On Season 8 of "The Bachelorette," Emily Maynard will be picking her suitor and lifelong mate. Everyone knows the track record for finding love on this show is pretty bad, producing just four couples out of 24 seasons (that's if you count Jason and Molly, who was his second choice, and Ben and Courtney, who have broken up and reunited already since his proposal).
So why do it? What makes these hopeless romantics believe they can find true love on a reality show? This season, in addition to the already abysmal odds at finding a mate, Maynard is a single mom hoping her pick will be a good step-dad to her daughter Ricki. Here's a look at why Maynard and some other past stars of the franchise rolled the dice on the show.
Emily Maynard - Season 8
After Brad Womack proposed to her on Season 15, the couple had a rocky relationship before finally calling it quits. Almost immediately rumors started swirling that the southern belle would be the next "Bachelorette." In a recent conference call interview she admitted, "They had asked me to do it previously, and I said no to anyone who would listen. I told everybody I would never do it -- never in a million years."
But over time she had a change of heart. She stated, "[The producers] were just so accommodating with [my daughter] Ricki and moving the entire production to Charlotte. I just thought that it is such a great opportunity that I could not pass up." And now that production for the season is almost over she claimed to have no regrets. "I am so happy that I came back and did everything... I'm so, so grateful that I was given the chance to do it."
Ashley Hebert - Season 7
Ashley was the third place contestant on Season 15 of "The Bachelor" with Brad Womack and became the seventh "Bachelorette." So far, she is one of the success stories of the franchise and is currently planning her wedding to J.P. Rosenbaum. But in a conference call before her season started she admitted having second thoughts about signing on. "[When] I was approached about it I thought, 'No question in my mind, absolutely… And then I started to question - 'Am I strong enough for this? Am I at a good place in my life with this?'" But she finally concluded, "I just weighed the pros and cons and then at the end of the day… the pros outweigh the cons."
Ali Fedotowsky - Season 6
During Season 14 of "The Bachelor" Ali Fedotowsky came close to being the girl of Jake Pavelka's dreams. But that honor went to Vienna Girardi, temporarily. Ali ended up as Season 6's "Bachelorette." On "After the Final Rose," Fedotowsky told host Chris Harrison, "I want to find someone, and I want to be in love, and I want to get married and have kids - all of that. This is my chance." She added, "I was kind of scared at first... [but] I just realized I'm not going to let my fear dictate my life anymore. I just need to go for it."
DeAnna Pappas - Season 4
Brad Womack simultaneously became the most hated and maybe most respected man in "Bachelor" history when he did not propose to either DeAnna Pappas or Jenni Croft, but instead walked away from the series a single guy. Pappas was offered a spot as the next "Bachelorette." She told ABC News her reason for returning, "I wanted the fairy tale ending in the end. I wanted the proposal. I wanted the marriage. And I wanted someone that I could spend my life with."
"The Bachelorette" airs Monday May 21 at 9pm EST/8pm CST on ABC. Beginning May 28 it moves to its regular time slot of 8pm EST/7 pm CST.
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Five Things That Are Different on This Season of 'The Bachelorette'
'The Bachelor's' Jennifer Fritsch Discusses Courtney Robertson
'The Bachelor's' Monica Spannbauer on Her Feelings for Ben Flajnik
