'The Bachelor' star Chris Soules ousts four bachelorettes, including Kelsey Poe and Ashley Iaconetti

The Bachelor star Chris Soules sent four nineteenth-season bachelorettes home during the ABC reality dating series' sixth episode Monday night.


Chris traditionally denied roses to Mackenzie Deonigi, a 21-year-old dental assistant from Maple Valley, WA, and Samantha Steffen, a 27-year-old fashion designer from Los Angeles, CA, during the season's fifth Rose Ceremony.

In addition, Chris surprisingly eliminated both Kelsey Poe, a 28-year-old guidance counselor from Austin, TX, and Ashley Iaconetti, a 26-year-old nanny from Wayne, NJ, on the dreaded two-on-one date.

The Bachelor's sixth nineteenth-season episode picked up where last week's broadcast had left off, with Kelsey suffering an alleged "panic attack." Kaitlyn Bristowe, a 29-year-old dance instructor from Vancouver, BC, called Kelsey "crazy." Carly Waddell, a 29-year-old cruise ship singer from Arlington, TX, noted it was a "tactful move," and everyone made it clear they thought the "conniving" Kelsey was faking it.

As Kelsey was being treated by a medical team, she told production that she'll definitely get a rose from Chris that night -- or at least she should. Kelsey told the cameras she was the girl Chris was going to fall in love with and their deep connection officially began the moment Chris came to her aid on the floor after her "fainting spell."


Since Chris had canceled the cocktail party prior to Kelsey's breakdown, Ashley assumed Kelsey would've been the one going home and her little episode saved her. The girls thought Kelsey manipulated Chris because he'd feel too guilty to send her home after a health scare like that.

Once the Rose Ceremony commenced, three girls already had roses and they were Carly; Whitney Bischoff, a 29-year-old fertility nurse from Chicago, IL; and Britt Nilsson, a 27-year-old waitress from Hollywood, CA. Chris then offered roses to Jade Roper, a 28-year-old cosmetics developer from Los Angeles, CA; Kaitlyn; Megan Bell, a 23-year-old makeup artist from Nashville, TN; Becca Tilley, a 25-year-old chiropractic assistant from San Diego, CA; Ashley; and Kelsey.

Mackenzie and Samantha didn't make the cut.

Afterward, Chris and his remaining girls traveled to Deadwood, SD. Kelsey was hoping her sad story about being a widow would get her a one-on-one date, but that didn't turn out to be the case once the week's first date card arrived. 

Becca actually received the week's one-on-one date, and Kelsey wasn't happy. Becca said she needed reassurance from Chris in order to fall in love with him. She was the only girl who hadn't kissed Chris yet, so she was banking on strengthening their connection and then getting her first kiss. The couple had spent little time together thus far, but Chris liked the fact she played hard to get.


For their date, Chris and Becca went horseback riding together and felt immediate chemistry.

Meanwhile, Carly was fuming about Kelsey saying she's not a good person. Whitney then confronted Kelsey about her behavior. Kelsey explained she didn't give herself enough time to process or cope with the fact she had revealed her story to Chris. Kelsey said she took a giant step forward in her life but was really confused at the same time and her panic attack was "terrifying."

Carly told Kelsey that she was showing Chris a different side to herself than what all the bachelorettes were seeing, and Kelsey just replied by saying she liked everyone and had respect and admiration for them all.

"I didn't go on this show just to be defeated... And lose sight of my ultimate dream. I came here to win it," Kelsey said in a confessional.

Back on Becca and Chris' date, the pair sat around a fire and just laughed a lot. He noted it might've been the most easy, real date he's ever been on, and Chris appreciated how Becca just rolled with the punches. Becca then revealed to the Bachelor she had been in a relationship in which her feelings were stronger and weren't reciprocated.


Chris comforted Becca by insisting he knew how to sustain a relationship and keep its romance alive. He made her feel safe and gave her butterflies. Becca said she had never felt that way before.

In the meantime, the other bachelorettes learned who would be accompanying Chris on the group date. They were Whitney, Jade, Britt, Kaitlyn, Carly, and Megan.

That obviously left Kelsey and Ashley with the two-on-one date. Surprisingly, Ashley was actually happy about it because she felt she could pretty much guarantee herself a rose. Kelsey was a little burned out because she had yet to receive a one-on-one date, but she was happy the date would become such once he gave Ashley the boot.

On Becca's date, Chris explained his expectations were blown out of the water and he couldn't imagine having a more amazing day with anyone else. He then offered Becca a rose and they finally kissed.

The next day, Chris and six girls went on a group date. They met Big and Rich and were required to write and sing a country song for Chris. Carly felt completely in her element while shy Jade admitted she felt "stupid." Although everyone was gathered in the same room, Britt and Chris appeared to be in their own little world -- hugging, kissing and holding each other.


Kaitlyn told the cameras that Chris' connection with Britt was so obvious it almost made it awkward for everyone else. Jade also got upset and it became harder for her to write a song for a man who seemed wrapped up in somebody else.

After Chris took the stage and sang his own song in order to show his bachelorettes "what not to do," each girl performed one by one. Chris said he was "borderline falling" for Britt after she sang. Carly then sat Chris down and serenaded him while looking into his eyes. It was an intimate moment for everyone to witness, and Chris couldn't have expected the day to go any better.

That night, Jade confessed to Chris her feelings were growing for him and she could certainly see herself moving to Iowa. Carly wanted the rose badly because she thought she had shown Chris all of her, exactly who Carly is. However, Chris had other plans and they were for Britt.

Chris called his connection with Britt plain old "weird" because it was very solid and he didn't really understand it. They were clearly drawn together.

Chris then told Britt that he had a surprise for her. The couple then jetted off together to a Big and Rich concert for over an hour. They danced and kissed onstage. Chris gave Britt a rose in front of a live audience and called the experience "intense" and one he'd never forget.


"I just felt like the luckiest woman alive," Britt said in a confessional.

Once the pair returned to the other bachelorettes and it was obvious Chris had given Britt the date's rose, everyone seemed hurt and pissed off. Chris realized you could cut the tension with a knife and told the girls he understood the journey was getting tougher. It hurt him to see everyone so sad. But Britt -- who doesn't like country music -- was thrilled Chris brought her into his world and showed her something new.

Whitney told the cameras in tears Britt had been in front from the very beginning. Whitney felt threatened by Britt both for her gorgeous looks and her connection with Chris, which Whitney said had become "The Britt and Chris Show."

Once Chris left the room and Britt was left with a lot of jealous eyes, Jade told Britt she didn't want her sympathy. Kaitlyn also explained everyone felt humiliated because she got more time with Chris than anyone else and therefore had a leg up in the competition. However, Britt reminded the girls that Chris had the power to make many of the dating decisions.

Kaitlyn then broke down and cried to the cameras. She felt her relationship with Chris had taken a step back. Whitney also bawled because she thought she was really compatible with Chris and she was ready to be a wife and mother. Whitney felt insecure when comparing herself to Britt and she found it hard to deal with.

The following day, Chris embarked on his two-on-one with Ashley and Kelsey. Ashley had joked around that she was "Glenda the Good Witch and Kelsey was the Wicked Witch of the West." 


The threesome took a helicopter ride in the Badlands over Mount Rushmore. Upon landing, they sat on a daybed in awkward silence. Chris went off with Ashley first and they kissed a lot. Ashley then revealed mostly all of the girls in the house believed Kelsey was fake and fooling him. Ashley noted that everyone got along fabulously except with Kelsey and she thought it was necessary to speak on behalf of the group. Ashley thought Kelsey was manipulative and disingenuous.

It then became time for Chris to talk to Kelsey. She explained that she was prepared to be a wife and he just needed to figure out if she was the type of woman he wanted.

But Chris wanted a girl whom people liked being around, and complaints about Kelsey scared him. Chris then told her what Ashley had said and Kelsey started to cry, saying she thought they were friends. Kelsey promised Chris she had been herself all along and she didn't care about the show -- she just wanted to get to know him. She said she'd hate for him to ruin their potential over "girl talk."

"She's a Kardashian who didn't get to go on a princess date who has too much makeup on... I think she wears her heart on her sleeve and she's desperate," Kelsey told the cameras.

Once Kelsey and Ashley were back sitting next to each other and Chris took a quick walk, Kelsey stared Ashley down and said, "I know what you did and I don't appreciate it." Ashley criticized her for not thinking she's as intelligent just because she didn't always use "big words." Ashley reminded Kelsey they both have a Master's degree. Kelsey complained that Ashley was not ladylike was below her level.

Chris then returned to the girls and Ashley pulled him aside to chat. She started bawling and asked, "Why did you tell her what I said to you?"


Chris apologized and Ashley didn't understand how he could even listen to what Kelsey had to say. He said he "couldn't not hear her out" and Kelsey attributed Ashley's viewpoints to a difference in maturity. Ashley insisted she cared much more than Kelsey.

But Chris was getting ready to dump Ashley. He explained they were in different places in life considering his lifestyle and world back home. He didn't think he could give her the lifestyle she'd really want. Ashley then bluntly questioned how he thought Britt would fit into his farm-life better, and Chris looked dumbfounded. He responded, "I don't know."

Ashley hugged Chris goodbye and couldn't believe she had gotten so emotional. As Ashley walked off, Kelsey smiled, thinking she had won. Boy was she wrong.

Meanwhile, the other bachelorettes saw a crew member remove Ashley's suitcase and they couldn't make sense out of Chris' choice. Whitney confessed it was becoming more and more difficult to trust Chris and his decisions.

Back on the two-on-one date, Chris told Kelsey he had sent Ashley home, and Kelsey hugged him. However, Chris also wanting to let Kelsey go.

"I just don't know if it's there between us and I just feel like, right now in this situation and the circumstances at hand, I just feel like the best thing I can do is be honest with you and I hate this situation -- putting anyone through this longer than they had to be here, because it's hard. I feel like you deserve someone who is 110% in, and right now, I can't be that for you," Chris told Kelsey, who graciously handled her dumping.


Once the other bachelorettes saw production get rid of Kelsey's suitcase as well, everyone jumped up and down cheering. They yelled about how smart Chris was and toasted to her ouster.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski