The Bachelorette bachelor Lucas Daniels thought his relationship with Ashley Hebert was progressing towards love until she eliminated him during Monday night's episode at the Rose Ceremony, which determined the final four suitors who would get the opportunity to bring The Bachelorette star to their hometowns to meet their families.

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While fellow bachelor J.P. Rosenbaum claimed he was shocked Ashley chose to keep bachelor Ames Brown around instead of Lucas, Lucas himself was the most shocked of all. Although he'd had minimal one-on-one time to get to know her, Lucas believed he had built a fairly strong connection with Ashley -- but she disagreed. Ashley insisted she didn't feel a romantic chemistry with Lucas but later suggested the main reason she eliminated him was because they shared entirely different, but unspecified, ideas about family and relationships.   

During a conference call with reporters on Thursday, Lucas talked to Reality TV World about his The Bachelorette experience -- including what he believed the differences were between his family and relationship views versus Ashley's, whether Ashley had said or done anything to make him confidently assume he'd be in her final four, how much of his frustration over bachelor Bentley Williams' return he voiced to Ashley directly and why he was so angry about the situation, and whether he felt strung along in the competition after he saw bachelor Ryan Park get sent home in the middle of his one-on-one date. 

Reality TV World: In Ashley's blog on Monday, she wrote that during her conversation with you on the group date, she realized you had some "very different ideas about family and relationships and began to see how those differences would leave very little room for change," which is a bit of a loaded statement. Could you talk about that? Did you feel you two had a disconnect on those issues, and if so, what were the differences because the show didn't seem to dive into that discussion?

Lucas Daniels: Well she hit on quite a bit about my divorce. I guess that's something that she was worried about, but like I told her on the show, it's been three years. It's not a problem, and that might have scared her -- saying, "Okay, he's already been married once. What makes him think this will work a second time?"

But the differences between she and I -- I guess the whole time we were trying to pinpoint those, but we knew that we weren't, I guess, compatible to the sense of we believe in the exact same thing and we have the same goals and we want to do the same type things. I don't know. That's a tough question. I think we were trying to pinpoint through the entire show what she and I were both trying to do.

Reality TV World: You said in your final words that your elimination came as a complete shock to you. Why were you so surprised? Had Ashley said or done anything to give you the impression you were going to stick around or maybe be a shoe-in for the final four?

Lucas Daniels: You know, I guess it's coming off that Hong Kong date. We had a good time on the junk boat and we just got to really dive in deep, and then we dove in deep again in Taiwan with our conversation at the cocktail party. I had some fun when we dressed up for the wedding photos.

I guess just a couple looks and a couple things I was seeing when she was looking at me -- I felt like she felt good about me and was comfortable with me. So, that's what kind of surprised me. I didn't see a solid connection on that date with Ashley and [Ames Brown], and that's why I felt pretty confident going into that Rose Ceremony.

Reality TV World: You were one of the bachelors who seemed to get the most upset after Ashley revealed she met up with Bentley in Hong Kong. Can you talk a little bit about why you got so angry and how much of your frustration did you share with Ashley directly?

Lucas Daniels: I actually did not get to speak with her that night when I did get upset. I think we all were kind of thinking Bentley was there for a couple weeks, so he left on his own and we thought he was [leaving] there for his daughter. We gave him a hug and said, "You're a good dad and you're going home for your daughter." But [we know] that wasn't the case now after watching it.

I obviously didn't know that then. I just -- I didn't really know what she was seeing in this guy -- like I said during the episode, we've been three different countries and you're telling us this stuff now. I mean, I kind of wished she would have let me know on our date, but that was kind of our first date -- not kind of, it was our first date.

She probably wouldn't tell me that. She probably hopefully wanted to get to know me and not let that be kind of a damper on our date, but I was just kind of fed up with that. I already knew she liked him, because I said that on a previous one-on-one we had.

I said, "Your type is Bentley," but when she told us that and we've already been around the world, it just made me feel like we were all second best and that now she's ready to get to know us now -- after we've been to like three different countries, so.

Reality TV World: Based on the conversation Mickey McLean had with Ashley before his departure, do you think he really intended to quit or do you think he just kind of talked up a big game threatening to leave, and then Ashley called him out on it -- which left him feeling like he had no choice but to quit at that point because of what he'd told Ashley?

Lucas Daniels: Right, you know, I'm not sure if Mickey knew he was going to have that conversation with her or not. I know he was kind of fed up with things -- kind of with Ryan and Bentley and stuff like that -- but I think he's a pretty strong-minded guy, so he probably kind of wanted to give her an ultimatum there and said, "Hey, it's me or him," (laughs) and I guess he had to own up to it.

I'm glad he did, because he would have been portrayed pretty badly if he would have said, "You know what? I take that back." So, I'm not sure if he knew how that conversation was going to go or not, but I think he handled it well.

Reality TV World: Ashley eliminated Ryan on their date but she waited until the Rose Ceremony to send you home. She didn't string Ryan along but obviously held off on letting you go. Did you see how she treated you in comparison to Ryan as a negative or was it maybe a positive because she found the decision to send you home more difficult or needed more time to think about it?

Lucas Daniels: I'm hoping that's the case. I'm hoping she kept me around -- maybe she really got to get her thoughts together and figured out, "What four guys am I going to go home and see their parents?" I really am hoping that that is the case, that she was really like, "Okay I don't know yet, let's make the right decision." So, I think it's a positive for me.

Reality TV World: Rumors have circulated that Ryan will be coming back on the show. Did you get the sense that he left with unfinished business? Also, you were eliminated at the same time as Ryan just before the hometown dates, so was coming back anything you ever considered doing yourself and what would have been your motivation for attempting to return?

