The Bachelorette’s Dustin Kendrick was a fan-favorite in the making. Here’s what he had to say about being on the show.
Dustin was easily one of the most well-liked contestants on this season of The Bachelorette. He got along well with both Hannah and the rest of the contestants in the mansion. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see him and Hannah together on a one-on-one date this season.
Dustin’s time on The Bachelorette was spent making the most of the opportunity and enjoying every moment. He and Hannah had a great relationship, they just weren’t as far along as some of the other contestants. He left the show in week 6 after narrowly missing a rose from Hannah.
That’s okay, though! Dustin is back home in Chicago, excited to enjoy a summer with Sophia (and honestly, that seems like a huge win to us).
FanSided: Let’s kick this off with the most important question. What was your first impression of Hannah?
Dustin: I thought she was stunning! Gorgeous in that dress. She was beautiful. I was a little skeptical because she’s a little younger than me but she was just drop dead gorgeous, though.
What was it like showing up to The Bachelorette mansion and meeting 28 other guys on the same night?
It was a crazy feeling. It’s kind of hard to describe. You feel so much pressure and I was so nervous that it took me a while to come out of my shell. You really have to be confident and cool in those kinds of situations. I was definitely nervous at first, though.
That’s a pretty natural reaction, I’d think. Unfortunately, you never got the chance at a one-on-one date with Hannah. Did you find it difficult fighting for her time with everyone else?
Yes, for sure. Time is everything on this show. You want to make the most time to get to know her and for her to make a connection with you, but you also want to have a connection with her. It takes a while for you both to figure that out. It was definitely hard trying to get time. You only get maybe 10, 15 minutes with her before guys start interrupting or jumping in and causing all this extra drama. So sometimes you don’t get any time which makes it difficult.
It almost seems like there are certain points where it’s bordering on awkward because you’re friendly with these guys, but you’re also there for the same reason. It looks like it would be tricky to navigate.
It’s a really unnatural situation, for sure. (Laughs) You’re with all these guys a lot, and you do build strong connections and bonds with these guys. It was like a fraternity. But then you realize “We’re all going for the same girl.”
It doesn’t really kick in until you visually see Hannah with one of these guys. That’s when you get some of the jealously and frustration or whatnot.
Are you still tight with some of the guys?
Oh for sure, yeah. Some of these guys — I would say the majority of them — will be lifelong friends. For sure.
Oh good! That’s always nice to hear. After your exit last week, how has the support been on social media?
I would say everyone’s supportive. I’ve had a lot of people reach out to me and say they wish I had a little more air time so they’d get a chance to see who I really was. Everyone was really supportive though. Not just friends and family, but fans of the show.
I feel like we saw just enough from you to know you were one of the more well-liked guys in the house, so I think that probably helps post-show, but on that same note: What was it like being around Luke in some of the awkward situations he created?
… being around Luke P. Umm…
(Laughs) That long pause is kind of the answer I was expecting.
(Laughs) Luke’s a cool guy. The first night — or maybe week or so — before he said he was in love with Hannah, he seemed like a really cool guy. He was the first one to make a jump when Hannah was having a rough moment the first night and most of us thought “good for him,” you know? He made a move.
After that, I don’t think he could take the pressure of Hannah getting to know the other guys. I think it really messed with his head. With him disrupting all these dates and whatnot — it was really frustrating for me and the other guys. We did try to get along with him and hang out with him but it was just difficult.
Your Bachelorette bio said that you’re a big Tony Robbins fan. Give us a Tony Robbins quote to live by, or maybe something you held on to during this whole experience.
I’d say mastering my emotions. Not letting my emotions get the best of me. Always being in my control of my emotions — I definitely live by that. Sometimes we get into dark times or hard times and we could easily react in ways that we could regret later. So always being in control of my emotions is a big one for me.
That’s great advice for everybody. So how is Sophia doing?
(Laughs) Sophia’s good!
So what’s next for Dustin? Any big plans this summer?
I am just planning on enjoying my summer time in Chicago. It’s always so cold here for most of the year so the rest of the summer, it’ll be just me and Sophia, some dog parks, a couple patios and some tequila shots!
You can keep up with Dustin (and Sophia) on his Instagram and Twitter. The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC.