'The Bachelorette's Britt Nilsson: Kaitlyn Bristowe is a little bit intimidating

Britt Nilsson and Kaitlyn Bristowe will both be starring on The Bachelorette's upcoming eleventh season, however, only one of them will survive the cut.


On the very first night of filming, the 25 suitors will be able to decide which lovely lady they'd like to see as the official Bachelorette and their potential wife. When Britt, a 27-year-old waitress from Hollywood, and Kaitlyn, a 30-year-old dance instructor from Vancouver, found out about the news, they weren't exactly thrilled.

During a Wednesday conference call with reporters, Britt talked about the first night, which will be shown in the season's two-night premiere Monday, May 18 and Tuesday, May 19 on ABC.

Below is a part of Britt's interview. To read what she had to say to Reality TV World, click here. Check back with us soon for more.

Was it a tough decision to do this?  Were you excited about it?  Was it something that you had to kind of take your time to think about?


Britt Nilsson: I mean, yes, it's a huge decision.  So, I did take time to think about it.  But overwhelmingly, I just felt like it was the right decision.  I felt like it was, you know, the next step.  And I kind of saw love happening on the first season, and I felt like it was an amazing opportunity.  So, I wanted to weigh it out because it is such a big deal, but I felt like it was good, yes, from the beginning.

Take us back to that first night.  I mean, did you feel a lot of pressure kind of being, you know, up against Kaitlyn or did you did your own thing and you just said alright, I'm just going to be myself and go with it?  Or is it something that you kind of felt a lot of pressure and nerves by?

Britt Nilsson: Honestly, I mean the situation is nerve-racking just because you're going to meet 25 people and they're there for you.  And yes, Kaitlyn is awesome, she's also a little bit intimidating, of course. 

But, I mean, honestly, I just felt like this is such a big deal when looking for like a life partner.  It's -- I can't do it wrong.  All I can do is be myself.  So, honestly, I wasn't as nervous as I was expecting to be when it came down to it.

So, I was wondering, how did you and Kaitlyn get along on Night 1?


Britt Nilsson: You know what?  It actually ended up being pretty cool that we were there.  We were pretty good before, like, we were sort of hanging out towards the end of Chris' season. 

And Kaitlyn's amazing.  So, there was a lot of moments where we would just kind of look at each other like, "Oh, my God."  It was actually a little bit nice to have someone's support.  And I'm glad it was Kaitlyn on the other side.  We just kind of laughed a lot.

What do you say is one of the biggest surprises, if you could give us a little preview, you encountered that first night?

Britt Nilsson: I mean, honestly, that night, everything was a surprise.  We didn't know how it was going to work.  We didn't know what it was going to look like.  We have no idea who's going to get out of the limo.  I mean, every single moment was a surprise, to be totally honest.  It was crazy.

Was there a moment after you learned that you were one of two Bachelorettes, that you were just kind of like, this isn't what I signed up for, I quit?


Britt Nilsson: I never had a moment where I thought I wasn't going to do it, no.  But, of course, it was a consideration.  I was like, "How was this going to work?"  And you know, "This is my friend."  It's just, you know, "How is it going to work being in competition?"  I never felt like I shouldn't do it.  No.  I never had reservations about doing it.

Was there anyone from the season of The Bachelor that if they had been in Kaitlyn's shoes, you wouldn't want to do the show?

Britt Nilsson: I would say yes, there are those people, but I'm not going to name names.  I think people can just infer who they think that might be.  But Kaitlyn was a great choice, obviously.

Are you happy with the way it ended up?

Britt Nilsson: Yes.  I won't go into detail but, yes, I'm very happy.  I'm actually -- yes, very happy.


Did this experience affect your relationship with Kaitlyn in a negative way?

Britt Nilsson: Honestly, I think it made us better friends, to be honest.  I mean, it's a pretty singular situation to be in.  Not a lot of people can say they've done it.  And now, I think, we kind of supported each other and actually bonded over the crazy thing that was happening around us.

Do you still speak to Kaitlyn?

Britt Nilsson: Yes, yes, yes.  We talked the other day, yes.

So, I just want to know, is anyone there for the wrong reasons?


Britt Nilsson: You know what?  I mean, that's hard to say and I'm very wary of saying that because some people [said] that about me, which was very false.  So, you know, as far as I could tell, I don't think so.

There is always a lot of drama every season.  And in the trailer we saw, some of the men fight.  Did the drama this season match up with what happened on Chris Soules' season of The Bachelor?

Britt Nilsson: I think that there is always drama because of the scenarios.  So, yes, there will be drama for sure.

I was hoping if you could tell us a little about your biggest dealbreaker and just what's a big no-no for you, a turn-off?

Britt Nilsson: Oh, just generally men?  I would say if somebody -- No. 1, doesn't have like a compassionate heart to the people around them.  You know, I kind of watch how people treat the people in their space.  Like, how do they act with their moms, how do they act to the waiter?

You know, are they kind?  That is a dealbreaker if somebody doesn't, you know, pay attention to the people in their life and like strive to be kind.  That's huge -- or if they've never like read a book.


One of the twists coming up in the premiere is that the guys have to choose between you and Kaitlyn.  So, let's say you became the Bachelorette but a guy chose Kaitlyn, is that a dealbreaker for you or would you give him a second chance?

Britt Nilsson: I mean, the thing is, I've dated a bunch of people, right?  And obviously, not every single one had worked out.  So, I don't think that's a dealbreaker.  It would definitely be a consideration. 

It would be something I would, you know, be aware of.  But no, I don't think it's a dealbreaker at all.  I think that actually Kaitlyn and I are fairly similar and I understand why a guy would like Kaitlyn.  So, that doesn't turn me off at all.

How come a nice girl like you isn't married?

Britt Nilsson: You know what?  I mean, I don't know the exact answer.  It's not for lack of wanting to be married, but it's just that so many things have to be exactly right on both ends, right?  And it's the most important decision, I think, that you make in your life:  Who am I going to spend the rest of my life with?  And I just haven't yet found the guy who was exactly perfect and that I was perfect for him.

You're a model and you left that profession -- according to the ABC bio -- and you became a waitress.


Britt Nilsson: Yes.

Is a reality show a way, even in the back of your mind, to sort of kickstart the modeling?

Britt Nilsson: Honestly, no.  I mean, people have asked me [if this is about] modeling or acting.  And to me, doing reality is kind of in a very different sphere, which I really don't think that it feeds into anything else. 

I think it might actually cut me off from -- if I'm trying to do modeling, I wouldn't do reality TV.  You know what I'm saying?  To me, no.  I mean, they were never connected in my mind.  And I haven't been modeling in about four years.  I don't know.  I'm 28.  I really don't think I'm going to get back into it.

After being shocked that Chris sent you home, how did you learn to trust your heart again and decide to do the show?

Britt Nilsson: Honestly, I think that's just the only way I know how to live. I don't ever want to enter into a relationship not being vulnerable.  And so, yes, there was like, I have to do some healing but I also -- I just still wanted to be married.  And I know that you can't go into any relationship, like, holding back.


That's not going to ever serve me and it's not ever going to serve the other person.  So, I had to, you know, go home with my family and kind of deal around my friends and people that knew me.  And then, you know, I was ready then.  I feel like after The Women Tell All, I was just ready to go. [I got] closure.

Were you expecting there to be this many twists so early on?

Britt Nilsson: Oh, no.  I mean, no.  We weren't expecting it at all.  Neither of us knew what to expect, which is kind of exciting but, yes, it's been a whirlwind for sure.  I mean, it's kind of inherent in the show where people are competing for love. 

And so, I was prepared for it.  But, yes, it's always surprising just -- whenever you put people in a different -- you know, in situations with strangers, it's going to get a little crazy.  But it's fun.

To read what Britt had to say to Reality TV World, click here. Check back with us soon for more.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski