'The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart' recap: Natascha Bessez and Ryan Neal ousted after disconnected duet in Las Vegas

The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart featured Natascha Bessez and Ryan Neal getting eliminated after four couples performed in Las Vegas in front of Pat Monahan, Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross, and Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham.


Natascha, a 33-year-old pop singer from New York, NY, and Ryan, a 28-year-old ophthalmic technician from Dearborn Heights, MI, appeared disconnected onstage during their duet performance, which didn't exactly impress the celebrity judges, so they were denied roses and sent home from the musical competition.

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"I got everything I wanted with me and Ryan right now. I got it all, and I f-cking dropped it. I'm so stupid," Natascha vented following the couple's ouster, blaming herself for messing up their performance.

"We were meant to be on this journey together and it was beautiful because I was so happy and felt so fulfilled just by how he made me feel. I am a lucky girl that I got to have a partner like that through this journey. He's been so good to me. He's been SO good to me."


And Ryan added in his final words, "I wanted to meet somebody who's very compatible with myself, and I found that with Natascha. So I want to continue our relationship."

The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart broadcast began with Matt Ranaudo, a 32-year-old musician from Milford, CT, waking up after an "amazing night." He said watching Julia Rae and Brandon Mills leave the show was hard, but he could tell their connection wasn't that strong.

With the cast smaller in number and relationships becoming more serious, Matt anticipated the competition element of the show was about to heat up.

Jamie Gabrielle, a 21-year-old hostess from Nashville, TN, then called Natascha "manipulative" because she felt Natascha was the reason Julia's journey on the show had to come to an end.

On last week's show, Natascha warned Julia -- right before Julia was about to sing onstage -- that Brandon preferred Savannah McKinley but Savannah chose to quit the show. Natascha was essentially saying Julia was Brandon's second choice and Brandon only chose to pair up with her and pursue a romance once Savannah left.


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The Bachelor host Chris Harrison then showed up at the mansion and recognized Chris Watson, a 30-year-old from Los Angeles, CA, and Bri Stauss, a 28-year-old waitress from Provo, UT, were inspiring the rest of the cast with their love.

Rudi, a 24-year-old studio vocalist from San Antonio, TX, said she could see herself falling in love with Matt, but she wasn't sure he was on the same page.

Harrison teased a bigger and better performance was about to come as well as more romantic dates, but first, everyone would be leaving Los Angeles, CA, and heading to Las Vegas, NV.

Each couple then received their own tour bus, and Natascha called it "the real deal."


The couples packed their bags, and Ryan said everyone was "beyond pumped" about the trip ahead. But relationships were about to be tested, big time.

"It's been my dream to be a touring musician, have a family and tour with them. So hopefully today will give me the confidence that Jamie and I can do that," Trevor Holmes, a 29-year-old in social media marketing from Thousand Oaks, CA, said in a confessional.

The cast only had two more concerts to go, so the penultimate performance was going to be a big one.

Rudi joked on the bus her relationship with Matt started out by her hating him and Matt thinking she was the craziest girl ever. The couple gushed, "Look at us now," and Rudi told the cameras Matt knew how to handle her and had a very calming presence about him.

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Rudi looked forward to talking to Matt and getting to know him better, as well as hooking up with him.

"I'm in trouble. I'm in trouble," Matt said with a laugh. "She can get a little crazy. I don't know if Vegas is going to bring out the best in her or the worst."

While on the bus, Trevor sang a song to Jamie to show he's "crazy about" and "really into" her. Jamie wanted to experience new things with Trevor and celebrate life with him.

Meanwhile, Matt told Rudi that she's "smokin" and appreciate how they had fun and could laugh with each other. Matt clearly liked Rudi, but she said she was still unsure where his head was at.

"I would like to find a significant other, but I've been through so much sh-t. I've been through so many things that make me question everything," Matt admitted in a confessional.


"When I was younger, I was super open with my heart and my feelings... and I think over time, you get hurt or you go through that bad relationship, and so I'm guarded. I really like the girl a lot, I do. Am I falling in love with Rudi or do I see that as a possibility? Of course... I'm still just a little hesitant."

Matt wasn't sure whether he was falling for Rudi, acknowledging he might've been falling, because his walls were admittedly down.

Most of the pairs arrived in Las Vegas at the same time and got settled into a hotel, but Rudi and Matt were missing. Everyone was wondering where they were, and it turns out Matt and Rudi were jamming by a bonfire "out in the middle of [nowhere]."

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Rudi admitted she and Matt weren't ready for Vegas yet and so they took matters into their own hands and stopped along the way. Rudi opened up to Matt and hoped their relationship would get to the next level.

Matt set out to discover whether he and Rudi had something deeper and more meaningful then just their friendly banter and musical chemistry.


The next day, a Date Card arrived for Bri and Chris. Bri said she felt "so lucky" to be with Chris because she felt safe with him and he made her feel like she could do anything in the world.

The couple were taken to a local chapel and freaked out a little when they thought they'd be getting married, but instead, Bri and Chris were asked to sing and serenade a different couple who was actually ready to get married.

"It was really cool to look at the couple and be like, 'This could be our future.' What we have is real and deep, and I do love this man," Bri told the cameras.

Chris could envision himself marrying Bri one day, and so he said the experience was "really special."

Chris always hoped his father would marry him since he was an ordained minister, but he passed away five years ago. Chris wished his father could have met Bri, but he had every reason to believe his Dad would have loved her.

Bri wanted to be there for Chris and could see them getting engaged by the end of the process. She gushed that what they had was "true" and "undeniable" love.


Matt was then shown talking to Ryan in the Las Vegas hotel how his night with Rudi was wild and incredible, but he wasn't sure his heart was "there" yet with her -- although he loved being with her, waking up next to her, and comforting her when she was stressed or upset.

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While Matt was "taking baby steps," Rudi admitted to Jamie at the hotel bar she was almost ready to say, "I love you."

"I'm not even kidding you, I almost said it to Matt after our performance. I almost screamed out, 'Oh my God, I love you!' But it's so hard for me to open up," Rudi told Jamie.

Rudi decided to be more vocal with Matt about her feelings so he had no doubt about where she stood with him.

Later on, Jamie and Trevor embarked on a date, and Jamie said she was definitely "falling in love" with him. Jamie wanted to say it aloud, but she wasn't sure how Trevor felt about her in return. Jamie feared expressing her love and not receiving that love back.


For their date, Jamie and Trevor had an ice skating rink all to themselves. Since Trevor grew up playing hockey his whole life, he was so excited to share that with Jamie.

Jamie said the date was "so romantic," and Trevor thought it was the coolest moment ever. Rudi predicted Jamie would express her love, but she wasn't convinced Trevor was reciprocating those feelings. Rudi felt Trevor was holding back.

"I've never felt this way about someone in so long. I've been waiting to tell him how I feel about him for days, but it's really scary for me to put myself out there. Once you say that... it's out there, and there's no taking it back," Jamie told the cameras.

"It's scary to be vulnerable with someone when you don't know if they'll be vulnerable back."

Jamie and Trevor sat on cozy furniture on the ice after skating around and were given some champagne to enjoy. Trevor insisted to Jamie he was emotionally invested in their relationship and really cared about her feelings, but then he lost momentum a bit.

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"I have only said the L-word to like literally two other people in my life outside of my family, and I take that word more seriously and sacred than any other word," Trevor told her.

"Before I say that to someone, I want them to know that I mean it, and so I just wanted you to know where I was at with that."

Jamie was apparently okay with that because she didn't want Trevor to say, "I love you," if he didn't really mean it.

At the end of their date, Trevor apparently started to cry and said he was really proud of Jamie and couldn't have done this without her.

"I wanted to tell you that I am falling in love with you," Jamie told him.

"I am falling in love with you too," Trevor said in reply.


Jamie cheered and yelled with glee, and she said she was living out a movie with "the man of [her] dreams." Jamie knew this would make their connection stronger onstage, and she gushed about being "on a high."

Matt and Rudi received the next Date Card, and Rudi said after seeing how happy Jamie was on the tail of her date, she should probably just tell Matt that she was falling in love with him.

For their date, Rudi and Matt went to a Shaggy concert, and Matt was thrilled and noted Rudi was the perfect woman for this experience. The couple was even asked to go onstage and sing with Shaggy.

Rudi was really scared to put herself out there, but she felt solid about Matt and her feelings of love for him.

So after the show, Rudi told Matt that he had been her rock and seen all of her different sides. Rudi felt Matt just understood her and treated her better than any men in her past.

"You know what, f-ck it! I'm falling for you, okay!" Rudi told Matt. "I'm falling for you. I like you a lot... I can see myself getting there with you, and I think I would regret not telling you that."


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Matt responded with silence and then told Rudi she was "very courageous" for speaking her truth. But that's apparently all he had to say.

Rudi therefore immediately started to cry, and Matt just didn't have the words to console her. As much as he did like her, Matt said he didn't want to rush into things or say something that wasn't 100 percent true.

Rudi cried about putting herself out there and getting rejected.

"Musically, we're so compatible, but for me it's like, what's the f-cking point if you're not there?" Rudi asked. "Yes I wanted that, but I wanted to find love. I want him to stay here because he genuinely cares about me, but I don't think he really likes me like that."

Natascha and Ryan were then shown going on a date in which they operated heavy machinery and crushed cars in a junkyard in the middle of the desert. Natascha told Ryan that she liked him exactly the way he was, being a man of few words.


Natascha gushed about how Ryan made her feel calmer and happier, and she noted they had a good thing going. Natascha couldn't wait to bring their connection onstage.

The couples then received the songs they'd be singing, and Ryan and Natascha received "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran. Ryan, however, wanted to change it up so it wouldn't be slow the entire time, and she was totally onboard with that.

Bri and Chris were given "Can't Help Falling In Love with You" by Elvis Presley, and it was an emotional moment for them because they had played parts of that song at the guitar center where they had their first date.

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Jamie and Trevor were asked to sing "Just a Kiss" by Lady Antebellum, and Jamie said it mirrored how she was feeling for her man.

And finally, Rudi and Matt rehearsed "Shallow" by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Rudi wished Matt would see how truly great together they were, because sparks flew whenever they sang.


Matt called the journey an emotional roller coaster, saying he would have left if it wasn't for Rudi. She just hoped he could "get there" with her and let go of whatever he was holding onto.

Rudi, however, was okay with the fact Matt was a little behind her in his feelings because she didn't want to force anyone to love her. She also knew their chemistry onstage was undeniable.

It then became time for the performance portion of the show, and Harrison announced at the Nomad Hotel the five celebrity judges who would be determining which couple goes home at the next Rose Ceremony: Train member Pat Monahan, Ashley and Evan stars Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross, and The Bachelor couple Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham.

Bri and Chris were up first and they performed "Can't Help Falling In Love With You." Lauren told the couple they're adorable although the song started with low energy. She could see the passion between them, and Arie said Bri had hearts coming out of her eyes.

Pat admitted Chris came in "a little funny" with his first notes but they're a beautiful couple and he came taken with them during the song.

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Ashlee said the couple locked eyes and connected, and Evan liked Chris' gentle delivery.

Jamie had a whole new confidence before stepping on the stage. Instead of being extremely nervous, she was excited and jumping around backstage with the man she was falling in love with.

Jamie and Trevor then belted out "Just A Kiss," and Matt noted backstage the pair had "killed it" and Jamie appeared a lot more comfortable onstage in comparison to previous weeks.

"I just don't know where I'm at, and it makes me a little nervous," Matt confessed.

Following Jamie and Trevor's performance, Evan and Ashlee said they felt the love and the duet had moved them because their connection felt so natural.

Pat noted Jamie seemed awkward and nervous at moments but the performance was so "beautiful" and real, and Arie loved the pair's playful and innocent dynamic.


Even Natascha admitted Jamie and Trevor's moment onstage was magical and they were like two little doves singing together.

Afterward, Natascha and Ryan performed their own uptempo rendition of "Perfect," but they hit some bumps along the road. Ryan, for example, tried to play guitar during the song but Natascha handed him a microphone to hold so he couldn't play.

Natascha also apparently sang a verse at the wrong time, and at the end of their song, Natascha whispered, "I'm sorry" to Ryan.

Pat felt Natascha and Ryan had executed two difference performances and they seemed disconnected, especially when Ryan played guitar off on the side of the stage.

"I feel like it was a performance, but in the same breath, I feel like it was a performance. I feel like it was put on a little bit," Arie said.

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Evan suggested the song was missing emotion, and Ashlee agreed it looked like two different people and two different songs that just weren't coming together.

Natascha cried backstage in Ryan's arms and told him that she felt like "an idiot."

"I sang the wrong part of the song, which led us to completely disconnect onstage. I feel like I'm in a bad dream right now," Natascha said in a confessional.

"I hope he doesn't hate me. I let him down and that's awful. I care about Ryan a lot, and I'm just nervous we're going to go home. I hope he forgives me."

Rudi said she and Matt weren't "as locked in" as she wanted them to be, especially since she didn't know what was going on in Matt's head, but the pair completely shined onstage and nailed their duet of "Shallow."

Ashlee said she could "feel the heat" and the pair definitely connected. Lauren called Rudi and Matt "incredible performers," and Pat called the performance "magical."


"If you can turn that into original music and write your own songs and sing that great, and [Matt], your guitar-playing is really exceptional. I mean, I was like, 'Man, this is some real stuff!'" Pat gushed.

Rudi said all of her ups and downs with Matt went away when they stepped on a stage together, and she could tell they were getting stronger and better both musically and romantically. Rudi could tell Matt was beginning to fall her.

"That was nuts! When Rudi was singing that buildup part, man, it took everything in me to not just black out while she was doing it. She's incredible," Matt told the cameras. "I want to keep playing music forever, so I'm excited to move forward with her."

The Rose Ceremony then commenced, and Jamie and Trevor got the first set of roses. Trevor could see them going all the way in the finale, gushing about how strong their relationship was.

Matt and Rudi earned their roses next, and Rudi had faith they could get on the same page and ultimately win the competition together.

"When I'm onstage with Matt, it's magical. When I'm offstage with Matt, it's magical," Rudi noted.


Bri and Chris received the next roses, and Natascha admitted she was "incredibly disappointed" in herself.

Before leaving, Ryan whispered to Natascha that he was so proud of her and didn't want their relationship to end.

"It isn't," Natascha assured him.

Ryan added that he couldn't wait to see what the future holds for them.

"Maybe the universe has another plan for us. Maybe it doesn't include this journey but maybe it will include a better one. This could make us stronger too, and yeah, it will be better," Natascha said following the couple's ouster.

Natascha told Ryan outside of the mansion that she didn't feel like she deserved him, and she thanked her partner for treating her so well.


Harrison then announced to the remaining three couples inside the mansion they'd be performing in the finale in Nashville, TN.

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski