Exclusive: Holly Durst dishes about 'The Bachelor: London Calling'

Holly Durst found it surprising that The Bachelor: London Calling star Matt Grant took her on a do-or-die two-on-one date after she thought they had pretty good chemistry following a previous one-on-one date.


Matt's reasoning was revealed when he didn't give her the two-on-one date's rose, thus eliminating the 25-year-old children's author from Suffield, OH during Monday night's The Bachelor: London Calling broadcast of the ABC reality dating series' twelfth installment.

On Wednesday, Holly talked to Reality TV World about why she was confident heading into the two-on-one date; how and why she started to put up a wall between herself and Matt; which bachelorettes she doesn't think are there for the right reasons; and why she thinks playing the "safe card" ultimately cost her.

Reality TV World:  ABC billed you as a children's book author on the show.  Can you talk a little bit about that?  How did you get into it?  Is it your full-time job?  Do you write under a pen name?

Holly:  I started to get into children's books after I left Ohio -- I moved to L.A. -- and I really missed the children I used to babysit for.  I looked for a book to buy them explaining why I had to leave, but I couldn't find one that was what I wanted.  So I thought, "You know what?  I'm just going to write one myself."


I've always been into writing -- I've written poetry for as long as I can remember.  So I thought, "You know what?  I can just turn this into a kid's book."  I wrote it, and I didn't know what I wanted to do with it.  Then I wrote another kid's book, and I didn't think anything was really going to come of it -- I just had a bunch written. 

One day, I was just like, "I'm going to try and get these published."  That's what I'm working on right now... I talked to my publisher this morning and my first one should be done in a couple of weeks.

Reality TV World:  Were you surprised Matt chose you for the two-on-one date since he took you on a one-on-one date the previous week?

Holly:  Very surprised.  Honestly I thought, "Maybe he just wants to spend more time with me and it's an easy way for him to get rid of somebody else."

Reality TV World:  That leads well into my next question -- you seemed to be confident that you'd receive the two-on-one date's rose instead of Marshana.  Why was that?


Holly:  I thought since him and I had spent so much time together -- we had already kissed -- and Marshana hadn't spent any one-on-one time with him, had not received a kiss.  I thought for sure that I was staying.

Reality TV World:  Do you regret feeling so confident and think you could have done more to show Matt how much you cared for him?

Holly:  In the third episode, I got upset because I started seeing him interacting more with the girls.  I hadn't seen that up until that point.  At that point, I started to put a wall up and I think I started to back away a little bit.  I wasn't really into the conversations that him and I were having.  It just got really hard.

I was confident going into the [two-on-one date] because I thought, "There's now way that I'm going home."  But maybe I was a little too overconfident. (laughing)

Reality TV World:  After Matt decided to give the rose to Marshana, what happened next?  Did Matt and Marshana leave you there or were you the one who left?  Did you get to talk to Matt at all?


Holly:  I talked to him briefly.  He told me that it was hard to have conversations with me at some points, which is completely understandable because I didn't open myself as much as he wanted me to and as much as some of the other girls did. 

So when he gave Marshana the rose, he looked at me and walked me outside to the limo.  I explained to him that that's just not me to open up immediately -- it takes time to get to know me and there just wasn't enough time.

Reality TV World:  When you accompanied Matt on the one-on-one date and knew you needed to receive a rose to stay in the competition, what was going through your head? 

Holly:  I honestly didn't have any expectations.  I went in and I thought, "I'm going to have fun.  If he doesn't like me than I'll go home and it's fine."  I did not think about the rose that entire date.  I completely forgot about whether I could be sent home or not that night.

Reality TV World:  Do you think that helped you open up a bit more?


Holly:  Yeah.  I just was myself.  I don't know.  If he didn't like me it didn't matter I guess. (laughing)

Reality TV World:  You said you were "definitely bothered" when Matt said he didn't know if there was any "electricity" between you two on the one-on-one date.  Do you think him seeing you two as "almost too comfortable" together contributed to your eventual elimination?

Holly:  I was confused when he said that because first he said we were "too comfortable."  He told me that he was just really comfortable with me -- which I thought was a good thing.  I don't think he meant that as a friendship.  I mean obviously there was electricity there if you watch the hot tub scene. (laughing)  So when he asked me if I would accept the rose, I should have been like, "Okay, too comfortable with each other." (laughing) 

But I don't know why he said we were too comfortable with each other.  I think it's just because I have the ability to make people very comfortable around me.  I don't like uncomfortable situations.  I honestly rarely put people in uncomfortable situations, so I think that's why I just tried to make him feel at ease with me.

Reality TV World:  You just mentioned the hot tub scene and when you two kissed at the conclusion of the one-on-one date.  Matt also gushed about what a good time he had after it was over.  Do you think that contributed to your overconfidence?  Did he give you any indication that he might not be into you?


Holly:  No, because at the Rose Ceremony [that followed the one-on-one date] I didn't get to spend any time with him that whole time at the party.  I thought, "I'm going to steal him away and I'm going to take him outside because I want to kiss him. I miss him."  he told me he missed me and I thought, "I'm for sure -- I'm in."

But then after watching it, I realized he told like three other girls he missed them too.  I didn't feel as special after that. (laughing)

Reality TV World:  How were you cast for The Bachelor?  Had you applied for the show before?

Holly:  I actually applied for The Bachelorette back in December.  I didn't hear anything, and then I was walking down the street and someone had come up to me and asked if I was single and if I was interested in doing [The Bachelor].  I was like, "Yes!  I applied to The Bachelorette!  I'll do The Bachelor!"

Reality TV World:  Wow, so it was just kind of a coincidence?

Holly:  Yeah.


Reality TV World:  What was it that made you apply for The Bachelorette?

Holly:  Well I obviously am looking for love. (laughing)  I thought, "I don't have to sort through all these guys in my city.  I'll have ABC sort through all the guys, find the perfect guys, and then I'll go after them from there."

Reality TV World:  What were your expectations going into the show? Did you go into it looking for a serious relationship?

Holly:  Yeah.  I'm ready to settle down.  I've always been ready to settle down.  Honestly, I walked in not prepared at all to say anything.  I had nothing planned.  Some of these girls had tricks up their sleeves.  I walked in and I thought, "I'm just going to be me and we'll see what happens with it."

Reality TV World:  Are you glad that's the way you played?

Holly:  Yeah.  I definitely played the safe card throughout the whole thing, and I think that's what hurt me.  I am a very outgoing, fun person.  But I chose to be more reserved because America can be pretty critical. (laughing)

Reality TV World:  The first time viewers saw Matt discuss the eventual winner moving to London was during your two-on-one date.  Had he talked much about it before that?

Holly:  He had talked to me about moving to London.  Honestly, writing books, I can do that anywhere in the world.  So I let him know that it doesn't matter where I was -- I can write anywhere.


Reality TV World:  Okay, so had Matt presented the final rose to you, you would you have been willing to relocate to London for him?

Holly:  Yeah.  Honestly, like a year ago I thought, "I really want to move to London. The people in my books live in London, and I love it.  You know what, I want to live over there!"  When I met Matt and he had the British accent, I thought, "This is my chance to move to London!"

Reality TV World:  Just to follow up on that, how do you think most of the other bachelorettes felt about relocating to London?

Holly:  I didn't really talk to them about that.

Reality TV World:  What were your first impressions of Matt?

Holly:  I peaked through the limo window.  That was my first sight of him, and I didn't think he was cute. (laughing) But then I got out of the limo, walked up to him, and I thought he was adorable.


Reality TV World:  Some of the previous bachelors who have appeared on the show have had their "sincerity" questioned.  Do you think Matt was sincere about wanting to find a wife on The Bachelor?

Holly:  I think so.  I don't know for sure because of some of the choices he made in the girls.

Reality TV World:  Would you mind elaborating on that?

Holly:  Well if he was honestly really wanting to settle down, I don't think he would have chose Marshana.  But, on the other hand, he never saw the side of her that all the girls in the house saw.

Reality TV World:  Okay, and what side of her would that be?

Holly: Marshana was very dramatic.  Everything she did had to be a scene.  He didn't see that.  He saw the sweet side of her.  Eventually, everybody's sides come out.  So I'm sure he's going to see that sooner or later.


Reality TV World:  Besides Marshana, were there any women you thought weren't there for a relationship?

Holly:  Robin for sure.

Reality TV World:  Okay, why's that?

Holly:  She said she was there for the competition only.

Reality TV World:  Interesting.

Holly:  I didn't hear her say that -- all the girls were talking about it and then I came into the conversation later on.  I didn't like her personality from the beginning.  There was something of about it.  I soon realized why I didn't like her. (laughing)

Reality TV World:  Just watching it, it seems like everyone really disliked her.  Is that accurate?

Holly:  The girl's didn't like her.  We couldn't stand her. (laughing)  Not to be mean!


Reality TV World:  You seemed to get close with Shayne while in the house.  What's your take on her?  Matt had previously questioned her sincerity in the competition because she's an actress.

Holly: I think she is.  Shayne is one of the sweetest people I've ever met.  They didn't portray her as well as I've seen her.  I think she is there for the right reasons and she's just a really sweet girl.  I think she'll do well.

Reality TV World:  What about Ashlee?  Some viewers have been questioning her sincerity since she's a singer/songwriter.

Holly:  I don't think she knows what love is.  She's a very young 22-year-old.  She's very sweet but not ready for it.

Reality TV World:  Anybody you'd like to see win Matt's heart?  Anybody you don't want to see win?
Holly:  I don't Robin to win. (laughing)  I would love to see him end up with Amanda.  I loved Amanda in the house -- she's very sweet.  I almost told Matt when I left just to pick Amanda right then.

Reality TV World:  Are you currently dating anyone?


Holly:  I'm single but I'm looking for love! (laughing)

Reality TV World:  Did The Bachelor change the way you approach dating?

Holly:  Yeah, I pretend like I am The Bachelorette now when guys come up and talk to me I give them a chance to talk to me for a couple of minutes and if I don't like them I get rid of them real quick. (laughing)

Reality TV World:  How's that been working?

Holly:  Well, I've been weeding out a lot of people real quick! (laughing)

Reality TV World:  So what's next for you?


Holly:  I definitely want to get my books published and see where I go from there.






About The Author: Christopher Rocchio