The Bachelorette bachelor Joe Gendreau, a 27-year-old field energy advisor from Los Angeles, CA, was eliminated along with two other suitors during Monday night's broadcast of the ABC reality dating series' eighth season.

ADVERTISEMENT
Joe was ousted during his first one-on-one date with The Bachelorette star Emily Maynard because she claimed there was just no spark, while fellow bachelors Aaron and Kyle were both eliminated during the second episode's Rose Ceremony.

During a Wednesday conference call with reporters, Joe talked to Reality TV World about his short-lived The Bachelorette experience. Click here to read what he had to say. 

Below are some highlights from ABC's transcript of the rest of Joe's call with reporters -- including whether he'd go back and change how he handled private conversations with Emily in hindsight, whether he said he wants to have children in the near future or realized Emily and himself had entirely different priorities, and why he believed The Bachelorette experience was much easier for Emily than it was her bachelors. 

I was wondering now that you have seen the show and Emily's comments and how she interacts with other guys, do you think her choosing to let you go was ultimately a good thing? Do you feel that maybe she made the right decision and you weren't compatible after all?

Joe Gendreau: Yes, like, I think ultimately the decision she made was kind of, you know, it was her choice and I went into it very open minded -- entertaining the idea of possibly getting to know her more, which I guess we didn't really quite hit it off and it didn't work as planned.  

And, yes, you know, I mean whether she made the right decision or not, it's kind of on her.  But for my part, I was really happy with everything that happened.  And I was able to put myself out there and just -- we just didn't really click well. 

It seems like the sticking point really was this moment where she asked you, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" And it seemed like you hesitated and gave her a general "happy" answer she wasn't looking for. The question about having more children seemed to be a stumbling block for you as well. I don't know if you agree, but it seemed like that was the moment when she discovered you two didn't really jive.

Joe Gendreau: Yes.  I agree.  She had asked me where do I see myself in five years, and to me, I'm kind of one, you know, that you might call happy, and you know, what with no regrets.  And I think she was more looking for the, "I want to be here with these many kids," [answer] maybe more in detail. 

And that kind of -- that kind of ultimately, I think, maybe altered her decision.  So, you know, which was by all means, I didn't take offense by it or anything like that.  I think she's really trying to look for the word, you know, determined in what she wants and maybe she didn't quite see that in me like as far as a specific role that she wants me to play or a guy who wants to play for her.

So, can you clarify if you're against having kids or did you just not want to get in the specifics with her?  

Joe Gendreau: Yes.  You know, I'm definitely willing to have more kids or, you know, wanting to have kids in my life one day and I'll cross that bridge when I get there and stuff.  But I mean, as far as being open to it, absolutely.  I was not close minded about having more kids or marriage and all that stuff.  Definitely I want to entertain the idea of all of that in my life. 

I'm wondering how you would sum up the experience of being on The Bachelorette, and do you want to do more TV? 

Joe Gendreau: No -- no more TV.  Great experience, I've met a tremendous amount of great guys that were in that house, all the production staff, great people.  But I wouldn't probably entertain the idea of doing more TV, but ultimately great experience, great time, really, really, you know, it will be a great memory I'll have for the rest of my life. 

Why would you be opposed to doing more TV? 

Joe Gendreau: Just personal, you know, just once was enough I guess you could say.

Are you back in Orlando? 

Joe Gendreau: Yes, I am.  I am. 

Could you talk a little bit about that? 

Joe Gendreau: Yes.  A great opportunity arose for me to come to Orlando and work for a great company and I do quality control for them.  And the show kind of ultimately led me back to Orlando, and it's a great opportunity. 

On your one-on-one date with Emily, you wrote a very sweet note for the "love clock tradition" that was directed personally at her, but when she read hers afterwards, it was a bit more generic.  Did you know at that point in time that maybe you weren't going to get the rose that night? 

ADVERTISEMENT
Joe Gendreau: No, not really.  I felt that she was very aware of the love clock and kind of maybe planned out her wish, whereas I felt I was more put on the spot and they asked me, "Hey, make a wish." And it was like, let it out right now, and it was really quick.  And that's the best I could come up with, I was so on the spot.  So I think she had a little time to come up with hers and she ultimately kind of planned that. 

What was your opinion of Kalon while you were on the show?  He's definitely standing out in a negative light amongst all the bachelors right now.

Joe Gendreau: As far as Kalon, you know, he seems like a great guy.  I don't really know him too well.  But I wish him the best. 

Emily said on your date that she wished it had gone badly just so that you'd know that your elimination was coming.  Did you have any idea that it was coming -- that she was going to send you home -- or did you think things were going really well? 

Joe Gendreau: Yes, I thought it was going well. 

The other men seemed quite surprised when you didn't return.  Did you get along with them nicely?  

Joe Gendreau: Yes, I did.  I did.  All the guys were great guys in the house and I got along really well with them. 

What did you make of Emily when she got quite emotional afterward letting you go.  What was it like watching that for you? 

Joe Gendreau: Yes, you know, she is a great girl.  I wish her the best and she was very nice and very sweet.  And like I said, you know, I'm sure she'll be able to find the right guy for her. 

When Emily asked you the question about what you see yourself doing in five years, what did you think of your answer in the moment and then when you watched it back on TV? Did you realize at the time it was going to be such an important question and did you view the conversation differently when you saw it play out? 

Joe Gendreau: Yes.  You know, I mean that's just me.  That was myself.  I answered it truthfully and I was just myself, you know, where I see myself five years.  I want to be happy with no regrets.  That's something I'd like to achieve. 

In hindsight, knowing the "five years" question was kind of the make or break question for your potential relationship with Emily and chances of getting a rose, if you could do that conversation over again, would you still answer the same way or try to come up with something a little more appealing to what Emily's evidently looking for?  

Joe Gendreau: No.  Like I said, I would still just be myself and answer it truthfully in a way that I felt I, you know -- the way that I'd like to answer it and how I did.  I wouldn't change my answer. 

ADVERTISEMENT
Do you wish you had done something differently after Emily let you go, like maybe fight to stay or try to change her mind?  

Joe Gendreau: No.  After she made her decision, I was content with that.  And, you know, I wanted to move on and I wish her the best.  No, I don't think I would, you know -- if someone feels they make up their mind emotionally, that's a decision that they feel is right, then I respect that. 

Are you rooting for any guy in particular to win Emily's heart? 

Joe Gendreau: My money is on Jef. 

I want to go back to the idea that the show led you back to Orlando.  Could you elaborate on that a little?  

Joe Gendreau: Yes.  Like I said, I got a great career opportunity with a friend of a family member.  I actually had taken off some time before the show and came and saw some family before the show and they were -- I got, you know, kind of a job offer and they said, "Hey, give me a call when you're off the show." So, I did and they ultimately led me back here. 

What did being on the show do for you mentally? 

Joe Gendreau: The show by all means didn't have anything to do with the job at all or anything.  And mentally, it was just a great experience.  It was, you know, it was kind of like a nice vacation. 

Emily kept Ryan in the car on their one-on-one date, and the bachelors didn't get to interact with Ricki at all during The Muppets show.  Do you think that Emily is being too over-protective by keeping the guys away from Ricki? 

Joe Gendreau: No, I don't think so.  You know, a single mother, I'm sure she wants to be really protective.  I understand that. 

Which of the guys do you think are ready and are not ready to be a father to a six-year old? 

Joe Gendreau: I got my money on Jef. As far as which one's not, I'm not too sure to be honest with you. 

ADVERTISEMENT
Why have you put your money on Jef?  

Joe Gendreau: I would say maybe, you know, he seems like a great guy. 

Do you think Jef seemed compatible with Emily as well? 

Joe Gendreau: Yes, yes, I think so, maybe. And he's got some money.  I'm sure that [comment] is going to put me in a dog house somewhere. 

Do you think that Emily filming the show in her hometown sort of changed The Bachelorette experience for you guys?  You said you were living in Los Angeles at one point, and that's normally the location where the show begins, so do you think Emily participating in her everyday mommy duties and such changed things?  

Joe Gendreau: Yes.  I mean it's probably not as surreal for her, I guess you could say. As far as like the guys [being] shipped from all over the country, it's much more surreal for them probably -- all of us being put in a castle or a house.

So I definitely think for her, it could probably -- while it was happening and filming was going on, it probably wasn't as big of a deal to her, I guess you could say, as compared to some of the guys [because] it was more like surreal to them. 

And, you know, this was round two for her.  So she was more comfortable probably with producers and cameras in her face compared to the guys.  So she definitely -- I feel like it had a little bit of an advantage. 

Emily said that she was quite looking forward to the date because she thought you looked like Matthew McConaughey.  I just wanted to know if you've gotten that before and what you thought about it. 

Joe Gendreau: I've gotten the Matthew McConaughey look-alike comment before.  I think it is a compliment.  He's a good looking guy, so what can I say?  And as far as, you know, his attitude, I kind of like to say I have a little bit of a similar attitude.  I'm a laid-back guy who likes to have a good time. 

Before you went on that one-on-one date, did you think at all or have any conversations with the other guys about what you guys thought she would be specifically looking for in a guy? Did you think, "She's definitely going to want someone who wants to be a dad," or were you just like, "I'm going to be myself and see what happens?" 

Joe Gendreau: Yes, yes, I mean as far as talking with the guys and stuff, we, you know, I really didn't give it much of a thought as a type of guy she was looking for.  I just went into it as being myself 100 percent and see if it would work out.

ADVERTISEMENT
You brought up Jef a couple of times. What qualities in him do you think would make a good father? 

Joe Gendreau: He seems like a caring individual and very financially stable.

Do you know if Jef got a chance to talk to Emily about Ricki at all?  Did they have a conversation? 

Joe Gendreau: I'm not too sure to be honest.

Just to be clear, do you think you felt any more chemistry with Emily than she felt towards you? 

Joe Gendreau: No, not really. 

Above are some highlights from ABC's transcript of the rest of Joe's call with reporters. To read the first portion of his interview and what he had to say to Reality TV World, click here.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.