets up with Kaity from Zach’s season (which she ended up winning). We remember how when Katie was in her season, she was so sad to hear how Zach was having relations with the other women during Fantasy Suites. She validates Litia’s feelings and lets her know it is ok to say that she doesn’t want to know about what happened with the other women. It’s also interesting to hear Litia say that if it is them in the end, they can talk about what happened previously, but she doesn’t want to know what is happening.

We finally see Grant and Litia together and they are going ziplining but she lets us know that she doesn’t like adventure so this is not the date for her. She is excited for her date, but she is apprehensive because she doesn’t want to engage in physical intimacy due to this being a week of dates where this could be happening with other women. As the date continues to dinner, they talk about her being a wife and mother and he knows her timeline is much quicker than his. Although he wanted to delay children for awhile, he recognizes that if he is with her, he will have to push that up to compromise. She also lets him know that she doesn’t want to hear about his relationships with other women that are still there and he lets her know that he respects and understands where she is coming from. He gives her the Fantasy Suite card. She reads it and says that although she thinks that he is a great guy, she lets him know that sex is not on the table for her. He tells her he respects it and he likes her maturity and he knows what her priorty is. He says that he loves her and you can see that she is visibly moved. She tells him that love means safety and support. They go to the room to continue chatting.

The next morning, we see them enjoying breakfast together. You can definitely see a connection with one another and she had let him know earlier that although he met her family in Utah, she would move.

With all 3 dates complete, it’s time to see who will continue to the finale. Jesse meets up with Grant and they chat ahead of his decision. Ultimately, he selects Litia and Juliana.

RECEIVED A ROSE DURING HOMETOWNS | Litia and Juliana.

DIDN’T RECEIVE A ROSE | Zoe

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

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WHO CONTINUED BEYOND FANTASY SUITES

JULIANA

LITIA

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THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ALEXE

ALLI JO

ALLYSHIA

BAILEY

BEVERLY

CAROLINA

CHLOIE

CHRISTINA

DINA

ELLA

J'NAE

JULIANA

KELSEY

KYLEIGH

LITIA

NATALIE

NEICEY

PARISA

RADHIKA

REBEKAH

ROSE

SARAFIENA

SAVANNAH

VICKY

ZOE

THE BACHELOR S29. E7. | THE WOMEN TELL ALL

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC/The Bachelor Key Art

PHOTO CREDIT FOR THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS | Disney/Matt Sayles

We’re getting towards the end of the season of ABC’s The Bachelor! Last week was Hometowns and next week will be Fantasy Suites - that means tonight is the Women Tell All where we catch up with those who were eliminated and some of the story lines that surrounded Grant and the cast. We also get to hear Jesse Palmer’s take on all of it.

We look at the season overall in terms of an extended trailer and Jesse digs in on some of the moments and storylines that took place during the women’s time on the show. Of course, they mention that Zoe took Grant away for an hour during the group basketball date, he also talks about Carolina and how she became a villain (of course, she shows up to the WTA with a jacket with some of her “famous” quotes), and they try to get into what took place between her and Rose that also became a source of contention as well. Carolina leaves the set as they go to commercial and no one is surprised!

Coming back from commercial, Carolina is still not there but Alexe talks about their relationship with Jesse on the hot seat. Everyone thought that they would go the distance - or at least Hometowns, but Jesse brings another love of her life - the No Drama Llama! During their conversation Carolina comes back walking in front of a camera (couldn’t production have made sure that didn’t happen)? We then hear from Sarafiena who was also someone we thought would make it to Hometowns. Last up is Dina who gets to chat with Jesse. We kind of felt that when her family didn’t come to their date, that would be an issue for him. But it’s not like she didn’t have any representation and it’s a shame that he let her feel that them not being there wouldn’t be an issue for him. It’s an interesting take that because there were some in her family that was interested in meeting Grant and those that weren’t, she didn’t want to create division so she opted to just have her friends there. Of course, Carolina is the final person who comes to the hot seat. She continues to deflect and not take accountability while asking and hoping that Grant will be able to do so!

Grant finally makes his way onto the stage. He talks with a number of the women to talk about their time in the house and lets them know that ultimately, he was looking for the best fit for him. He also chats with Jesse and has a Chubby Bunny competition with him - Jesse won. We also get a bit of a peek into the season finale as well.

RECEIVED A ROSE DURING HOMETOWNS | Litia, Julianna, and Zoe.

DIDN’T RECEIVE A ROSE |

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

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WHO WE’LL SEE AT FANTASY SUITES

JULIANA

LITIA

ZOE

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THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ALEXE

ALLI JO

ALLYSHIA

BAILEY

BEVERLY

CAROLINA

CHLOIE

CHRISTINA

DINA

ELLA

J'NAE

JULIANA

KELSEY

KYLEIGH

LITIA

NATALIE

NEICEY

PARISA

RADHIKA

REBEKAH

ROSE

SARAFIENA

SAVANNAH

VICKY

ZOE

THE BACHELOR S29. E6. | IT'S TIME FOR HOMETOWNS

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC/The Bachelor Key Art

PHOTO CREDIT FOR THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS | Disney/Matt Sayles

This season has moved quickly - it’s Hometowns on ABC’s The Bachelor. Grant heads to Boston to meet up with Julianna. They’re going to enjoy Little Italy in her hometown and he learns how to make pizza. They pick flowers together and they even make canolis which is a fun way for them to continue to meet one another.

They make their way to her home and he meets so many people and has 1-on-1 conversations with her parents and you can see that they get along. He lets her know that he is falling in love with her as she told him that last week!

He heads out to NYC to enjoy his next Hometown with Zoe. We see them in Central Park walking around. We know that Grant is originally from NJ so it’s familiar for him. He’s going to meet her family and friends. In addition to her working in tech, she takes him to a shoot with BRIDE’S magazine where they will do 3 looks together. They also meet her family and get to know them more. It seems that it went well although we don’t see them going the distance.

His next date takes him to Wyoming to meet Litia. He is nervous as he knows that not being Mormon may be an issue. They ride horses in the countryside together. They meet her family and then her mom lets her know that she has a surprise and there are even more people there then who he met at Julianna’s! Litia’s mom lets her know that she needs to let Grant know how she feels.

The final Hometowns takes place in Chicago with Dina! She tells him that her family is not going to meet with him because they don’t like the process although it is not a reflection on him. She lets him know that if they go forward, he would get to meet them and they would support their relationship. In addition, she lets him know that they will get to be with her friends, but she is nervous about what this will mean for their relationship. Meeting her friends, we think that he can see how they are her family as well and they reassure him that when he finally meets her family, he will be embraced! The fact that none of her 11 siblings showed up is quite a pill to swallow - you would think that someone would have stepped forward.

With the Hometowns being over, Grant meets up with Joey to get his perspective on how he needs to look at the days ahead. While Joey chats with him, the women are back talking with one another. They realize that there isn’t much time left and they talk about their Hometown dates. Dina hears how everyone had people (and in many cases large families there).

The rose ceremony brings the 4 ladies together as he makes his choices. We finally see Jesse Palmer as he decides between Dina and Zoe for the final rose. playing golf and chatting with one another.

RECEIVED A ROSE | Litia, Julianna, and Zoe.

DIDN’T RECEIVE A ROSE | Dina

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

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WHO MADE IT PAST HOMETOWNS

JULIANA

LITIA

ZOE

---

THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ALEXE

ALLI JO

ALLYSHIA

BAILEY

BEVERLY

CAROLINA

CHLOIE

CHRISTINA

DINA

ELLA

J'NAE

JULIANA

KELSEY

KYLEIGH

LITIA

NATALIE

NEICEY

PARISA

RADHIKA

REBEKAH

ROSE

SARAFIENA

SAVANNAH

VICKY

ZOE

THE BACHELOR S29. E5. | WELCOME TO EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC/The Bachelor Key Art

PHOTO CREDIT FOR THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS | Disney/Matt Sayles

We left Madrid and now we’ve moved onto Edinburgh, Scotland for this week’s ABC’s The Bachelor. We see the women walking around the city and taking in the culture and we know this one is key since Hometowns are next week!

We also catch up with Grant Ellis and Jesse Palmer playing golf and chatting with one another. Jesse meets up with the women to let them know that this week is key and that there will be no roses on the dates, but there will be 2 1-on-1 dates during the week. We learn that Julianna is getting the first 1-on-1 date.

Their date takes them away on a helicopter - the other women see them lift off. They arrive at their castle for the day. Upon entering the castle, they meet a stylist who allows them to select a look for an activity that they will enjoy later on. After a selecting a formal outfit, they walk into a ballroom where a quartet plays for them and they are joined by others dancing.

Back with the rest of the women, the next date card arrives. Sarafiena, Alexe. Carolina, Dina, and Zoe are all on the group date together. Litia receives the 1-on-1. Zoe is bummed that she is the only person who has not gotten the 1-on-1. Zoe is sad and opts to go to bed, but Carolina of course is always the wet blanket of the group.

