'The Bachelorette' bachelor Brandon Andreen: Since it can't be me, hopefully it's going to be Brooks Forester

The Bachelorette bachelor Brandon Andreen was ousted by its star Desiree Hartsock during Monday night's broadcast of the ABC reality dating series' ninth season.


Brandon, a 26-year-old painting contractor from Costa Mesa, CA, was eliminated during the third episode's Rose Ceremony after he told Des he was falling in love with her and had opened up about his emotional past and family history.

During a conference call with reporters on Thursday, Brandon talked to Reality TV World about his The Bachelorette experience. To read what he had to say, click here. Below are some additional highlights from his call. Check back with Reality TV World on Monday for more.

A lot of the guys this season have a big problem with Ben Scott, saying that he's not there for the right reasons. Could you elaborate on that a little more on what everyone's issue was with him?

Brandon Andreen: With Ben, with what I saw, it was just unfortunate that the house had a nice positive atmosphere to it and he was just the guy that kind of wanted to mess it up. And the lies he told me as far as when he went out and saw Des and then just lied straight to my face about doing that -- along with Michael Garofola.


It's just unfortunate because we really did want all of us to be there for the right reasons and it was pretty apparent that the politician wasn't.

You got very emotional on the show. Is that just the type of person you are or was that a result of the situation you were in?

Brandon Andreen: Right, yeah, and that's the thing. Yes, of course I am an emotional person. I'm caring. I do feel like I have a heart and in the situation that I was in and the circumstances and some of the emotions that that brought out in me, that was something that I did want to share with America and let them know that yeah, there are guys like me out there that do struggle with stuff like this.

Today, I am who I am and I love who I turned out to be, the man I am because of those circumstances. There's nothing in my heart that regrets any of what happened as a child. My childhood was more so a blessing than anything.

While your past has made you a stronger person today, do you kind of regret sharing that story on national TV? Do you regret going on the show at all considering you ended up kind of spilling your heart out and then unfortunately getting eliminated after that?


Brandon Andreen: Not at all. I've been just infiltrated with thousands of people reaching out to me with nothing but positivity and wonderful things to say. And one of the things that happened, and after the whole thing happened, all I thought was, "I wonder if kids and people and adults will see this and realize that it is okay."

If I take a look at me, after what I said, if one kid can say, "If that guy can make it, I can make it," I have zero regrets about anything that I said. Yeah, I cried on TV. If I'm the only guy in the world that's ever cried, so be it.

But I did what I did and it happened the way it was supposed to happen. And now, I'm so happy with the outpour of kids, teens and adults the same reaching out saying, "What an inspiration you are, and thank you for that. You have absolutely made a big impression on me and my children." And everyone has really been reaching out, so it's been a very positive thing. 

Since it can't be you obviously, is there a guy you think might be a potential great match for Des? From what you got to know about the guys and Des, what are your thoughts on that?

Brandon Andreen: You know, from the beginning, the guy that I first really connected with was [Brooks Forester] and Michael. And so those two, I'm kind of back and forth, but hands down, every time I would see Des look at Brooks, it was just -- you could just tell. It was one of those things where you're just like, "Wow, she really likes him."


And you can definitely tell he really likes her after the conversations that we had. So he's the one that I absolutely thought from the get-go, if it wasn't going to be me, it was hopefully going to be him.

Because all in all, I was there for the right reasons and I did want her to find love. She's the Bachelorette. And so if it wasn't with me, I pray to God it was with someone that she actually did fall in love with and that loved her for the right reasons, and I believe Brooks was that guy.

When Des told you that she let you go sooner rather than later in order to not make things more difficult for you down the road, did you appreciate that or did you wish you had longer so you could've spent more time with her?

Brandon Andreen: Of course I would wish I had a one-on-one date and I wished I had more time to not just go into it and be, you know, use my background as kind of a story deal -- you know, laughing and actually hanging out with her. So of course I wish I could've had that time.

But at the same time, I don't regret it and I honestly do appreciate when she did let me go, because it was an emotional week for me. And obviously I would've loved to have gone to the next step with her and the guys on the journey, but I really do appreciate the fact that she respected me enough to say, "This isn't going anywhere."


Because you can't force love. It's just not something that you can do. It's gotta be at least a little bit of natural feeling, and of course she did have a little bit of feelings for me, but at the same time, that woman loves and respects almost every single person she comes in contact with. So the fact she would've let me go at that point before it got any further, I can't be more thankful.

Had the incident with Brian Jarosinski and his girlfriend at home never happened, do you think you would've stayed? Do you think the fact you got emotional again was one of the main reasons Des sent you home?

Brandon Andreen: I try not to think about that, you know, I think it happened the way that it was supposed to happen.

In your final words, you said something like, Des was just another person that abandoned you. Does the issue of abandonment come up with you as much as it did on television or is that something that rarely affects you now?

Brandon Andreen: In my adulthood, yes, I've had people here and there that have gone out of my life for different circumstances. That was just unfortunate that growing up and things like that, people that I really do have feelings for or that I look up to more than anything, they have gone to the wayside and gone on with their lives.


Obviously they're living their own lives, but as a kid, it was just the fact that, I mean, it was unfortunate. But Des is just on a journey, and the fact that she, for the most part, left me behind, is something that was just a part of her journey.

I'm sitting here in sunny California and my life is wonderful and I couldn't be happier for her. I hope that the journey just continues and that she does end up finding the one that she wants to be with for the rest of her life.

What was it like for you watching Monday night's episode back, particularly when she eliminated you? What were you feeling, seeing it on TV?

Brandon Andreen: Wow, yeah. The feelings were overwhelming. It was amazing to see what happened that night, because obviously when it comes to the cameras and Des and all the other guys and just getting let go of the home that I was living in and having to leave very unexpected, yeah, watching it on television was -- it didn't stir up any of the same emotions or anything like that, but what a dramatic exit.

It was just unfortunate that I had to be let go at that point, but yeah. Watching it on TV was just surreal.

Above are some additional details from Brandon's Thursday conference call with reporters. To read what he had to say to Reality TV World, click here. Check back with us on Monday for more. 






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