WILL YOU ACCEPT THIS ROSE?

Anyone who remotely follows me on social media knows how obsessed I am with the bachelor. I’ve been a loyal fan since the very beginning, watching every single season! It makes me laugh to think the very first bachelor aired when I was in the third grade… why my mom even let me watch it at that age, I do not know lol… though the show was much different back then. It didn’t even air on the ABC network and it was much less racy than today. Never the less, I had the exciting opportunity to audition for the next season of the bachelor at the ABC studios here in nyc. I had contemplated auditioning for the past few years, seeing as I am now a single 23 year almost 24 old gal, I thought never than right now has the timing been better. Of course you have to be 21 to audition, but I felt I’m at the point in my life where it was something I could actually do, and maybe even be good at (if that’s possible)?!

So how I even found out about the audition? I regularly check the ABC network website for updates, for the bachelor, you can send in nominations multiple ways. Mail in, video recording, an online application, even a nomination from a friend, and of course the casting call or in person audition which is where I thought I would have a better chance of getting noticed. Everything surrounding the show is super top secret, they posted the time and date of the casting months in advance but the location wasn’t given until about 2 weeks prior. Being in nyc, there’s no surprise they held it at the ABC studios, in other states they’re normally held at hotel ball rooms with fancy open bars and dj’s… so I’ve heard. At the studios in the city, we got free Dunkin Donuts lol… exciting right?! The evening started at 6 pm and was supposed to end by 9, it was on a Thursday so of course their were plenty of girls who had skipped work and camped out all afternoon to be the first in line, but for me I left work with a change of clothes about an hour early and got to the casting at 5:30 which was plenty early. There’s no joke, I was behind at least a couple hundred girls but even so, I was remarkably towards the front of the line. Hundreds of girls flooded in well after 6, the unlucky who either didn’t understand the hype or couldn’t get off work early. In line, observing the attire of the others, you saw all types. Some dressed like me as if they were going on a first date, others dressed like they’re at a Vegas club, while some were even in scrubs or work out attire. I wore a black off the shoulder fitted jumpsuit with a flare leg, super chic and simple. Paired it with some booties and small jewelry, the only thing is it rained earlier that day so my hair wasn’t looking it’s best, but at least the outfit was on point.

This really was the best place to people watch, all the girls had one of three looks on their faces, either anxious lust - the girl who like me is nervous and doesn’t know what to expect but really wants on the show, or the overly confident type - thinks she hot shit and is trying to intimate the competition, or the IDGAF gal - whose wondering why she even showed up and was contemplating jumping ship to go grab a margarita instead. Regardless of which type you were, we all wanted the same thing, to fight for the love of one man on public television… goals we all want our children to aspire for lol. I waited in line for what felt like a century, but in actuality was about an hour in a half before they let my section of girls in side. Waiting was actually the fun part though. The girls around me were super sweet, I ended up making friends with a girl who brought a bottle of tequila, she would pass it around to help with the nerves. We gabbed about who we wanted to be the bachelor and complained how bad our feet hurt standing in our heels… it was fun! The producers must have been super fast and organized because once let inside, the lines moved much quicker.

Inside, it was pretty routine stuff honestly. We waited in a few more lines leading to more lines, all to fill out a lengthy packet about ourselves with back ground info, love life, etc. They took some photos of us, and we waited in a separate line where they checked off on our packet, miked us and passed us a card with our name and phone number on it. This final line lead us into a large room with cameras and people who worked for the network I’m assuming. We were assigned a person who we were supposed to have a conversation with, picture recruitment but the finding love edition. They explained how it was gonna work, took a few more photos and tested out our mikes. Finally they turned the cameras on a asked us several questions. This part was awkward cause you weren't sure if you should speak to the camera or the interviewer. I did both haha, they asked basic questions about ourselves first, our careers, age, hometowns, etc. Then they moved to more serious questions about relationships, dating history, what we were looking for in a partner, and why going on the show would benefit that. All of this lasted maybe a total of 5-10 minutes, I talk more than most girls so it probably took closer to 10 minutes for myself, then you were all done! They never told you what was next, what to expect or when, nothing. It was all so secretive, I left the room and debated taking a donut on my way out or if it was just a test to see which girls fall for it… I took a donut. I left about 8 o’clock, so all in all lasting around 2 and a half hours which wasn’t bad at all seeing as there we’re still a long line of girls waiting outside the studio as I was hoping into my Uber ride home. So to sum up the experience; lines, more lines, photo, lines, interview, lol lots of lines.

It’s been about 2 weeks since the audition and I haven’t heard a thing, but this is expected. There were two casting calls after nyc and hundreds of thousands of girls who were auditioning so I’m assuming it will take the producers several weeks, if not months to go through all the girls. Of course I doubt I’ll hear anything, but it would be such a dream of mine to be on the show so fingers crossed!!! But in any case, it was a semi fun and entertaining experience that I won’t forget, and I will most certainty be auditioning until I get on the show haha… but definitely the casting call in Dallas next time because open bar over Dunkin Donuts any day am I right?!

Victoria Saperstein Photography

Click on the image for my look! :)

My purse is from Beehive Fort Worth and my shoes are sold out, but they are INC. from Macys.