The Bachelor host Chris Harrison clearly feels for Joelle "JoJo" Fletcher after her hometown date in Dallas, TX, turned out to be a bit of a trainwreck.
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Fletcher's ex-boyfriend is named Chad Rookstool, 38, and owns a salon in Dallas. In his love letter, Rookstool wrote about learning the meaning of true love thanks to Fletcher and, while she was away on the show, he had time to think about how much he needed her in his life and how badly he wanted to be with her again.
Rather than being flattered or conflicted, Fletcher got angry. She told the cameras she wanted nothing to do with him and then called Rookstool up on the phone to officially end all ties.
"Obviously he knew she was going to be in town and wanted to try and win her back. Honestly, no one could have predicted how she would respond. There was definitely a possibility she could have taken him back, as you never know how things from the past can stir up emotions in the present. But it was immediately clear that JoJo was over and done with that relationship," Harrison explained.
"In some ways, facing that ex head on and then talking through all of that with Ben was actually a very mature and serious turning point in their relationship. What started off as a big negative quickly turned into a positive, as the two of them leaned more about each other and how they deal with adversity than they would have otherwise."
Harrison then pointed out that right when viewers "thought things couldn't get any better," they "didn't."
"I really had a hard time understanding exactly what went on at JoJo's family's house. Her brothers described themselves as protective, and that's good and appropriate, but they seemed to be harboring some deeper frustrations that they were not expressing to Ben," the host said.
Fletcher's two brothers accused Higgins of brainwashing his bachelorettes and being insincere. They warned Fletcher to keep her heart guarded because the Bachelor didn't seem nearly as invested as she was in their relationship. The brothers went from protecting their sister to simply attacking Higgins' character.
"In one moment they were listening and saying that JoJo and Ben should proceed with caution, but then moments later they were accusing Ben of being fake or calculating, and I think that those comments were a bit over the line. Ben did a great job of trying to calm the situation down, but I really don't think he liked what he was hearing," Harrison wrote in his blog.
"In fact, the best proof of how real Ben's feelings for JoJo were in that moment, is how patient he was in trying make her brothers appreciate his point of view. JoJo's parents did a great job of defusing the situation and making sure that nothing got between Ben and JoJo, and I commend them for coming to their daughter's rescue."
The Bachelor airs every Monday night from 8-10PM ET/PT on ABC.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
