David Olsen and Jasmine Moore's Beauty and the Geek journey got off to a rocky start.

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However they stuck it out, and home viewers rewarded David and Jasmine by crowning them Beauty and the Geek's fourth-season champs during last night's finale broadcast of The CW reality series.

On Wednesday, David, a 28-year fire department administrator from Somerville, MA, and Jasmine, a 22-year-old nanny from Columbus, OH, talked to Reality TV World about why their relationship as partners was slow to develop; when they think the turning point actually occurred; why they weren't so certain viewers would award them the $250,000 prize; and why it felt like they were "pretending" to win a reality show.

Reality TV World:  How were each of you cast for Beauty and the Geek 4?

David:  Jasmine, you want to go first?
Jasmine:  Um, sure!  I was at SkyBar, and [Beauty and the Geek casting director] Scott Goldstein came in and found me there.  He was like, "Do you want to be on Beauty and the Geek?"  I was like, "Um... Yeah!"  It just went on from there, I just kept making it through.  I was like, "Oh my gosh!"  I didn't even think anything was going to come of it.

Reality TV World:  How about you David?

David:  My friend called me up one day and said that her husband heard a radio ad that they were having an open casting call.  So I was like, "I don't know.  I don't think I'm interested in doing that."  Then I thought about for half-an-hour and said, "You know what?  Let's give it a shot.  I mean I might not be cast, but the audition process might be fun." So I went to the open casting call -- and if do say so myself -- I rocked the house!

Reality TV World:  Before you became partners, what were your first impressions of each other?

Jasmine: (laughing)  Before we got to be partners, I didn't really mind what geek I got.  I was really going to be happy with whoever I got.
David:  I wish I could say that I had a more noble impression of Jasmine, but I guess I thought she was a little bit ditzy at first.  But five weeks of sharing the same bed definitely turns you around.

Reality TV World:  Could you elaborate on that a little bit?  David why were you initially so hesitant about having Jasmine as your partner?

David:  You know, it's hard and I'm still trying to figure it out.  There were so many people the first day, and I was gravitating towards people like [Will Frank] and [Katie Roberson].  To be honest, I really didn't know Jasmine that well in the first 36 hours.  So part of the reason she was last on my list was I simply didn't know who she was.  And I mean, part of that was my own fault because I didn't bother to take the time to get to know her.  But I'm glad that I've since had the opportunity.

Reality TV World:  Jasmine what was your reaction when David told you that you were last on his list of potential partners?

Jasmine:  I was really upset.  I just felt like... It's kind of scary to be in a house with a bunch of new people and you find out the person that you're paired with doesn't want to be with you and would rather be with everyone else BUT you.  It kind of sucked (laughing)... Luckily we got over it.  But it was kind of a shock to think that a geek would be like, "I don't want this girl or this girl!"  I just thought everybody was going to be happy!

Reality TV World:  What were some of the major problems you two had earlier in the competition?  Was it communication?

David:  Well I think part of it was this initial bad foot that we started off on.  It just took a while to get over.  Yeah... It took a solid two-and-a-half-weeks before we were able to push through that initial badness. 

Reality TV World: Do you think that Joshua Green saying you had shown "inappropriate growth so far" during that elimination-room nomination ceremony was the turning point of the competition for you?  What was going through your mind when he addressed you?

David:  It was [the turning point] -- but sort of by coincidence -- not necessarily because of that.  I felt the real turning point was actually at Comic-Con, where the judges -- rightly so -- were just completely delighted by Jasmine's ["Princess Bedhead" superhero] character.  I realized, "Oh my God!  Jasmine's so creative!  I've always been attracted to creative types of people, why have I been blind to her creativity?"  I felt that revelation was the real turning point...

Reality TV World:  What did you think initially about the fourth-season twist of including Sam Horrigan as the hunky guy and Nicole Morgan as the nerdy girl?

David:  Jasmine?
Jasmine:  I was thinking, "Oh my gosh.  This is going to be weird!  This is not like any of the other seasons!"  And there's another team in the house, which means it's going to be harder to make it all the way to the end.  When Sam came in, I recognized him right away because I love the Disney Channel and I saw him in [the 1998 film] Brink!.  I was like, "I know this guy!"  But I got along with those two really well, so I didn't want to take revenge on them like some people in the house...
David:  I was in the minority on this, but I was thrilled.  The way I looked at it, the more the merrier.  It was just going to be that much more of a party (laughing).

Reality TV World:  Were you surprised Sam and Nicole made it as far in the competition as they did and do you think it was only because Sam was so successful, winning five of the nine challenges he participated it?

David:  Oh yeah.  It's undeniable that they got as far as they did because Sam was so good at the challenges.  I mean if they'd lost any of them, they'd of been sent immediately [to the elimination room].  The only time they weren't sent was when Will [and his partner Rebecca Nichols, who Sam had a romantic relationship with] won and Rebecca wasn't willing to let Sam go.

