Kaitlyn Bristowe looked back on her season of The bachelorette nine years after the film premiered in 2015 – and her relationship with ex-fiance Shawn Booth.
“I still like to think about my season and the relationship that came from it – it was somewhat of a success,” Bristowe, 39, said during the match. Podcast ‘Bachelor Happy Hour’ on Tuesday, July 2. “Even though we’re not married, we were together for almost four years.”
Bristowe met Booth, 37, on her first night out Bachelor party season and immediately fell in love with the personal trainer. It was no surprise when Booth got down on one knee and proposed during the ABC show’s finale, which aired in July 2015. The former couple eventually announced their divorce in November 2018.
Even though they didn’t make it, Bristowe explained why she thinks their relationship has worked for so long.
“I really believe it’s because I did that role, because I thought, people are going to hate me for this, or people are going to love me for this, but this is just who I am,” Bristowe explained. “If I really want to have any kind of foundation for a relationship to blossom, I just have to be so true to myself.”
Here’s the advice Bristowe offers to new Bachelor and Bachelorette stars before their starring roles begin.
“I always encourage people that even if they feel messy, America is not going to like what they say or do,” she continued. “I just think you have to be absolutely true to yourself and then have a somewhat successful relationship with that person, with yourself, with your following, which Bachelor Nation is very loyal to, and they’ll see through it.”
Jason Kempin/Getty Images Kaitlyn Bristowe’s journey to find The One wasn’t all bed and breakfast. Bachelor Nation was introduced to Bristowe during season 19 of The Bachelor when she competed for Chris Soules’ heart in 2015. After finishing in third place, Bristowe was in the running to become the next Bachelorette and ultimately defeated Britt. […]
Bristowe also recalled the “instant” connection between herself and Booth the first time they met.
“I didn’t think I would get that feeling on the first night. I’ve never met anyone before and the first moment I touched their hands felt like electricity. I’ve actually never experienced that before,” she says. “I had to get to know someone really well and want to see who they are. That was a real highlight for me.”
Following Bristowe and Booth’s split in 2018, she moved on with a fellow Bachelor Nation member Jason Tartick in January 2019. Bristowe and Tartick announced their engagement in May 2021. In August 2023, the former couple announced their split.
For his part, Booth has since become a father. He welcomed a son named Locks Joseph in December 2023 Audrey “Dre” Joseph.