Lucas Daniels: I didn't see -- I mean, he got a lot of roses on dates and stuff like that. [But] I didn't see where the connection was with Ryan and Ashley. Maybe she just thought he was a really energetic nice guy, which he is, and kept him around for awhile. I don't know if he's coming back or not.

Me personally, I had one shot at this and she and I both kind of didn't see eye-to-eye. So, me personally, I wouldn't have come back. You just have once shot and it happens for a reason and that's it.

Also in the call, Lucas told reporters what he thought went wrong between him and Ashley, whether he regretted not quitting following Bentley's return in Hong Kong, who he felt was the best guy for Ashley, how he reacted to Ashley's overnight date with Ben Flajnik, and who his top pick was for starring on the next season of The Bachelor.

What do you think went wrong between you and Ashley. Why didn't you connect?

Lucas Daniels: I think Ashley -- we had a conversation towards more of some of our beliefs or family, stuff like that. I think we were just -- we were just really opposite, really. I am very, very traditional and conservative, and she's just kind of the other side, and that's fine. Opposites attract I guess but, we just had some differences in kind of what we believed in.

But I was surprised that she didn't keep me around, honestly. I didn't see it coming, but I was humbled by it and if that was her decision, then I respected that -- which it was.

Did you regret not leaving when Bentley returned to Hong Kong since your elimination came not too long after anyway?

Lucas Daniels: At the time when she told us about Bentley, my mind as a typical man, you don't want to be second or third in the sense of trying to get to know a woman. At the time, I was like, "What am I doing here?" But I am very excited I stayed to go to Taiwan, and I'm glad I did it. It didn't work out for me, but I gave it that one more extra shot, so there's no regrets.

Who do you think is right for Ashley?

Lucas Daniels: Well, it's been so back and forth with everybody, including Bentley and all that stuff going on. But I think probably the two most compatible of the remaining, I think, is [Ben Flajnik] and J.P. probably with her.

Out of Ben and J.P. which guy is your pick for her?

Lucas Daniels: Do I have a pick? If I had to pick, I think she had the most -- it's not so serious with Ben F. I think they have the most fun together. I mean, look at the guy. He is a good friend of mine on the show. I mean, he's a winemaker just living life the fullest. I think it would be Ben F. if she had to pick anybody.

What were your impressions of Ryan? It seemed like the other bachelors grew very annoyed with him over time, so was it just because he was overly enthusiastic and happy.

Lucas Daniels: You know, pretty much, and that sounds bad. He wasn't a bad guy. He wasn't a mean guy. He was just, when you're with somebody that long -- somebody that is that energetic and kind of -- I don't know how to really explain it. It was just too much. It was just really wearing us down. We were exhausted because he was just through the roof the entire (laughs) show.

There are rumors surfacing that Ryan may be the next The Bachelor star. Do you think that would be a good idea or do you think anyone else might be a better choice?

Lucas Daniels: Well, Ryan I guess would be a decent bachelor. Those women better be very, very energetic and ready for -- I don't know. I hope they have a lot of Red Bull.

But anyway, I think a perfect candidate in my mind -- just because he was a very good friend of mine, he was a genuine gentleman -- is Ben F., if he had the opportunity. I think he's wonderful. He's just a great guy. We got really close -- him and [Constantine Tzortzis], we were all good buds on the show, and I think he's be a great candidate.

J.P. seemed to be getting very jealous over and attached to Ashley on the show. How did you react to the news Ashley had shared an overnight date with Ben?

Lucas Daniels: J.P. was definitely, definitely falling for her. I wasn't to that point yet. We were just really starting to get to know each other, and it came out. He became very, very cranky and all that stuff, especially when Ben went on that overnight date. It didn't bother me that Ben was on his overnight date.

I mean, we're all going to have an opportunity with Ashley, and when he walked in, we were all calling him the 24-hour man. Everybody saw that J.P. stormed out and instead of sitting there and talking about it and taking it like a man, he had to storm out. So, it really didn't bother me at all that Ben came in the next day, not at all.

What qualities are you looking for in a woman?

Lucas Daniels: Like I said on the show during my exit, I just -- I'm a really simple guy. I want just a down-to-earth girl. I want somebody that enjoys traveling, but understands also a good work ethic. I want that woman knowing that I can provide for them and just somebody that wants to wake up next to me and wants to just do some simple and fun things -- just somebody who loves me for me.

If Bentley ends up showing up to After The Final Rose: The Men Tell All special, what would you say to him?

Lucas Daniels: I imagine he's had a lot of comments towards him, but if I get presented an opportunity to say something to him, I'm not going to bark at him. He's already kind of dug his own grave on his behavior, but I'm just going to let him know, "You're not going to get far in life treating people like that, especially a woman."

And Ashley, that is a -- I can't even imagine being the Bachelor or the Bachelorette, because that is a very, very stressful position to be in, in my mind. And when somebody else is talking like this to another woman, I would just let him know that you don't treat people like that. I mean, it's the wrong thing to do and it will come back to bite you, for sure.

Since you've been watching the show, what has surprised you most that you didn't realize while you were there?

Lucas Daniels: Probably the most, and it's kind of the same thing everybody's been talking about, but it is Bentley. I didn't really see that in him -- treating somebody like that. I guess it's the way that I was raised that you just don't treat somebody like that.

It really, really shocked me, because he and I were pretty cordial toward each other. I was nice to him; He was nice to me. Seeing the interviews he has given, throwing us under the bus -- how we're kind of -- that we had no chance type of deal really surprised me.

The way he was talking about her, I mean, you just don't talk about a woman like that. It was very childish and I don't really have any sympathy for people who treat other people like that. So, that was very surprising to me, probably the most.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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