Reality TV World:  What was your reaction when you learned that home viewer votes would be determining the Beauty and the Geek fourth-season champ?

Jasmine:  I was just thinking I hope I didn't look bad on-camera.  Like I hoped I didn't seem mean, I hoped I didn't say anything that would make [viewers] not like me.  I was like, "Oh my gosh!  This isn't going to be judged like the entire season now."  I don't know, I thought it was going to be really weird.  I didn't know if we had a chance or not (laughing)!
David:  I was cautiously optimistic, because I thought that America would see a real change in us.  I'm not sure if this is apparent to America, but I thought Nicole and Sam changed a lot as well.  I mean I got to see it up close... So it wasn't a foregone conclusion in my mind...

Reality TV World:   Given Sam and Nicole were the semi-controversial "hunky guy/nerdy girl" team, I know as a viewer I thought you'd be the clear-cut winner once home viewers were given the chance to determine the outcome.  Are you saying you didn't see it that way?

Jasmine:  Well when we lived in the house, we just felt like [viewers] kind of would live there with us.  I mean how it's seen on TV, it seems like Dave and I changed a lot.  But being in the house it didn't seem that way...
David:  The last night we were there, we shared a ride back to the hotel after it was all said and done.  Neither team really knew which team would come out ahead.  It was very unclear to us.

Reality TV World:  So based on that, you thought your team and Sam and Nicole were on even footing?  You thought they really had a chance of winning the viewer vote?

Jasmine:  Yeah...

Reality TV World:  Has the show shared the actual vote percentages with you?

David:  No.  I have no idea.  All I know is we just got a check...
Jasmine:  I want to know though (laughing)...
David:  I'm very curious myself...

Reality TV World:  What was your reaction when -- four months after filming concluded -- you opened that envelope and learned you had won the competition and its $250,000 grand prize?

Jasmine:  It kind of seemed unreal.  It was just so long... It was like, "Is this really happening?"  I was kind of in shock.  Like I didn't know how to react, because I was waiting for the end so long and it was finally here.  It was weird, but exciting too.
David:  It really was a sort of surreal experience in that it didn't feel like I was winning a game show, it felt like I was pretending to win a game show...
Jasmine:  Yeah...
David:  It was very strange (laughing)...

Reality TV World:  What do you mean by "pretending to win a game show?"

Jasmine:  We did takes like three times (David laughing).  And it was just like, "And the winner is..." I was like, "Okay... Act surprised!"  But I don't know...
David:  I'm not sure how to describe it.  It's like going to Disney's MGM Studios or something and it's like, "Hey!  We need volunteers from the audience to pretend to win a game show just to see what it's like."  It's like, "Okay, I can pretend."  It's very strange...

Reality TV World:  So after the four month wait and a few takes, did it take a while to sink in?

Jasmine:  Yes...

Reality TV World:  David during the show, you expressed a romantic interest in Nicole.  Since you both currently reside in the Boston area, what's the current status of your relationship with Nicole?

David:  Well we've been banned from talking to each other until [last Friday, when Beauty and the Geek's finale filmed].  So we really haven't seen each other.  With that said, we flew back together on the same flight on Saturday, which gave us a lot of time to talk.  So I think it is clear that we will continue to be friends, but I don't see any romance developing between us... Unfortunately.

Reality TV World:  David were you happy with the makeover you received and have you kept any of the changes?

David:  Yeah.  I've never had straight hair before, so I thought that was kind of neat.  I actually went to a salon a couple of weeks ago just to try and keep-up with the hair...

Reality TV World:  Do you think participating in the show really had an impact on the way you look at yourselves as well as other people who are different from you?

Jasmine:  I think so.  I just think that people judge people all the time, and I think this show just really teaches you don't do that because there's amazing people that you were not willing to say, "Hi," to or something.  You should give people a chance, you know?  Not judge people...
David:  It's sort of interesting to watch yourself.  I think Will mentioned this before, but part of the experience is not really doing it but really watching yourself do it.  You pick-up on things watching yourself, like, "Oh, I didn't realize that's how I come off."  So it's good to help the way you deal with people...

Reality TV World:  So what's next for you two?  What plans to do you have for the prize?

David:  To be honest, my life has been so focused on [the finale], it's been really hard for me to see past that, and now that I am past it I'm really not quite sure what's going to happen.  I look forward to the next adventure, whatever it is.  Hopefully, I'll go on some dates with some girls.  But as far as the money goes, there's a couple donations I'd like to make.  I'll probably just invest the rest.

Reality TV World:  What about you Jasmine?

Jasmine:  I'm in contact right now to put a down payment on a condo for my mom.  So I'm buying her a condo!  So that's going to be an investment, because she's only going to live there for like two years and then I'll probably take it over and try to re-sell it because I'm into real estate.  Before the show, I couldn't pass my real-estate test and now I'm scheduling to take it.  Hopefully I'll pass it the next time (laughing).
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio

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