The Bachelorette bachelor Ben Scott, a 28-year-old entrepreneur from Dallas, TX, is still in the running for Desiree Hartsock's heart.

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Ben, who followed his adorable four-year-old son Brody out of the limo on the first night, has made waves in The Bachelorette mansion amongst his fellow suitors. Ben has taken an aggressive approach to dating Desiree, stealing her away from intimate conversations with other bachelors to spend time alone with her and allegedly acting like a frontrunner ever since he got the season's first rose.

During a Thursday conference call with reporters, Ben talked to Reality TV World about the season thus far and the drama that surrounded him in the house. Click here to read what he had to say.
 
Below are some additional highlights from Ben's call. Click here for more.

Is Desiree a good kisser?

Ben Scott: Yeah... Des is an amazing kisser.

Do you think that any of the tension with the guys was caused by the fact that you got the first rose on the first night?  Was there a bit of jealousy there do you think?

Ben Scott: I've had that question asked of me by friends and family, and that's something I don't know because I don't know exactly why they're feeling the way they're feeling.  It was unfortunate, the timing when I walked in on Michael Garofola and Des' conversation. That's something that each guy on the show is going to have to answer for himself because I don't know. 

I still don't know the reasons they say or do the things they do, but from what I hear, it does.  Getting the first rose is not always the best thing, but it was for me. 

It was more about how my relationship with Des was growing and that's just more confirmation that, you know, "Hey, this is where I really need to be right now.  This is something that I really need to be pursuing."  So in my opinion, it didn't bother me either way.  It was a great step for me and Des on our journey.

When all this drama was happening, were you at all worried that it would get back to Des and she would see you differently?  Was that something you were kind of thinking about, like, "I'm going to have to talk to her about this?"

Ben Scott: You know, not really.  That didn't really ever cross my mind.  I don't focus on the negative things, so I wasn't going to sit there and let what happened between me and Michael affect what's happening between me and Des.  So, that really wasn't a worry on my mind.

So at this point with what we've seen so far, the audience doesn't really know what to make of you.  I mean, you bring your son and he's adorable, but people have different opinions about it.  Some could see it as manipulative, and while you seem genuine in your motivations and you say you're there for the right reasons, your confidence and the way you interrupted the other night could be perceived as smug and arrogant.  So, you kind of made it clear that you're not really concerned with what the other guys think of you in the house, but is it important to you how the audience perceives you and what they think your character is?

Ben Scott: When I was doing the things that I was doing, it's because I was doing it for me and Des.  It was not with the intentions of how was anybody else going to perceive this. 

So, that may have come back to bite me with some of the guys in the house, but this is a show to find love, a show to see if this person that you're here with is the one that you're going to spend the rest of your life with.  And that's what I was there to do and I had my way of going about it, and some guys had other ways, and I guess that's all I have to say to that question.

I meant kind of more like, not necessarily what the other guys thought of you, but if you care on a bigger scale what the audience would think of you.  Not that you are concerned with the guys, but also if at the end of all this, if you do come across as the villain of the season.  Because like I said, at this point, people are kind of split on you.  Some think of you as a frontrunner and others kind of think you're a d-bag, so I don't really know like if that part concerns you.

Ben Scott: I would have to say this, the only people that I would be concerned with how I do on the show was my family, and as long as I'm being who I am and I'm doing things that my mother would be okay seeing on TV and all of her friends, then I'm okay with who I am. 

Now the rest of America, they're going to have their own opinions and I'm not going to sway those either way.  So truly the only people that I probably would have cared about how I appear on TV would be my family, because what I do could affect them as well.  Does that answer your question?

Oh absolutely.  As the season goes on and we see more, do you think that you're going to kind of still be on the fence when it comes to the audience or do you think that one way or the other your personality will emerge a little more?

Ben Scott: I think you're just going to have to watch just like me and see how everything goes.  Everybody is going to form their own opinion and they're going to pick different reasons to form their own opinion, but it's going to be a great season and I guess everybody is going to have to figure that out for themselves.

You said you have no regrets and obviously your initial reason for being there was Des, but now looking back, do you at least have regrets about how you handled yourself?  You did already have a rose and that's always perceived as being greedy for some reason if you go into a cocktail reception and try to get more time with her.  Do you feel like crap, like, "I wish I would have handled that differently?"  Or, I kind of see what they're saying.  I mean, like how are you feeling now that you have hindsight?

Ben Scott: Everything is always easier with hindsight.  Unfortunately, I didn't have it at that time.  The way it happens is the way it happens.  You can't go back and change that, and you know, that is a question I get asked a lot is, "You had a rose so why did you go steal her?"

And you know, some of the guys thought that the guys that had roses should maybe hold back.  You never have a chance to talk to her and if there is time for us to talk to her -- I'm sorry without time you can't grow in your relationship.  I think me and Des have had some very good quality time so far and that's why our relationship is where it is. 

Those minutes that I got with Des were great minutes and it really helped and I love talking to her.  It's always so much fun and so easygoing.  I really enjoyed that time that I had with her.  Could it have been handled differently the way that I got that time?  Yes of course.  But I didn't.  I was really nervous.   I saw her and I just wanted to talk to her.  It affected me in some ways and it affected me in other ways.

I mean at this point in the show, how were you feeling about Des?  I mean do you feel like she could be the one, was that your first impression, like, "Okay, this could work." And if so, why?

Ben Scott: With me, I don't jump at things just extremely fast, but there is definitely a connection between me and Des and I think the viewers can see it and I can see it and Des can see it, and that's why I've gotten the roses that I've gotten.  And we have a great connection, we have a lot of things in common and things are going really well for me and Des.  I'm really excited about how everything's going.

At this point in the show, did you feel like everyone was there for the right reasons or were there people you may have suspected were there just to be on TV or have a good time?  Did you see the whole group at this point being genuine and there to find a wife?

Ben Scott: You know, it's still pretty early on and we're all still getting to know each other, and it takes time to get to know each other.  So at this point, no, no one of us really believed anybody was there for the wrong reasons, but we all do understand that it's early and we're still getting to know each other and we're still trying to figure each other out. 

I think it's pretty early on to really know 100% percent about what is everybody's true motives, but at this point, I've never heard from one guy in the house who said, "This person is not here for the right things for the right reasons."  I think at that point everybody was okay with each other.

So let's say you don't win the season.  Would you ever consider being the Bachelor if they asked you?

Ben Scott: That's something I can't comment on.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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