The Bachelor star Chris Soules is standing by bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe in the face of criticism.

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During a group date at a lake on Monday night's broadcast, Bristowe appeared to randomly take off her bikini bottom and jump into the water. If many people were fans of her prior to that moment, a lot of them have probably changed their minds. However, Soules took it upon himself to completely defend the wise-cracking Canadian with whom he enjoyed a fun Costco one-on-one date the previous week.

"I'd probably say it wasn't until my fourth week as the Bachelor that I finally felt like I'd stopped dreaming and that this was actually happening. I wanted my first date that week to be something I normally do, and as a big fan of the outdoors, camping has always been a huge part of my life. Now, I don't think the girls would have ever expected to spend a night in the wilderness when they signed up for mansion life, so it was really important for me to see who could roll with the punches and just be natural," Soules wrote in his People blog.

"Arriving at the lake, I could tell that most of the girls were really excited to let loose. I had no idea that [Kelsey Poe] was so miserable. She put on a very brave face whenever she was around me, and I totally thought she was having fun. If I had known she felt like she was in a 'hellhole,' I would have never asked her to come on the date. At the very least, she wouldn't have gotten stung by a bee on the, uh, 'upper thigh.' In contrast, Kaitlyn was clearly having a blast."

Soules continued, "Now, I know there's been a lot of reaction to Kaitlyn's little mooning trick off the dock, but what you don't know is that the whole group of us was playing Truth or Dare. She was dared to do that and took on the challenge, as did [Ashley Iaconetti] with her bikini top. It's a classic camping game, and it was all in good fun. Come on people, it was just a tush!"

Around the campfire that night, Soules apparently tried to heat things up a little bit but failed.

"Everyone was having a good time. I had even brought a little portable hot tub... but unfortunately the rangers wouldn't let me light it. So, the hot tub was more of a cold tub. Regardless, I spent some quality time with the women that night, and when it came time to hand out the rose, I didn't know what to do. As usual, I went with my heart. I know some of the girls were irritated because Kaitlyn had just gone on a one-on-one date with me the week before, but I was just trying to be real and do what felt right," the Bachelor explained.

The next group date was a "muck race" to raise awareness for MS. The bachelorettes had to run, climb and crawl through mud while wearing beautiful white wedding dresses.

"So as soon as the race began, we all quickly realized none of us stood a chance against [Jillian Anderson]'s athleticism. Jillian had it in the bag. So I decided to take the opportunity to help some of the girls out and to get to know them better. [Becca Tilley] and I had a great chat and felt an instant connection, and that was the moment I knew she was going to be around for a long time. Spoiler? Stay tuned," Soules wrote.

Since Anderson won the competition, she got to enjoy some one-on-one time with Soules that night at the Fairmont, which boasted amazing views of San Francisco.

"I was truly looking forward to my one-on-one date with Jillian... Even a number of Presidents have stayed in that particular suite, including President Kennedy... Too cool! Sadly, sitting down at dinner with Jillian, something just didn't feel right. We were in one of the most romantic settings I'd ever been, overlooking the beautiful San Francisco skyline, and honestly I just wasn't feeling it," Soules said in his blog.

"I'm not sure if it's because I couldn't get a word in edgewise, or if it was because the chemistry was just not there, but I knew in my gut that Jillian wasn't the one for me. I couldn't in good conscience give her that rose. Saying goodbye to her was not easy, but I'd have been lying to both of us if I had kept her around. I know Jillian felt like she wishes she'd opened up more, but it wasn't even that. The two of us were just not meant to be, and I'm sure she'll find someone perfect for her. And that person could probably bench press me!"

In addition to Anderson, Soules also decided to say goodbye to Ashley Salter, Juelia Kinney and Nikki Delventhal.

Soules also teased next week's episode, and according to Monday night's preview for it, some of the girls will get very close to The Bachelor star.

"Things get a little nutty. One woman I already sent home comes back. One woman almost gets naked right in front of me. And one woman actually passes out! It's crazy!!!" he admitted.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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