Back on Julianna’s and Grant’s date, they are having dinner together and getting to know one another a lot more. They connect on a series of similarities and we can tell that Julianna is a shoe in to go to Hometowns.

At the group date, they take in the culture of dancing, eating food of the region, and more. Carolina in her confessional says that dating as a group sucks and she doesn’t recomment it and that she will try to stay lowkey - I don’t see it. They begin to play games and to have a good time. Carolina of course goes back to pulling him away from everyone by refusing to play and interact with everyone else. The rest of the women on the date are ariing their grievances with one another about how Carolina operates and steals Grant at every turn. He was gone for the rest of the day. Now, the group date is in the second portion of the date. He lets them know he has fun, but the other women feel that their time was taken and they couldn’t share more about themselves.

The women let you Carolina know that stealing him throughout the date was rude and they can’t understand why she continues to pout and look like a damsel in distress. Dina also tells Grant that Carolina is a lot and he needs to think about whether he is really a match for her. Although he has heard this for weeks, he values Dina’s opinion and feels that there is more credability to what he has been hearing.

His date with Litia takes him around the town and you can see how easy it is with her. We’ve always like her for him and it’ll be interesting to see who will get the roses tonight as there have generally been good dates this week. We know that there will be more conversation between the 2 of them at dinner. She lets him know that she is Mormon and he listens to her and you can see their mutual connection.

The women arrive to find out whether they will move onto Hometowns. Carolina asks to talk with Dina before the ceremony starts. Carolina lets her know that she cares about her and recognizes how Dina stood up for her. Thankfully they get back downstairs in time for the ceremony.

RECEIVED A ROSE | Dina, Litia, Julianna, and Zoe.

DIDN’T RECEIVE A ROSE | Alexe, Carolina, Sarafiena

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

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WHO’S GOING TO HOMETOWNS

DINA

JULIANA

LITIA

ZOE

---

THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ALEXE

ALLI JO

ALLYSHIA

BAILEY

BEVERLY

CAROLINA

CHLOIE

CHRISTINA

DINA

ELLA

J'NAE

JULIANA

KELSEY

KYLEIGH

LITIA

NATALIE

NEICEY

PARISA

RADHIKA

REBEKAH

ROSE

SARAFIENA

SAVANNAH

VICKY

ZOE

THE BACHELOR S29. E4. | WELCOME TO MADRID

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC/The Bachelor Key Art

PHOTO CREDIT FOR THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS | Disney/Matt Sayles

It’s time to travel and we’re making our way to Madris with Grant Ellis and the ladies who are competing for him in this week’s episode ofABC’s The Bachelor. Before we head out, the fallout of The Prom and all the drama that took place between Carolina and Rose took the wind out of everyone’s sales. The women talk about what took place and everyone feels that her extra took time took away from everyone else. She felt that she got the clarity that she needed although it may not have been ideal for everyone.

Jesse Palmer lets them know that they are heading to Madrid and need to meet up with Grant as he has already left. We fast forward to watching Grant walk around the city and the women arrive seeing where they will stay for the next few days. Grant and Jesse catch up playing basketball as well as finding out how the process is going with him. Finally, Grant meets up with the women as they all enjoy sangria. He lets them know there is a 1-on-1 date and he selected Dina to join him. They walk around the city and play soccer with kids in the street randomly. They also dance in the streets for an impromptu session. They head to the Store of Wishes which has letters outside of the shop and they are asked to write a note to affix to the wall. They even take a boat as he navigates around the area. They continue on to dinner where they can get to know one another better. The date ends with them being serenaded as they dance and she receives the rose of the night.

Back at the hotel, the other women are enjoying some down time. They all believe that Dina is coming back with a 1-on-1 and they mention that they would like to have a 1-on-1. Carolina says that she wishes she had more time, but she had her time with him in Vegas and other women have only been on group dates. The women feel that she is ungrateful and entitled and it shows that she does not play by the rules when it comes to sharing him. The group date card arrives and Alexe, Litia, Carolina, Natalie, Rose, Parisa, Julianna, and Zoe will be on the next date. Sarcastically, during Carolina’s confessional, she shares with the audience that of course she is excited to be on a date with multiple women and maybe she will see him kiss other women. That means that Sarafiena will have a 1-on-1 with him.

The group date has arrived and the women are navigating the city on their way to meeting him. They will enjoy a tour and they will ride through the city on donkeys. They train how to be matadors with a wheelbarrow bull. They change into their outfits to compete against one another. Whoever stays on the longest on the mechanical bull will be the winner. They even have an intimate audience watching as well as commentators. Each of the women use a different technique to try and stay on. Alexe and Zoe are the frontrunners and Zoe ends up getting special time with Grant ultimately.

At the after date cocktail party, the women look to spend more time with him. He wants to have good vibes and to be able to learn more about them. Rose chats with Grant about what took place the week before and she lets him know that she didn’t know if she would still be able to stay and hopes that they can continue building on what they have. He lets her know that there is room for growth.

In Zoe’s time with Grant, she lets him know that she can have a hard time opening up to people because she grew up in the South, was adopted, , and there was a lot of abuse that she was involved in. It definitely gives another perspective into how she operates the way that she does.

Carolina complains to the women again about her issues that she has with Grant when she always feels that something wrong is going on. Julianna pulls her aside and lets her know that when she does that and talking about being unsure, she would leave as she thinks it’s unfair for her to stay.

Although she was pulled away, when she comes back Carolina brings it up and they all chat. By the time Grant arrives, she is full on crying and he pulls her aside (again to chat with her) and tries to make her feel better. He decides not to give out a rose for the group date. Julianna feels bad that in pulling her aside to chat has now made all the women get wrapped up in the event.

The 1-on-1 date with Sarafiena kicks off as they are riding around Madrid. They are jumping off the bridge in the pouring rain? After the jump, they make their way to dinner to get to know more about one another. She shares how many times peopel feel that she is good on paper and then things don’t go past that. She lets him know that she is there for the right reason and she wants to be a mom and to have a family. She knows that she didn’t have that kind of love in her life with her family. She gets the date night rose.

The cocktail party arrives for the rose ceremony for the women. Carolina hopes that she won’t cry again which she shares with the women. He lets them know that he has had a great time with the women and that the group date party was a bit much and he heard a few things that were a bit concerning. He asks to see Julianna to find out her side of the story. Julianna tells him that she and the other women do not like hearing the negative things that Carolina says and it bothers them. He tells her that he appreciates her sharing and that it shows how mature she is. Even Grant says that having a private jet and being in Vegas wasn’t enough for her and he finds her behavior to be immature.

He talks with Carolina and lets her know to hear these conversations are having and that she is not telling him what is going on. They speak and yet again there is an issue between Rose and Carolina and other women no longer get the opportunity to speak with him. In addition, Rose decides to leave because she doesn’t feel that it is a healthy environment for her. He lets the women know that Rose has left.

RECEIVED A ROSE | Alexe, Carolina, Dina, Litia, Julianna, Sarafiena, and Zoe.

DIDN’T RECEIVE A ROSE | Natalie, Parisa, Rose (decides to leave)

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

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WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS

ALEXE

CAROLINA

JULIANA

LITIA

---

THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ALEXE

ALLI JO

ALLYSHIA

BAILEY

BEVERLY

CAROLINA

CHLOIE

CHRISTINA

DINA

ELLA

J'NAE

JULIANA

KELSEY

KYLEIGH

LITIA

NATALIE

NEICEY

PARISA

RADHIKA

REBEKAH

ROSE

SARAFIENA

SAVANNAH

VICKY

ZOE

THE BACHELOR S29. E3. | CONTINUING ON THE JOURNEY

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC/The Bachelor Key Art

PHOTO CREDIT FOR THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS | Disney/Matt Sayles

We continue on as Grant Ellist navigates the world of ABC’s The Bachelor. We see the ladies competing for him settle into the house and interact with one another. Jesse Palmer arrives and lets them know that in addition to it being an emotional night, he wants them to know about the 2 1-on-1 dates and there will be 1 large group date. The group date includes Natalie, Bailey, Alexe, Alli Jo, Chloie, Serafina, Parisa, Dina, Rose, Litia, Zoe, and Julianna.

With the group date set, we know that Carolina and Beverly will have a 1-on-1 date.

The group date involves The Bachelor School of Finance. Hannah Berner and Daniel Lubetzky of Kind Snacks are part of the date as well. The women don colorful power suits. Whoever wins the most Grant Bucks will win perks in the After Party. Grant Bucks are acquired by answering an array of questions some being finance-oriented and others that weren’t. Bailey ends up winning the most Grant Bucks and looks forward to seeing what that will give her later.

At the After Party, Bailey (in front of the other girls) is given a menu of what she can spend her Grant Bucks on. She decides that she will buy a shirt of his to sleep in as well as desert with him. She leaves him wearing his shirt. Zoe has decided to bring everyone down by being upset in general. She then goes to him and says that she feels that she is being belittled by the other women. He connects with all of the women and gets to know more about the women. Parisa gets the group date rose. He lets the women know that bullying should not taka place. The women figure out the Zoe created this and even when they tried to find out from her, she says that they are being mean to her.

The day after he group date, the women are crying because of how Zoe left everything. Thankfully, we move on to Carolina’s date which starts off with a private jet that will take them to Vegas. They jumped off the side of a building which made them closer and Grant is looking forward to having dinner with her at a beach club. She wants to chat with him to tell her about a condition that she is battling as she knows that for some people, it has been a turnoff. She is prone to seizures and she was very upset by telling him this and he said that he would be there for her.

We find out that Beverly’s 1-on-1 won’t be happening as she is sick and that she won’t be coming back! A date is still in the works as Sarafiena, Litia, and Dina will be going to Vanderpump Dogs to hang out with some puppies. They have photoshoots with the dogs and they take pictures of one another. Lisa Vanderpump herself makes an appearance to see them. She lets them know that they will volunteer with the dogs. Dina and Grant wash a dog together and get to know each other a bit more. Sarafiena and Grant walk a dog together. Litia and him sit outside with their dog to talk about what attracts them to one another. With this 3-on-1 date going so well, he decides to take Litia out for dinner and the other women will go back to the house.

They go to City Hall to have dinner together. He tells Litia about his family life and how his father suffered from his addictions and his mom kept the family going. Litia shares her backstory as she lets him know that her father passed away and they both see that they want to have a solid family. She is given the rose.

Allegedly, Rose tells Carolina that during their first group date, while he was dancing with her, he was actually thinking of Rose which kept her going into a deeper spiral. As the girls talk about the date, Carolina is annoyed that Litia has a rose and even told women earlier that she wishes she didn’t even have her date although it went well. The cocktail party is themed with a prom theme and he sends corsages to all of them. He arrives and let them know that he never went to his high school prom because he focused on basketball. Gary, Jack, Keith and Jonathan from The Golden Bachelorette are with him They all start dancing and take in all of the fun! They enjoy games, pictures, and advice from the men. Even Jack is grilling up a storm - as per usual.

Carolina is so annoyed that while Rose is chatting with Grant, she calls him loudly to say that someone told her that he was thinking of her while she was being danced with. He asks her who said that and lets her know that not only is it a lie, but he doesn’t like that his character is being questioned. Carolina says that she doesn’t want to make it a thing and won’t tell him. Through a process of elimination he realizes it has to be Rose. He asks her and Rose says that that is what she thought she heard him say. He lets her know that that is not what was said and we think that her time is going to be shortlived in the house. The Golden Bachelorette men give Grant the crown as King and each of the women get them as Queens. In dealing with the Rose and Carolina situation the remaining ladies that didn’t have a chance to chat with him are even more annoyed as Carolina had a rose and they had been watching her spiral over the past few days.

RECEIVED A ROSE | Alexe, Carolina, Dina, Litia, Julianna, Natalie, Rose, Sarafiena, and Zoe.

DIDN’T RECEIVE A ROSE | Alli Jo, Bailey, Beverly, Chloie, and Parisa.

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

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WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS

ALEXE

CAROLINA

JULIANA

LITIA

---

THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ALEXE

ALLI JO

ALLYSHIA

BAILEY

BEVERLY

CAROLINA

CHLOIE

CHRISTINA

DINA

ELLA

J'NAE

JULIANA

KELSEY

KYLEIGH

LITIA

NATALIE

NEICEY

PARISA

RADHIKA

REBEKAH

ROSE

SARAFIENA

SAVANNAH

VICKY

ZOE

THE BACHELOR S29. E2. | THE DATES BEGIN

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC/The Bachelor Key Art

PHOTO CREDIT FOR THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS | Disney/Matt Sayles

We met the women of this season’s S29 of ABC’s The Bachelor. We also got to learn more about Grant Ellis and what he is looking for as well. We see the women settling in and what they do during their downtime when they are in between dates. Jesse Palmer pops in and he lets them know that they are the 18 women who will get to continue. He reminds Alexe that since she got the First Impression rose, wh will have the first 1-on-1 date. He leaves the date card after telling them that there will be 3 dates. Beverly, Sarafiena, Alli Jo, Natalie, Parisa, Vicky, Chloie, Zoe, Julianna, and Allyshia will be on the first group date. It seems like this date will involve basketball and their date starts now. This date also involves children playing with them as well. They all shoot around, dunk, etc and then when it’s time for Zoe to do it, she forfeits and then decides to shoot her shot by taking Grant upstairs to have a few minutes alone with him. Clearly, the women are not pleased with this move as they felt that it wasn’t the time to do that then. When they arrive to the other women giving them some severe stares, they learn that they will play 5-on-5 and whoever the MVP is will get Grant’s Letterman Jacket in The Bachelor Basketball Showdown. Chloie ends up winning as MVP and gets Grant’s jacket. The women definitely battled it out on the court and even lost some of their press on nails! There are definitely a lot of feelings that took place.

At the cocktail party for the group date, he congratulates them on putting their effort forward. He asks Chloie to spend some time with him and he lets her know that the radiance that she has is amazing. She got a kiss when they were together and she also got one when she received the jacket. While Chloie is with Grant, the ladies let her know that she overstepped when he took her away.

The Group Date Rose is given to Natalie (she helped one of the little girls calm down when she was out of breath) and you can see the other women happy that at least Zoe didn’t get the rose as she had monopolized Grant’s time multiple times throughout the date and cocktail party.

The next day, we see the women lounging and enjoying the house. Alexe has her 1-on-1 date with Grant which is taking place at the Beverly Center which is closed. They enjoy getting to know one another and she received the rose.

The group date is about to kick off as we get to the next day. Bailey, Carolina, Dina, Ella, Litia, Rebekah, and Rose walk into the space and Mario is serenading them! They’re going to write a song to Grant, perform it, and dance in front of a live audience. Robin Antin assisted them with choreography and she is the creator of the Pussycat Dolls. Carolina wins for her lyrics and she gets to dance with Grant and get serenaded by Mario! She also straddles him and goes in for an epic kiss (that was quite long). Clearly that would be uncomfortable for the other women to see.

The cocktail party after the group date begins. He lets them know that he had a great time with them but he feels that the vibe is off (it’s probably because of the makeout session that they all had to watch). He asked to chat with Rebekah and he asked her if he did something wrong. She lets him know that group dates are tough but she understands that he will need to do what is necessary in order to find his person She walks away feeling good with their interaction. Rebekah chats with the women and Caroline asks for why she feels that the vibe is off - she says it’s tough when he can only choose one person. It’s great that she didn’t say, “well you did a major make out session that we all saw.”

He talks with each of the women to know more about them and where they are coming from. He tells Litia that he is also sick of dating and he gets it. Caroline brings up her experience as well. It was definitely a safe space for all of the women. Grant gives the Group Date Rose to Litia.

As the women get ready for the Cocktail Party, all the women are thinking about the time that they have with Grant. He lets them know that he is happy that they are there and he is appreciative of them giving their time to him. He feels that his person is in the room. Each of the women spends time with him to find out more about what he thinks about things that matter to him.

RECEIVED A ROSE | Alexe, Alli Jo, Bailey, Beverly, Carolina, Chloie, Dina, Litia, Julianna, Natalie, Parisa, Rose, Sarafiena, and Zoe.

DIDN’T RECEIVE A ROSE | Allyshia, Ella, Rebekah, and Vicky,

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

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WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS

ALEXE

ALLI JO

CAROLINA

JULIANA

---

THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ALEXE

ALLI JO

ALLYSHIA

BAILEY

BEVERLY

CAROLINA

CHLOIE

CHRISTINA

DINA

ELLA

J'NAE

JULIANA

KELSEY

KYLEIGH

LITIA

NATALIE

NEICEY (

PARISA

RADHIKA

REBEKAH

ROSE

SARAFIENA

SAVANNAH

VICKY

ZOE

THE BACHELOR S29. E1. | WELCOME TO THE BACHELOR SEASON 29!

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC/The Bachelor Key Art

PHOTO CREDIT FOR THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS | Disney/Matt Sayles

We are back with S29 of ABC’s The Bachelor which is led by Grant Ellis who was on Jenn Tran’s S21 of The Bachelorette! We watched him navigate his relationship with her until he was eliminated in week 6 right before Hometowns.

We get to meet Grant through a series of photoshoots, seeing him play basketball, we meet his family, and we catch up with why he’s ready to be The Bachelor and how he will navigate the process. We hear about his father’s addiction, his parents divorced, and how he felt that although he loved them, they didn’t say that to one another. Basketball gave him the ability to focus on what he was going through.

We also see him give his First Impression Rose to his grandmother to let her know that he will always love her and she is his number one. He meets Jesse Palmer as his journey is moments from starting and they figure out how he will take on the night.

We meet Rose who steps out of the limo first and she asks him, will he accept this rose? Litia is a cutie who is Mormon and was born in Hawaii. SHe comes from a large family and although she’s not great at basketball, she says that he can bring the skills and she will bring the sparkle. J’nae brought chalk and it was such a cute moment between the 2 of them because she is a basketball fan. The women really brought it by sharing themselves and finding cute ways for him to remember them. It’s always interesting to see the reactions of the other castmembers as they watch the other entrances and this year, having a Llama in the group is quite a sight to see.

All the women have finally arrived and are in the house. He welcomes all of them and thanks them for their entrance and being there. He lets the know he is looking for a wife, he wants, a family and he asks them what does love mean to them? He lets them know what it means to him. He also shares that his mom signed him up for the show in case they weren’t aware. Grant’s sister also swings by to let the women know more about him as well as to meet him.

The First Impression Rose means a lot more this season as she will be guaranteed to come into the mansion but she will also get the first 1-on-1 dayte! Alexe is the first one to get the rose. Going into tonight’s episode, we guessed based on profiles alone that Alexe, Alli Jo, Allyshia, and Julianna would go to Hometowns. We now know that so far all of the women we predicted are closer to getting there.

RECEIVED A ROSE | Alexe, Alli Jo, Allyshia, Bailey, Beverly, Carolina, Chloie, Dina, Ella, Litia, Julianna, Natalie, Parisa, Rebekah, Rose, Sarafiena, Vicky, and Zoe

DIDN’T RECEIVE A ROSE | Christina, J’Nae, Kelsey, Kyleigh, Neicey, Radhika, and Savannah

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

---

WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS

ALEXE

ALLI JO

ALLYSHIA

JULIANA

---

THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ALEXE

ALLI JO

ALLYSHIA

BAILEY

BEVERLY

CAROLINA

CHLOIE

CHRISTINA

DINA

ELLA

J'NAE

JULIANA

KELSEY

KYLEIGH

LITIA

NATALIE

NEICEY

PARISA

RADHIKA

REBEKAH

ROSE

SARAFIENA

SAVANNAH

VICKY

ZOE

THE BACHELOR S29. E0. | MEET GRANT AND THE WOMEN ON THIS SEASON

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC/The Bachelor Key Art

PHOTO CREDIT FOR THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS | Disney/Matt Sayles

On Jan 27th, we will be glued to our screens to enjoy S29 of ABC’s The Bachelor which is being helmed by Grant Ellis who was on Jenn Tran’s S21 of The Bachelorette! We watched him navigate his relationship with her until he was eliminated in week 6 right before Hometowns!

A few weeks back, a first look of the women competing in his season was provided via ABC’s The Bachelor Facebook account!

They just released the contestants official images and we wanted to make sure you see these women.

As we do each season, we have shared these images (we’ll update their ABC gallery images) and we’ll begin to make the best guess on who will be going to Hometowns! We can’t wait to see how Grant and Jesse Palmer will vibe as he continues through the season and what surprises will be along the way.

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

---

WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS

ALEXE

ALLI JO

ALLYSHIA

JULIANA

---

THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ALEXE

ALLI JO

ALLYSHIA

BAILEY

BEVERLY

CAROLINA

CHLOIE

CHRISTINA

DINA

ELLA

J'NAE

JULIANA

KELSEY

KYLEIGH

LITIA

NATALIE

NEICEY

PARISA

RADHIKA

REBEKAH

ROSE

SARAFIENA

SAVANNAH

VICKY

ZOE

THE BACHELOR S29. E0. | MEET GRANT AND THE WOMEN ON HIS JOURNEY

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC/The Bachelor Key Art

On Jan 27th, we will be glued to our screens to enjoy S29 of ABC’s The Bachelor which is being helmed by Grant Ellis who was on Jenn Tran’s S21 of The Bachelorette! We watched him navigate his relationship with her until he was eliminated in week 6 right before Hometowns!

A few weeks back, a first look of the women competing in his season was provided via ABC’s The Bachelor Facebook account! (where you can see videos that include more information on him as well as sneak peeks on the upcoming season!

As we do each season, we have shared these images (we’ll update their ABC gallery images) and we’ll begin to make the best guess on who will be going to Hometowns! We can’t wait to see how Grant and Jesse Palmer will vibe as he continues through the season and what surprises will be along the way.

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

---

WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS

ALEXE

ALLIE JO

ALLYSHIA

JULIANA

---

THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ALEXE

ALLIE JO

ALLYSHIA

ANDREA

BAILEY

BEVERLY

CAROLINA

CHLOIE

CHRISTINA

DINA

ELLA

J'NAE

JULIANA

KYLEIGH

KELSEY

LITIA

NATALIE

NEICEY

PARISA

RADHIKA

REBECCA L.

REBEKAH G.

ROSE

SAVANNAH

SARAFIENA

VICKY

ZOE

THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE S1. E9. | IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE FINALE

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Ricky Middlesworth

How is it the finale of The Golden Bachelorette? We see some of The Golden Bachelor contestants in the audience and Grant, who will start his journey as The Bachelor is in the audience! Jesse Palmer is definitely bringing the energy as he’s with the live audience.

We know that Joan Vassos was sad when Pascal left. She shares how even though she has been vulnerable, her walls have come back up because she is so hurt by what happened - how could he not love her? What will this mean for the remaining men Guy and Chock? Nancy is still on the boat and she comes over to give love to Joan. She also gives her the words she needs to hear to continue on and lets her know that regardless of what happens, the remaining men are there for her and have shown her that - especially Chock when he came back after his mother died! She is the hype woman that we all need when things go left!

She finally gets to see her family and they have a moment and give their blessing to what she has been doing in this process. Chock gets to meet them first! The family thinks he’s a great fit and they also get to chat and hang out on their own. Chock tells her that he loves her and is a bit sad she doesn’t say it back although he understands as there is still another man there.

While Guy gets ready for his date, Joan comes to the realization that after hearing Chock say that he is in love with her, she has fallen for him. She makes her way to Guy as she knows that she can’t go on a date with him as her heart is elsewhere. She sits down to chat with him. She lets him know that instead of putting him through meeting her family and going through the motion, she wanted to tell him now. You can see how Guy is really sad and crying hearing this news.

Back in the studio, Guy is on the couch.Guy and Jesse chat about what it was like to watch it back. Then Joan chats with Guy and you can see how much that she cares for him. She hopes that can double date with one another.

With only Chock left, we see Joan get ready to meet him. He’s still nervous that she hasn’t said that she loves him; however, they are on the beach and he professes his love to her and tells her that he wants her in his life! She talks about their Disneyland date let her know that she wanted him in her life. She knew that when he left because of the death of his mother, that she really liked him and she felt safe. She was excited that he came back adn she saw him differently and she finally says that she loves him. He asks her to marry him, she says yes, and she gives him the final rose! They call Joan’s mom and tell her the good news. We see them float away and it looks like a great match.

Back on the couch, they share more about their love story and what they did after the show. Chock talks about spending time with her, but not being able to tell anyone about it. Jesse gives them a trip to Disneyland that they can enjoy with their families as that was something that they had mentioned when they were on their first date. Jesse also reminds us that The Bachelor will start on Jan 23rd and we have a preview of the upcoming season!

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

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JOAN’S FIANCE

CHOCK

GUY

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

BOB

BILL

CHARLES K

CHARLES L.

CHOCK

CHRISTOPHER

DAN

DAVID

GARY

GREGG

GUY

GIL

JACK

JONATHAN

JORDAN H.

KEITH

KEN

KIM B.

MARK A.

MICHAEL

PABLO

PASCAL

RJ

THOMAS

THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE S1. E8. | THE MEN TELL ALL

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Ricky Middlesworth

Last week’s The Golden Bachelorette was a tough one! 3 dates with the remaining guys after their Hometowns and Joan Vassos has to really get the answers and insight that she was looking for! Who knew that Pascale would leave as he was always our favorite! Only Guy and Chock are left and we’ll have to waut until next week to see them. As we wait for the part 2 of this finale, we head into the The Men Tell All! This lets us catch up with our favorites and to get more info on what went down during the season.

We join Jesse Palmer who will make sure that we get all of our questions ready and surely, he will tease the upcoming episode as well. Seeing the men back definitely felt like seeing old friends. Jesse lets us know that they have also their kids there as we all loved seeing the videos that were made to share their love for their dads. Jesse talks about their experience, kickball, Chippendales, and so much more! We also got to hear about grill gate and it’s such a nice walk down memory lane. We also hear that Michael was battling cancer when he was on the show. He is fine now, but so interesting to hear some of the backstory that we didn’t know about these men.

The first person to join the hot seat is Jonathan who was eliminated after Joan went to his Hometown. We get to see his experience on the show and we see how emotional he was when he was sent home. He shares that the experience was incredible and she made him feel seen. We also saw the bromance between Mark and Jonathan! Who knew that they were such buddies - Mark leaving the post-it-notes for Jonathan is so sweet!

Mark joins the hot seat as we know him from Joey’s (who is in the audience and taking a break from Dancing with the Stars) season on The Bachelor and we all knew he would be a great contestant for The Golden Bachelorette! We watch how his story unfolds on the show and without a doubt, he was great to be part of this group of men!

The moment we have been waiting for - Charles L is in the hot seat! Who doesn’t love this man? Seeing his journey was such a sweet moment. He even says that he didn’t know who Jesse was at the time and not to take an offense to it! His daughter says that after being on the show, they went to a wedding in London and he had a new confidence and he hit the dance floor! He said he is ready to date again and that his body is lighter and he hopes that he will meet the lucky one. An audience member said that he should be the next The Golden Bachelor and if not, she has a mom who is single.

We see that Pascal gave the men a self-care day with a bit of meditation. They have face masks and even did a meditation that he learned in India. The men enjoyed it.Of course we learn that he didn’t know anything about meditation!

We get to see Kim’s time on the show - including the Mansion Men song. The Gay Men’s Chorus of LA sing Kim’s song the treatment that it deserves and it was a pretty cool way to see the show! You can see how moved Kim is to see his song come to life and he shakes each member of the chorus’ hand.

Pascal comes to the hot seat as we watch how his time on the show progressed until his self-proclaimed exit. We definitely thought that they would end up together, but unfortunately, that was not in the cards. Pascal lets Jesse know that seeing his exit from the show was emotional and that it was so hard for him to say goodbye to her. He did not intend to hurt her, he just knows that he couldn’t give her what she wanted. He said that being with the men, he learned a lot for them about being vulnerable. His son also acknowledges that when he saw him being vulnerable, it helped him see that that is something that he can be without feeling that it makes him less than.

Joan joins the men and looks fabulous! Jesse acknowledges that we saw her last week and we know that she has been going through it, but she looks great sitting on the couch. He talks about the first night and what her experience has been. Gary sends love to Joan’s mother as he wrote a prayer for her when she wasn’t feeling well. Charles says he misses her and that being with her was a turning point. She lets him know that he looks so handsome and that he has such a pure heart. She promises to exchange phone numbers with him. Jonathan also sends love to her and lets her know that has met someone and that he is happy. Pascal and Joan exchange words and you can see the love that is between them. She lets them know that she misses them and she wants to stay friends and in connection with them.

It’s been one of our favorite The Men Tell All episodes! We get to see some amazing bloopers and a peek into the finale episode!

JOAN DIDN’T GIVE ROSES OUT THIS DURING FINALE PART I | Chock, Guy

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

---

THE FINAL TWO!

CHOCK

GUY

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

BOB

BILL

CHARLES K

CHARLES L.

CHOCK

CHRISTOPHER

DAN

DAVID

GARY

GREGG

GUY

GIL

JACK

JONATHAN

JORDAN H.

KEITH

KEN

KIM B.

MARK A.

MICHAEL

PABLO

PASCAL

RJ

THOMAS

THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE S1. E7. | WELCOME TO FANTASY SUITES

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Ricky Middlesworth

This week’s The Golden Bachelorette bring us the first portion of the Finale! With the cold opening, we can tell that something has taken place that has shaken Joan Vassos. Until then, we see her in the airport in LA making her way to Tahiti to be with the remaining men. She has Guy, Pascal, and Chock and while she sails a cruiseliner, she’s excited that her fellow The Golden Bachelor contestant, Nancy is there with her. They catch up as they talk about her experience so far.

We know that Guy told her that he was falling in love with her and she wonders if he is ahead of her in terms of the feelings that he has. She likes Pascal, but she knows that he is guarded, but he lives big just like her husband. Then she knows that Chock is amazing; however, she wonders if he is too good to be true!

Nancy and Joan talk about the importance of Fantasy Suites and that being off camera allows her to have those deep conversations that she is looking for. Nancy listens to her and she also boosts her feelings to let her know that she is where she needs to be. She lets her know that she will stay with her this week as she navigates these next few days while she makes her decisions.

Her first takes place in Moorea with Guy. We see him getting ready for his date and we know that he is excited to meet with her and the fact that he will get to spend all this time with her. He believes he is falling in love with her and he can see a future with her as well.

She can see a future with him and she acknowledges that they are not in the same place in this relationship. So she is looking forward to getting where he is and wants to keep an open mind about him. She talks about their Hometowns and how she enjoyed meeting his family. They enjoyed lounging on a boat and diving underwater.

As they get closer, we see Chock and Jesse Palmer chatting about what the experience has been like thus far. He acknowledges that Guy and Paslcal bring a lot to the table, but he is willing to put his best foot forward and to give it everything that he has.

The evening portion of the date begins and she lets them know that they made good memories together. She lets him know that the overnight of the Fantasy Suites will be about being off-camera and talking. But it will not be about being physical and that she doesn’t want to do that with 3 people and wants to do that with her final person. He lets her know that she respects that and isn’t surprised that that was what she wants to do.

We see Guy leaving his overnight and stating that he had intimacy on an emotional level and he was able to say and got what he needed from the experience! He feels great about where things are between them.

Chock is making his way to Joan for their date. He is excited as he told her he was falling in love with her at his Hometowns in Witchita. Their date is on an HTV as they driving fast throughout the greenery around them. She trusted him and felt safe with him. They had a great dinner and they went to the Fantasy Suites. Chock lets us know he had a great time, it was everything he wanted, and that if Joan wanted to say what went down, she could, but he was just going to keep it to himself.

Jesse and Pascal sit down and chat and they talk about the conversation he had with Joan in Chicago during his Hometowns about opening up to people. He tells Jesse about a previous relationship that he has been involved with where he was in love, but that they couldn’t go forward. He wants to work on bringing his walls down and wants to open up with Joan.

Their date begins and they enjoy a buffet of foods and they are enjoying this. He is excited to have an easy day and then to be able to have serious conversations later. Pascal enjoyed the beginning of the date and they head into the next part, the bonding ceremony which is a traditional one that takes place in Tahiti. They both have to be vulnerable when you are talking about things. Although he thought the ceremony was beautiful, he was surprised about the seriousness of it as he was looking for something light. She feels that the experience has been great for both of them. He feels that he was not ready for this part of the date and he feels scared and he wasn’t ready for all of that.

While they sit down to dinner, Pascal asks the things that he has been thinking about - why she likes him, letting her know about his previous relationship, and he shares that the date scared him and he doesn’t want to hurt her. He doesn’t think that he can get to the place that she needs him to be. He tells her that he knows what love is and that he cares about her as a friend, but he is not in love and he can’t be there. He lets her know that no matter how much fun they have and the care he has for her - the spark is not there. She lets him know that she wishes he was ready and available, but she realizes that this is where they are. He knew that she was hurting and he felt awful that he did this to her. We’re sad to see Pascal go, but there is something to be said about people being honest in where they are at.

Next week, we have the Men Tell All and the week after, we have the second part of the Finale.

JOAN DIDN’T GIVE ROSES OUT THIS WEEK | Chock, Guy

GUYS WHO LEFT THIS WEEK | Pascal

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

---

THE FINAL TWO!

CHOCK

GUY

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

BOB

BILL

CHARLES K

CHARLES L.

CHOCK

CHRISTOPHER

DAN

DAVID

GARY

GREGG

GUY

GIL

JACK

JONATHAN

JORDAN H.

KEITH

KEN

KIM B.

MARK A.

MICHAEL

PABLO

RJ

THOMAS

COOL AND CHILL | DEREK HOUGH

It’s always a pleasure to watch those that are truly one with their work! You see their passion and the care that they have for their craft and Derek Hough is one of those people! Whether you’re watching him dance, judge those on Dancing with the Stars, or working with other clients to get their vision to the stage in the way that they want it, he is a man who is full of life and shares that love with everyone who watches him! We had some time to chat with him to find out more about how he became a dancer and choreographer. This 4X Emmy winner for Outstanding Choreographer and 6X Mirror Ball winner for DWTS sat down to talk with us about his life and passion for dance, what we can expect from this season of DWTS and his partnership with Pepcid.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first fall in love with dancing and when did you realize that you wanted to do it as a career?

DEREK HOUGH: I first fell in love with dancing when I was about 11 years old, my mom actually made me go to dance class. I have four sisters and she dragged me to dance. I walked in and I had an amazing teacher and he just made it really cool. He gave me a nickname, Heavy D, and I was like, oh, that's cool. But for me, I fell in love with dance really just with the music, just the way it made me feel, moving my body, syncing it up to the beats and the rhythms. I just fell in love with it, and I got to travel, and compete, and I had a great community. So dancing has been a really important part of my life, not just in the art form of it, but the social aspect of it as well, feeling a part of something, a community. So, yeah, dance has been part of my life for a long time.

AM: Your career has been phenomenal from being a dancer, choreographer, you even choreographed a dance routine for Olympians who were World Ice Champions for Sochi 2014 where they won Gold, you've acted and more! Did you imagine that dancing would allow your creativity to have access to these opportunities?

DH: You know, it's crazy growing up, we always want to be like rock stars, right? You're listening to music and you're playing air guitar on your bed, jumping up and down and imagining being on stage. It's kind of crazy to think that I'm able to sort of live out those childhood dreams but through dance, to go live on stage in front of tens of thousands of people, hundreds of thousands of people, honestly, perform in front of millions of people on television and meet an eclectic group of people. I’ve met astronauts and Oscar winners, Emmy winners, race car drivers, just people from all walks of life because of dance. I met my wife because of dance. I owe so much to this beautiful art form and this sport as well. It's an incredible gift that keeps on giving.

AM: You've been involved with Dancing with the Stars since Season 4 when you were a guest instructor and then in Season 5, you came on as part of the professional cast. What was it about the show that drew you to want to be part of it?

DH: Well, it's funny actually, originally, the producers asked me in season four when I was a guest on there they said, “Are you interested in doing the show?”. I was like, “No, it's not for me.” I'm in London doing a musical and this show isn't really my vibe and then my sister won season four and I was like, “Wait, hold up, hold up. What's this show again? Hold up, what's going on?” So I joined season five. It's funny that people back then were like, “oh, this show, it's so ridiculous, it's not going to be around that long." It's so interesting how it's one of the longest lasting shows honestly, knock on wood, it keeps going. But yeah, I love it, I love it so much. Again, the gift that keeps on giving. It really is, each season is just unique and different every time.

AM: What are you looking forward to this season?

DH: I'm looking forward to obviously all the contestants in their journeys and just seeing how it all evolves. There's a few little things that I'm actually planning, there might be a performance in the future, so I'm preparing for that. I'm looking forward to that, and I think this season holds something special. It's been a very interesting year with lots of highs and lows and challenges, and so to do something on this season, that will be meaningful. I'm looking forward to that, that's all I am going to say without saying too much about it.

AM: Being on the show as well as other projects that you're part of has to be a lot, how do you take time to relax so that you can be ready for the next day?

DH: There's so many different projects that I'm a part of - doing my tour, doing Dancing with the Stars, and it's important. It's about balance and the best way for me to switch off my brain because my brain just keeps going nonstop. One of my favorite things to do actually is I go home and I do my little snacking and streaming, just like we all do. Get home and watch my favorite show and I bust out the snacks and I am a prolific popcorn eater. I love popcorn so much, but it doesn't love me, but I had to have it anyways. It actually works out great because to manage that sort of heartburn if I overdo it, I have Pepcid Max Icy Cool Mint and it just works really fast, it lasts all night unlike those antacids, and it provides an instant cooling sensation, which is great and again, it lasts all night. So I kind of call it my Chilling with Pepcid. I'm chilling with Pepcid, but that way I can enjoy my snacks, I can enjoy my shows, my hot sauces. Honestly, before I actually go on stage as well when I go on tour, because there's nothing worse than when you eat something and you go on stage, you have to sing and perform and talk and host, and you just have that burning sensation. So it's great to have that instant cooling sensation with Pepcid Max Icy Cool Mint. (Editor’s Note: Based on 9-hour acid control studies during the day and 12-hour acid control studies during the night. Acid control does not imply symptom relief.)

AM: Obviously, dancing is a total body workout, what are other things that you do to stay in shape as well?

DH: Lots of stretching, I do yoga, working out, and just strength exercises to sort of engage the muscles to turn them on. Speaking of icy cool, man, it’s ice baths pretty much twice a day and just PT work. I have to do all the things, you know what I mean? I'm almost 40 years old and I was told that my dancing career will be over by like 22 years old. So I'm like, we'll see about that. It's important that I'm mindful and I take care of my body for longevity and I do anything and everything I can to sort of maintain that. There's lots that goes into it for sure.

AM: When you're traveling due to tours or being on set, what are your must have travel essentials?

DH: My dog, my baby, Luna, she's sort of the emotional therapy dog. I must have water. My physical therapist is a must have, I have to have that because the training is so vigorous and the performance is so intense, that we need to have that. I'm a pretty simple guy, honestly. I'm pretty simple, you know, my rider, you know, how people have riders, like, in their things, I’m pretty basic. I'm pretty boring, honestly. I should be a little bit more of a diva honestly but I'm not, I'm really simple, I just like simple things. When I get back on the bus, especially on days off, I just enjoy myself with the snacks. All the snacks, popcorn, nuts, I love chips and salsa, jalapenos. I love jalapenos so much, I can just eat them in a bowl just raw by themselves, it's delicious. Some chocolate stuff, peanut M&M's, Red Vines.

AM: You have partnered with Pepcid recently. Why was this synergistic with you to work with them?

DH: I think that that's part of it really, was that ability to sort of have something on hand that works fast, it lasts all night, and when I perform where I get that heartburn before going on stage and to have that instant relief that, that cooling sensation, it's really genuinely, really helpful. It also allows me to have a bit more balance in my life to enjoy myself a little bit. I have a really strict regimen in my training and when I'm on tour and my diet and everything I do, but it's also nice to just enjoy myself, and just chill and snack, snack down a little bit and popcorn doesn't love me, but I still love popcorn.

IG @derekhough

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 64 -69 Disney/Eric McCandless | PG 70 Jesse Bauer |

Read the SEP ISSUE #105 of Athleisure Mag and see COOL AND CHILL | Derek Hough in mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE S1. E6. | WELCOME TO HOMETOWNS

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Ricky Middlesworth

This week’s The Golden Bachelorette brings us to Hometowns where we get to know more about the men and to see their families! Joan Vassos has a busy week ahead with the 4 men.

We start off in Lake Tahoe, Nevada with Guy! They ride around his boat and throw wishing stones which is a nice portion of their date.

They then meet Guy’s family and catch everyone up on what they have been up to. The family really likes her and they can imagine having her with them.

We make our way to Chicago and we’re now with Pascal! We can’t wait to see what his salon looks like. He shows it to her and she gets treatments and it’s nice to see his space and how he operates! They openly talk about their feelings and where they are. It’s nice to see him when he’s a bit quieter and he lets her know that he is guarded because he has been hurt, but that he cares for her. It’s nice to see his friends and family. Joan fits in so well and we see how much he loves his family.

Joan is staying in Chicago to hang out with Jordan. They take in some of his favorite places that he likes to eat at. They meet his family and you can see how loved he is and how much they support him. Joan lets one of his daughter’s know that she is concerned that he wouldn’t pick her. She lets her dad know as she wants him to get there and to be able to talk with Joan.

Joan Finally leaves Chicago and makes her way to Witchita, Kansas to meet up with Chock! SHe is meeting his friends and family and she notes that their family has had a hard time due to the death of his mother. That would be difficult for anyone to navigate. They plant a tree at the ranch in honor of Chock’s mother. She talks with his friends and family and he speaks with them as well. It’s nice to see that wherever she went across the 4 dates, the families were very warm and receptive to her.

It’s time for the rose ceremony and there is still 40mins left of the show. We know that she feels that Pascal and Jordan have been a bit noncomittal versus Guy and Chock. She is handing out 3 roses and she doesn’t know what she will do. Jesse meets up with her to check in on how she is feeling. She lets him know that after Hometowns, she is feeling even more conflicted. She feels a strong connection with Chock and can see a future with him. Guy is another one that she feels is easy and that they have synergistic values. Now she’s talking about Chicago although she had a great day with him, she notes that he never said that he feels there is a future. She feels that Pascal is also in that same boat. She feels very strongly about him as well and she is concerned that he may need more time to get there. So sending someone home who needs more time is something that she is concerned about.

After their debrief, she arrives at the rose ceremony and thanks them for their time! She knows that she is getting closer to finding her person and to is looking forward to commit to one of them. We’re down to 3 people now and they will leave the mansion and they’re heading to Tahiti.

JOAN GAVE ROSES TO | Chock, Guy, Pascal

JOAN DIDN’T GIVE ROSES TO | Jordan

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

---

HERE’S WHO’S GOING TO HOMETOWNS

CHOCK

GUY

PASCAL

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

BOB

BILL

CHARLES K

CHARLES L.

CHOCK

CHRISTOPHER

DAN

DAVID

GARY

GREGG

GUY

GIL

JACK

JONATHAN

JORDAN H.

KEITH

KEN

KIM B.

MARK A.

MICHAEL

PABLO

PASCAL

RJ

THOMAS

THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE S1. E5. | THE JOURNEY CONTINUES

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Ricky Middlesworth

This week’s The Golden Bachelorette we hear the guys talk about how the house is so different with the other men no longer there. They also know that the time with Joan Vassos this week is important because Hometowns are next week. Keith knows that he needs to step it up so that he can move on and continue dating her.

Joan meets with Trista and they catch up on where she is feeling. Trista shares that her biggest regret is that she didn’t open up with Ryan so he didn’t know where they stood when they were in their journey.

The date card arrives and Keith is on the 1-on-1 date. They meet and hop on a helicopter and fly over the house where the guys are in the pool. They make their way to Babcock Winery to get to know more about one another. This week the dates will not have roses.

Back at the house, we see that Mark is struggling with the fact that his wife died 6 years ago and also that he isn’t sure if he has the connection with Joan. He sits down with Pascal and Jordan to talk with him and to let him know that he got a sign from his wife in the form of a hummingbird.

Back on the date, Keith opens up about his life and experiences. He lets her know that he was holding back.But now she is excited that he is serious as well as being fun loving.

At the house, the next date card arrives. Guy, Jordan, Jonathan, Pascal, and Chock are going on a bowling group date. That means that Mark is now getting a 1-on-1 with her. This is the final 1-on1 date!

We see the group date assemble at the bowling alley and they see that Joan got a strike. The date is moving along, but Chock is taking more of her time and making his body give the impression that they were together on their own date! Even Guy lets him know that he needs to let others have a chance.

Mark is excited to go on the date and is talking with the guys in the house. Joan lets us know that Mark needs to open up as although she would love to meet his family, she doesn’t want to waste that experience with someone who still has their walls up and won’t let her in. Mark is just a quiet guy and there isn’t an easy flow with one another. They are sitting on a yacht and taking in everything around them. She feels that pressure that if he doesn’t open up, she will send him home.

Jesse creates a scavenger hunt for them which allowed him to start opening up, to loosen up, and to see their compatibility. The lighthearted nature of the game allowed the ice to break so that Mark could feel comfortable. After the game, they continue to talk about their lives as they have a lot of similarities.

We’re back at the house and the guys are all talking about what is coming up. Mark tells them that he is excited to show her his home and life. Joan shows up and pulls him aside and lets him know that she enjoyed their date and being able to hear more about who he is! She appreciates that he was vulnerable with him. She knows that they bonded in such an amazing way and she felt supported. Even with that connection and commonality between the two, she knows his heart is mending, but she feels that she didn’t see him thinking abou ther and having her in mind with his plans. She tells him that maybe he is too early in his journey and she didn’t want him to have to be at the ceremony when she knows that it will not work out for them. Mark lets her know that he appreciates being there, is leaving there a better person, and he knows that he has grown so much. She sends him home. Watching how the men reacted to hearing this news is so sad.

Next week is Hometowns!

JOAN GAVE ROSES TO | Chock, Guy,Jordan, Pascal

JOAN DIDN’T GIVE ROSES TO | Jonathan, Keith, Mark

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

---

HERE’S WHO’S GOING TO HOMETOWNS

CHOCK

GUY

JORDAN

PASCAL

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

BOB

BILL

CHARLES K

CHARLES L.

CHOCK

CHRISTOPHER

DAN

DAVID

GARY

GREGG

GUY

GIL

JACK

JONATHAN

JORDAN

KEITH

KEN

KIM B.

MARK A.

MICHAEL

PABLO

PASCAL

RJ

THOMAS

THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE S1. E4. | JOAN DIGS DEEPER

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Ricky Middlesworth

This week’s The Golden Bachelorette is going to be a bit of a doozy it seems as we see Joan Vassos and Chock hugging one another and you hear them crying.

We hear Chock talk about what the experience has been like and we see Pascal learning how to do his laundry!

The date card arrives and they find out that Jonathan, Pascal, Dan, Charles, Gary, Mark, Gil, Chock, and Keith will be on a group date. Guy and Jordan were not called. The group date men arrive at a theater and see Joan on the stage. Kaitlyn Bristowe joins her on the stage. We see the Chippendales dancers as well as the original Chippendales dancers! They are partnering with Stand Up to Cancer as well to dance in honor of supporting this important charity.

She thanks them for the date and being open! She enjoys spending time with each of them and you can see the guys are really present with her. Chock receives the group date rose.

When we’re back from commercial break, we realize that Chock’s mom passed. He tells the guys that he is going to leave because he has things that he needs to take care of. Joan heads to the house for her 1-on-1 with Jordan and she is met by Chock. He tells her that his mother passed.He needs to go home to take care of things and Joan knows how it is when you need to take care of your family even when you feel that you’re experiencing an amazing connection.

Jill is sad that Chock left, but she knows she must be present for Jordan who has his date. She is excited that they’re going ice skating. Jordan takes a nasty fall, but they have a fun time spending time with one another. They get to chat a bit while enjoying some treats. REO Speedwagon also performs for them in their winter wonderland! He receives a rose as well. Although she was sad about Chock, she said she laughed more with him than anyone.

For her 1-on-1 date with Guy, they are at her home and they are cooking together! It’s a great way for them to interact with one another, follow instructions, and just to get to know more about one another. We can tell that Guy is not a cook, but you can see that he is enjoying it.In addition to making pasta, they also make dessert together as well. They have a great conversation and she offers him a rose as well!

Going into the rose ceremony, she’s still thinking about Chock and wondering if he will be back and how he is doing. She sees the men and lets them know that she realizes that they have families and situations back home and that’s a lot for them to put on hold to be there with her. She spends time with each of them to get to know more about them and it’s nice to see how they continue to move forward. As each week passes, we know how difficult it will be when she has to still send guys home. Chock is back and in his time away, he was glad to handle what he needed to do and then he realized that he wants to put his walls down.

It wasn’t until the rose ceremony that we realized that we hadn’t seen Jesse Palmer all episode!

JOAN GAVE ROSES TO | Chock, Guy, Jonathan, Jordan, Keith, Pascal, and Mark

JOAN DIDN’T GIVE ROSES TO | Charles, Dan, Gary, and Gil

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

---

HERE’S WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS

CHOCK

JONATHAN

MARK

PASCAL

---

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

BOB

BILL

CHARLES K

CHARLES L.

CHOCK

CHRISTOPHER

DAN

DAVID

GARY

GREGG

GUY

GIL

JACK

JONATHAN

JORDAN

KEITH

KEN

KIM B.

MARK. A.

MICHAEL

PABLO

PASCAL

RJ

THOMAS

THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE S1. E3. | LET'S PLAY BALL!

PHOTO CREDIT | Disney/Ricky Middlesworth

We see a flash forward of how Joan Vassos is trying to get into the mindset of moving forward and she knows that she is still attached to her husband which is a sweet and honest moment. We also check in on how the men sleep/snore and pass the time to kick of this week’s episode of The Golden Bachelorette as we watch Joan Vassos navigate the next few weeks!

Jesse Palmer checks in with men to see how they are doing and we find out that Pascal doesn’t cook his own food or make his own coffee. He also leaves them with the info that there are 2 1-on-1 dates as well as a competitive group date! The date card goes to Pascal and he looks forward to seeing if they are a good match.

Joan picks up Pascal in a red sports car where she lets him know that she will be driving, they hop on a private flight to go to Las Vegas. Joan lets us know that she is aware that he lives a very comfortable lifestyle and that he dresses well, but she wants to know if he has a heart and if they can connect and are compatible. They navigate the strip in a limo with champagne and head to the Paris Hotel. They arrive at a suite that is filled with stunning dresses, suits, and accessories that have been picked out for them. There is a piano that plays for them as they try out outfits. They select their outfits and look so chic for a night out in Vegas.

Back at the house, Charles and Gary hit up the farmacy to get the guys things that they need to stop the snoring and ensure that everyone gets a good night sleep!

Back in Vegas, Wayne Newton comes in and sings for this chic 1-on-1 date! The day date has shifted to the night and they have an outdoor dinner where they can see the Eiffel tower. She’s excited to know more about him and he wants to share more about who he is as a person outside of the life that he has made for himself. He talks about when we think of Paris, we think of the beautiful side, but he didn’t grow up with money and he had tough times growing up and when he came to the US he willed himself to do better and to make something of himself. He said that being vulnerable is hard for him; however, when he shares his story, you realize that you can’t make assumptions about people. Pascal receives the date rose.

Back at the house, the next date card arrives and the group date lets Chock, Gil, Charles, Dan, CK, Gregg, Gary, Guy, Kim, Jordan, Mark, and Keith know that they will have time with Joan. Jonathan is excited to have the 1-on-1 date, but he is emotional because he doesn’t feel ready to do this and is concerned that he may be going home!

We’re on the football field for their next date. Eric Dickerson and Andre Reed are on the date. They hear that they will play kickball and we see them stretching. The winners go to the after party and the losers go back to the mansion. We watch the guys play kickball and we have to say that it’s a strong game and even Charles who has never played kicks the ball and helps some of the others cross home plate! In the battle between the Red Team and the Blue Team, the Blue Team wins! June meets up with the Blue Team and she lets them know that she loved the kindness that she saw on both sides of the ball and she starts to spend time with each of the winners. She got to know a lot more about the men and we hear that Joan’s mom isn’t doing well (reminds us of last season when Joan’s daughter needed her to come home). She gives Gil the group date rose.

Back at the house, the men are gifted massages by Joan to work out their muscles.

Jonathan makes his way to Joan for their 1-on-1 date. He knows that he will be totally exposed on this date and hopes he won’t be afraid to share things with her. They’re going horseback riding and Joan isn’t a fan of them as she was bitten by one and Jonathan has never been on one.

After horseback riding, they make their way to enjoy some champagne with her as they sit and talk. He tells her about how he got divorced and that he was blindsided and that he wondered if he would ever be enough! She lets him know that he is enough and she gives him the 1-on-1 date rose.

Throughout this week she has been dealing with her emotions about the death of her husband as well as her mom not feeling well. She is someone who pushes her feelings down because she is a caregiver and now she realizes that she needs to share so that it is fair to them as well. She thanks the men for being amazing and that she loves that she is hearing important things about them. She lets them know that she wants to take care of them as she is a caregiver and she realized that that is causing her to mask and so now she is going to be vulnerable with them as well. She lets them know that being strong is tiring, she misses her family, her kids, her mom who is sick as she is 92, and then she tells them about her husband and that she will always only by 80 ior 90% available. She cries and she is concerned how they will take in what she has said. They tell her thank you and they like that she has shared this information.

Gerry makes his way to the mansion and they have a catch up season. She lets him know that it has been emotional, but she has a great group of men. She also let’s him know that she understands how it is to be in a situation when you are thinking about your husband and moving forward and she gets how Gerry felt. He asked her if she considered that there may be a possibility that her person may not be there. He lets her know that he is rooting for her. He tells her to not be perfect, but to be herself. He leaves after giving her a boost. The men lift her spirits and find way to connect with her and let her know that they are ok with her being vulnerable. She thanks them and lets them know that she has a connection with each one and it’s hard when you realize that to get to the end, only 1 will be left.

JOAN GAVE ROSES TO | Charles L, Chock, Dan, Gary, Gil, Guy, Jonathan, Jordan, Keith, Pascal, and Mark

JOAN DIDN’T GIVE ROSES TO | CK, Gregg, and Kim

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

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HERE’S WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS

CHOCK

JONATHAN

MARK

PASCAL

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THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

BOB

BILL

CHARLES K

CHARLES L.

CHOCK

CHRISTOPHER

DAN

DAVID

GARY

GIL

GREGG

GUY

JACK

JONATHAN

JORDAN

KEITH

KEN

KIM B.

MARK. A.

MICHAEL

PABLO

PASCAL

RJ

THOMAS

FROM STUDIO TO SMILES | KEEGAN MICHAEL KEY

We had the pleasure of catching up with Keegan Michael-Key who is an actor who always leaves us in good spirits! His ability to make you laugh and think is something that we appreciate. We enjoyed talking with him about his work as a teacher, investing in children’s lives through learning, partnering with Lysol promote clean environments in school and at home, and of course his work on one of our favorite shows Abbott Elementary and other projects we’re excited about!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We have been a fan of yours for a number of years and have loved your shows and of course most recently, Abbott Elementary. But you actually have teaching experience at Penn State and at Second City. Can you tell us more about this?

KEEGAN MICHAEL-KEY: Yes, I was a graduate student at Penn State and I taught Fundamental Acting, Non-Majors and I had a really fulfilling and fun time doing that. I had a great time with the students and I also interestingly learned a lot and it helped reinforce the training that I was getting.

When I was a performer at the Second City Theater, both in Detroit and also in Chicago, I spent a good deal of time teaching improv as well as communications techniques to people. And also in Detroit at the Mosaic Youth Theater of Detroit, I spent time going to classrooms and teaching children improv skills. That was also a very fulfilling experience too. So I have done a lot of teaching in my past and I really really loved it.

AM: That is such a great story! When did you realize that you wanted to be an actor?

KMK: I realized that I wanted to be an actor probably when gosh, I would have been around 14 or 15 and that would put me in high school. I was encouraged by a family friend and my drama teacher in school was really hands on and very supportive. She really helped to pull me into that world! Once I was in it, I was in love!

AM: Why do you feel that hands on learning is so important and can you tell us about HERE For Healthy Schools?

KMK: Yeah, to answer the first question, I think that when kids have an opportunity to do things hands on and interactive, I really feel that the information that they are being given that the teachers desires for them to receive, really gets into their minds better and they can practically handle things and move through things. It’s more effective learning and that is kind of why I wanted to work with Lysol at the HERE for Healthy Schools Program this particular year. Because, what they are doing with the initiative this year, is that they are putting together the Lysol Minilabs Science Kits and the kits are going to contain educational materials that are designed to be hands-on so that the kids can learn about germ education, healthy habits, and how to keep the classroom environment as well as the general environment clean.

AM: Whether you have children that are going back to school, maybe you’re an aunt or uncle, or you just live alone solo, what are some healthy habits that we need to know about so that we’re not transferring germs and we’re reducing all the ick?

KMK: Ha – all the ick! You know, I think that the first thing across the board that everyone can do and that we can always teach children, is of course, washing our hands. Washing our hands after an activity, washing our hands after using the bathroom so that we’re not the germ spreaders if that makes any sense? We’re so mobile as humans, and then we’re the ones spreading the germs! So cutting that off at the pass if you will and then also, when you think about countertops, and desktops, and door handles which are things that we come into contact with every single day, and many times during the day, it’s just a wipe here or a spray there that can hopefully keep the germs down. Then we're allowing ourselves to be in a cleaner environment!

AM:100%!

Obviously, you have so many awesome things that are coming up - Season 4 of Abbott Elementary is slated to premiere on ABC on Oct 9th! Every time that we see you on the screen we just know that it’s going to be good. What can you tell us about – obviously not a lot – as we prepare for the next season?

KMK: Well, without giving away next season, you can stream Season 3 now of Abbott Elementary now which I am really happy for people as you can enjoy repeat viewings if you feel so inclined! I have a small arc on the show in the season where I play the Superintendent of Schools in Philadelphia which is where Janine, Quinta Brunson’s (A Black Lady Sketch Show, History of the World: Part II, Weird: The Al Yankovick Story) character works now and she feels encouraged to affect more change in the school system. You get to watch that story play out and really the big thing that you get to watch is this struggle between her love for everyone and the students at Abbott Elementary and then this more macro environment with the Superintendent and there is this struggle of being pulled between these two things. Can I do more good here? Should I go back to Abbott and be more of a boots on the ground? She’s trying to figure out what way can she be more effective for the students?

AM: We enjoyed watching the 3rd season and getting that layer.

What attracted you to want to be on this show? So many people love this show and so many actors and other people are trying to find ways to get into this show!

KMK: Oh yeah!

AM: What was it for you that made you want to do it?

KMK: First of all, I think that Quinta is a real amazing talent and I have known her for years and I have watched her grow as an artist and the pride I feel for her is overwhelming because what she has done is such an achievement! But also, within that, is the humanity of the show. I think that just the thematic subject matter of the show is about nurturing and investing in our future which is about children. It’s also this kind of intrinsic, American underdog story – an underfunded school district, how do we pull ourselves up by the boot straps and do what we have to do for the betterment of these children. So that is really heartwarming in a way it is very inviting because they are letting the world in and it is inspiring. That is why I wanted to be part of it. It’s also very funny!

AM: Oh it’s very funny!

KMK: So funny!

AM: Well you’re also in Transformers One and Dear Santa! That’s 2 amazing additional projects that are coming out! We’re sure that you’re excited about them and can you tell us about them?

KMK: Well, Transformers One will be coming out in September 20th and it’s a really exciting project to work on. The director is a gentleman by the name of Josh Cooley (Up, Inside Out, Soul), very talented animation director. He directed Toy Story 4 that I starred in with Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us, Nope). We played partners – we played a little stuffed duck and a little stuffed rabbit that were connected to each other and we had such a great time that Josh asked me to come on and play Bumblebee in Transformers One which really is an honor because he’s a very popular character in the Transformers universe!

Dear Santa is a holiday movie that stars Jack Black (Jumanji universe, Kung Fu Panda universe, The Super Mario Bros. Movie) and he is absolutely fantastic and I hope you fo see it and everyone that you know goes to see it! It’s really fun and it has a lot of heart. It’s silly and zany and it’s going to be great!

AM: Do you have any other projects whether it’s TV, film, or philanthropic that you would like for us to know about that we should keep an eye out for because you’re always doing great things! It’s great to see you in a number of commercials as well as you are a busy man!

KMK: Ha ha yes I am praise God!

Well one thing in September that is coming up, I wrote a book with my partner at Elle Key (August, Fair Game, The Blackout), we wrote a book called The History of Sketch Comedy: A Journey Through the Art and Craft of Humor, and the audio version of that book is coming out then. So again, I know that it is early for the holiday season, but if people want to, they have the opportunity to download that or to send it as a gift and it was a real passion project for us and we’re really proud of the book. So there is also that! So that’s about it for right now if that’s not enough!

IG @keeganmichaelkey

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 156 - 159 Disney/Giles Mingasson | PG 160 - 161 Michael Simon |

Read the AUG ISSUE #104 of Athleisure Mag and see FROM STUDIO TO SMILED | Keegan Michael Key in mag.