SEAN LOWE: December 2012

TRANSCRIPT FROM THE DECEMBER 12 "THE BACHELOR" TELECONFERENCE WITH SEAN LOWE
Operator: Welcome to ABC's The Bachelor Call with Cathy Rehl as the leader. This call is being recorded. By staying on this call, you are confirming that you consent to this recording. If you do not wish to be recorded, please disconnect from the call at this time. Thank you. Ms. Rehl. You may begin your conference.

Cathy Rehl: Hi everybody. For some of you, hi again, since you were on our wedding call yesterday. Today, we have our new bachelor, Sean Lowe, joining us from Dallas and, as you know, our show premieres for the 17th season on Monday, January 7, from 8 to 10:01 p.m. Eastern Time. Just so that you know, the screener of the premiere is up on ABCMedianet as are photos, so you can certainly make use of all of that. We'll start with the questions. Please, again, one question and a follow-up only. We have a lot of people on this call. Thanks.

Operator: And, ladies and gentlemen, if you would like to ask a question, please press star then the number one on your telephone keypad. Again, star one to ask your questions. Your first question comes from Paige Feigenbaum from Entertainment Tonight.

Paige Feigenbaum: Hi Sean.

Sean Lowe: Hi Paige.

Paige Feigenbaum: When Emily announced her split from Jef, did you ever consider reaching out to her, to see if she'd give you another chance or was being the bachelor and starting from scratch definitely the way to go for you?

Sean Lowe: I think being the bachelor is definitely the way to go for me, and I believe I heard about their split actually in our final destination and, so that's why (inaudible) invested in other women. Even before I decided to do The Bachelor, I knew that Emily wasn't the one for me, and that became clear over time and, while I certainly wish her the best and, you know, I want nothing but good things for her, I know she's not the one for me, and I'm sorry it didn't work out with Jef because I know he's a good guy, and I really like Emily as well. And, I certainly hope for happiness with her in the future.

Paige Feigenbaum: Great. And, in promos, ABC has teased a familiar face from a previous season is going to be on the show. I know you can't reveal who, exactly, she is, but do audiences view her as a villain or as someone America will be happy to see again?

Sean Lowe: I think, without giving anything away, I think America will be surprised to see who it is. And, I know I was certainly shocked when she steps out of the limo on the first night.

Paige Feigenbaum: OK. Thanks so much.

Sean Lowe: Thank you.

Operator: Your next question comes from Beth Kwiatkowski from Reality TV World.

Beth Kwiatkowski: Hi Sean. How are you doing?

Sean Lowe: I'm doing good. How are you, Beth?

Beth Kwiatkowski: Good. So, I just want to know, like, did you find love during your season on The Bachelor? Like, did you walk away with a fiancŽ?

Sean Lowe: Well, you know I can't tell you that...

Beth Kwiatkowski: I know...

Sean Lowe: But, what I can say is, I had really no idea that I would become so attached and emotionally invested into multiple women. I've heard on seasons past, you know, it's possible to develop feelings for multiple women, and I've always thought, that would be so hard to do, but in this situation, it can happen and it did happen. And, I think you'll see those relationships play out as the season airs.

Beth Kwiatkowski: Beautiful. And, how did you convince yourself that the show's process was going to work for you when the odds obviously weren't really in your favor considering, you know, the bachelor's poor track record of long-lasting relationships? Like, why did you think it would be different for you?

Sean Lowe: Well, you know, I've never paid attention to the track record of past relationships. For me, it came down to, you know, I realized that, my feelings for Emily were very real, and they were very authentic and genuine. And, you know, I just wanted to know, could I find those feelings again? And, you know, because I had such a positive experience with Emily, you know, I thought I owed it to myself to give it a try.

Beth Kwiatkowski: OK. Great. Thanks so much, Sean.

Operator: Your next question comes from Lauren Wang from KITV.

Lauren Wang: Hi Sean. How are you?

Sean Lowe: I'm doing great. How are you?

Lauren Wang: Good. I'm so excited for this upcoming season. What can I expect out of the 26 women this season, and did the producers do a good job in the selection process?

Sean Lowe: Yeah, let me answer that part first. The producers did an excellent job, and I told them before I accepted their invitation to be the bachelor that, you know, I obviously want girls that are well-suited for me, and my experience on The Bachelorette, I got to know the producers really well, and I think they got a sense of who I am. And, I was blown away by just the amount of wonderful women that we had this season.

I mean, smart, well-accomplished, funny, and I think you'll see that causes internal problems for me as the season progresses because I get to a point where I think, "Wow, I've got so many wonderful women, I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't know how I'm going to sort this out." So, yes, I was very happy with the selection of women and, forgive me, I forgot the first part of that question.

Lauren Wang: Can we expect anything, like, are the women catty or, you know, the usual kind of crazy one or any big surprises with the women or-

Sean Lowe: You've got 26 women in a house. Of course, there's going to be drama, and there's going to be a little cattiness. I think that's inevitable when you put that much estrogen into one house.

And, you know, I think you will, you'll see a lot of excitement, you'll see, you know, drama as I just alluded to, and I think you'll see women who really, one of my fears going into this was that, women wouldn't be there for the right reasons, but I was so pleasantly surprised to find that these women really, they've put their hearts out there, and you're going to see them develop really strong feelings for me. And, that is good and bad for me because I started to develop strong feelings for them as well.

Lauren Wang: OK. Thanks, Sean.

Sean Lowe: Thank you.

Operator: Your next question comes from Jackie Strause from Life and Style.

Jackie Strause: Hey Sean.

Sean Lowe: Hi.

Jackie Strause: So, when viewers see you, they're still going to be a little stuck on you and Emily. Can you go back to kind of the process of getting over her and would you say that she broke your heart?

Sean Lowe: Yeah. I would definitely say that she broke my heart, and I kind of mentioned it on The Bachelorette that, that was the first time I've ever really had my heart broken, but being able to watch her relationships with Jef and Arie play out on TV, I think that helps me get over it a lot faster.

And, then, of course, I've got a great support system here in Dallas with friends and family and, just over time, I've realized that, you know, she's not the one for me, and she certainly had her doubts about me. And, the woman I want to be with and spend the rest of my life with, I don't want her to have any doubts about me. And, like I said earlier, I really respect Emily and I've got nothing but positive feelings for her, and I hope the best for her, but I know she's not for me.

Jackie Strause: And, then going into this, do you view this as kind of your fresh start with your heart totally mended and ready to find your way?

Sean Lowe: Yeah. I wouldn't have accepted to be the bachelor if my heart wasn't totally mended and, so, when I started the show, I was in a very good place, and I was certainly ready to find love and, yeah, a fresh start is a great way to put it.

Jackie Strause: Great. Thanks so much.

Sean Lowe: Thank you.

Operator: Your next question comes from Catriona Wightman from Digital Spy.

Catriona Wightman: Hi Sean. It's great to speak with you today.

Sean Lowe: It's great to speak to you too.

Catriona Wightman: I wanted to ask you, if there is anything that you were particularly looking for in a woman? Was there anything you went into the show thinking, "I really want them to have this or this."

Sean Lowe: Yeah, there's a few things. And, first, I really wanted to find my best friend. You know, someone that I can really see myself spending every day with and just enjoying being with them and being their partner for life, so to speak. And, so, a few attributes I was looking for is, I was looking for someone who was smart, you know, a woman's intellect is probably the sexiest thing for me. And, then, I wanted someone who was funny and then I really wanted someone who just had a good heart, you know, someone who is genuine and caring and loving and possesses all the qualities that you would want in a wife.

Catriona Wightman: Absolutely. And, I also wanted to ask you, we saw your fun side on The Bachelorette when you punk'd Emily, are we going to see more pranks on The Bachelor?

Sean Lowe: You know, I wouldn't call myself a prankster. I think I'm funny, but I don't go around pranking people all the time, but you might see a prank or two this season, just because I think people have come to expect that from me now.

Catriona Wightman: Great. Thank you so much.

Sean Lowe: Thank you.

Operator: Your next question comes from Whitney English from Sheknows.com.

Whitney English: Hi Sean. Congratulations on being the next bachelor.

Sean Lowe: Thank you very much.

Whitney English: I know this is jumping the gun a little because you haven't even told us if you're in love, but do you want to have kids and, if so, how soon?

Sean Lowe: Yeah, of course, I want a family, you know, I obviously value family very much, but I could take my time with having kids, so when I get married, ideally, I think I would like to give it a couple years so that I can just enjoy being with my wife before we start having kids and introducing children to the family. But, obviously, as you saw with Emily, I would be prepared to take on that situation right now if I needed to.

Whitney English: Great. Thank you.

Sean Lowe: Thank you.

Operator: Your next question comes from Steven Herbert.

Steven Herbert: Hi, it's Steven Herbert, but Sean, why did you decide to go on The Bachelor? Were you hoping to find someone you would propose to and be married to, did you just want to, you know, start a relationship, or did you just want to have fun or go on TV or something else?

Sean Lowe: No, I wanted to- I was hoping that I would find the woman I want to marry and, you know, as I said earlier, my feelings for Emily were very real, and I think most of the people who watched the show could recognize that and, you know, go ahead with The Bachelor. I was just hoping that I would have those same feelings, if not stronger, for one of the 25, or in this case, 26 women.

Steven Herbert: And, did you- would you want to marry, were you going into, in the back of your mind saying, "I want to propose to one of the 26".

Sean Lowe: Well, actually...

Steven Herbert: At the end of the show.

Sean Lowe: You know, I went into it open-minded hoping that I would feel that way, but you know I'm not going to propose to anyone if I'm not ready or if I have any doubts about our relationship, and I actually, I went into, I think, with a very realistic mindset, and I told myself, "If I have any doubts at all, there's no pressure to propose." We can obviously continue a relationship in the real world until I feel like it's appropriate to propose to her or I could say no to both the final two women.

Steven Herbert: Great. Thank you.

Sean Lowe: Thank you.

Operator: Your next question comes from Caryn Robbins from Broadway World.

Caryn Robbins: Hi Sean, how are you?

Sean Lowe: I'm great, how are you?

Caryn Robbins: Good, thanks. I was wondering, what will viewers see this coming season and what will they learn about you that they may not necessarily have seen on the previous season?

Sean Lowe: Well, I think the people will see my personality shine through a little bit more. You know, with Emily, it seems like everything they aired, it had me being a little bit more serious outside of the prank, and I think maybe part of that was because Emily is very proper, and she's this Southern lady. But, I think this season people are going to see my sense of humor shine through, and they're going to see me a lot more relaxed and goofy, so to speak, and, you know, I think, you're not going to see all the serious conversations that I seemed to have with Emily. You're going to see those, of course, but you're not going to see every conversation I have with every woman be so serious in nature.

Caryn Robbins: And, I was wondering, were there any hesitations when you were first asked to be the bachelor?

Sean Lowe: Yeah. In fact, when they called me and initially approached me about being the bachelor, I told them I needed time to think about that. And, I took a week, and I talked with family, and I prayed about it, and, you know, at the end of the day, I knew that I am in a position where I want to find the love of my life and, as crazy as it sounds, I think that you can find that person on The Bachelor if the stars align. And, you know, I just felt like I owed to myself to give it a try.

Caryn Robbins: Great. Well, really looking forward to the season. Good luck.

Sean Lowe: Thank you very much.

Operator: Your next question comes from Stephanie Piche from Red Carpet Reports.

Stephanie Piche: Hi Sean. I really enjoyed getting to know you on The Bachelorette, and we're excited to see what happens this season. My question for you is, how many rules are you going to break this time around?

Sean Lowe: You know, I've never been one to really conform to rules that are set, so you're going to see me break quite a few rules, and I did The Bachelor for a specific reason. It was to find the love of my life, and I feel like there were certain points in the season where I couldn't follow the rules. I had to follow my heart as opposed to the rules, and so I think you're going to see me breaking quite a few rules this season.

Stephanie Piche: OK. And, what's the best advice your parents have given you about participating in this process?

Sean Lowe: You know, my parents know me better than anyone else, and they told me, just be yourself and stay true to who you are and then, you know, of course, stay in prayer and everything's going to work itself out. And, they trust me and they trust my judgment and so they knew that, you know, I would follow my heart, and they knew that I'd represent the family well and ultimately make the decision that's best for me.

Stephanie Piche: Great, great. And, one quick question. What's your pet peeve, stuff that you've found with this whole process with these ladies?

Sean Lowe: Oh, biggest pet peeve. Like I said earlier, it's almost inevitable for this to happen, but it always irritated me when girls would get caught up more in the drama and then they would lose focus on the real reason that they were there. And, you know, of course, I want them to focus on the relationship that we're developing and not focus on all the other BS going on with the other women in the house.

Stephanie Piche: Of course. Thanks so much and good luck.

Sean Lowe: Thank you very much.

Operator: Your next question comes from Emma Jones from MSN.

Emma Jones: Hi Sean.

Sean Lowe: Hi.

Emma Jones: Hi. It seems like you gave out quite a few roses before the first ceremony. Was there a first impression rose and what influenced your decision to let some of the girls go?

Sean Lowe: You know, I don't think that we called it a first impression rose, but there was definitely one girl in the first episode that catches my eye, and she does receive the very first rose and, you know, you'll see that that first feeling and those initial sparks, they're going to play out over several episodes, and it's going to be an interesting relationship.

Emma Jones: And, I know Ashley and JP recently had their wedding last week. Did you attend and did you take anyone with you?

Sean Lowe: Yeah, I did attend the wedding and I went solo. And, unfortunately, I was only able to stay for the ceremony which was beautiful, and then I had to fly out to Vegas. I didn't get to the (inaudible) the reception, and I had a charity function I had to go to that evening, but it was a wonderful wedding and it was really cool because I got to meet a lot of former bachelors and bachelorettes there.

Emma Jones: You're hoping for something similar, televised?

Sean Lowe: Yeah, I mean, of course, J. P. and Ashley definitely found love, and they want to spend the rest of their lives together and that's why I signed up, so of course that's what I'm looking for.

Emma Jones: Great. Thank you very much.

Sean Lowe: Thank you.

Operator: Your next question comes from Catlin Monteril from OK! Magazine. Catlin, please proceed with your question. That question has been withdrawn. Your next question comes from Erin Humphrey from RumorFix.

Erin Humphrey: Hi Sean, how are you?

Sean Lowe: I'm great, how are you?

Erin Humphrey: Good, thanks. Hey, you know, it's been said that you're a born again virgin. I was wondering how did that work out for you during the fantasy suite?

Sean Lowe: Well, here's the deal. I don't know who wrote that article. They certainly didn't speak to me, but I will say that the fantasy suite, I wanted to use it as time to spend together alone, off-camera, uninterrupted, and, you know, that's the approach that you're going to see me take this year. I think it's valuable time, and it's time that I didn't want to bypass. It's just an awesome opportunity to get to know those three women a lot of better.

Erin Humphrey: OK. So, is it not true then that you're a born-again virgin? That's not an accurate report?

Cathy Rehl: I think he's answered the question.

Sean Lowe: Yeah, yeah. I'd rather just leave that one alone, but thank you.

Erin Humphrey: OK. Sure.

Operator: Your next question comes from Sammi Turano from TV Grapevine.

Sammi Turano: Sean, it's so good to speak with you again. Congratulations on being the bachelor.

Sean Lowe: Thank you very much. Great to speak to you.

Sammi Turano: Thank you. My question for you is, what's the best piece of advice you got from any former bachelor or Bachelorette once you signed up?

Sean Lowe: You know, I had the opportunity to reach out to a few and I chose not to because I wanted to kind of go into this blind, and I had a few kind of reach out to me and offer support, but I really wanted to experience this on my own and draw my own conclusions and make my own judgment. And, so, to answer your question, I didn't get any only because I didn't take the opportunity to take their advice.

Sammi Turano: Wonderful. Thank you so much for talking to us today.

Sean Lowe: Thank you.

Operator: Your next question comes from Catlin Monteril from OK! Magazine.

Catlin Monteril: Sorry about that before.

Sean Lowe: No problem.

Catlin Monteril: What did you learn from Emily's time on The Bachelorette that you took with you this season, like, (dos and don'ts)?

Sean Lowe: What have I learned from The Bachelorette?

Catlin Monteril: Yeah, from Emily's (inaudible), regarding things from the first season that you kind of took along with you, dos and don'ts, on being the bachelor?

Sean Lowe: Well, you know, on The Bachelorette, I made a point to just be myself and put my heart out there and, as you saw on that second-to-last episode, I went home and I didn't expect it, and I had my heart broken, but I knew to have a successful experience on The Bachelor I needed to do the same thing.

And, so, I think people will see the same genuine person that's on The Bachelorette, and you're going to see me kind of laying my heart on the line, and I say several times this season, "I'm putting my heart out there and whoever wants to take it, feel free to take it". And, I think that's how you have to go into this if you really want to find true love.

Catlin Monteril: And, you (inaudible) you were at Ashley and J. P.'s wedding. Is that something that, a (inaudible) ceremony, how they did it with (inaudible) The Bachelorette and Bachelor crew? Is that something that you'd be interested in if you found love this season?

Sean Lowe: You know, it's something that I would definitely think about. It's such a weird experience to, you know, start developing feelings and developing a relationship with cameras in your face, and the cool thing is, is that your whole relationship is documented, so if it comes to that I don't think I would be opposed to it. It would just be another way to document our relationship.

Catlin Monteril: Absolutely. Thank you so much.

Sean Lowe: Thank you.

Operator: Your next question comes from Phyllis Thomas from Spotlight on Entertainment.

Phyllis Thomas: Hi, how are you doing?

Sean Lowe: Great, thank you.

Phyllis Thomas: Good. I just wanted to know, what has been the reaction from fans on the show who watched you on The Bachelorette? What do they say to you, do they say, "Oh, you should be The Bachelor or what have they been saying to you on the street"?

Sean Lowe: You know, I don't know how I've gotten so lucky, but, you know, if I look online or if I look on Twitter, it seems like everyone has positive things to say about me, and I know a lot of bachelors and bachelorettes have maybe gotten any unfair rap in the past, and they get beat up pretty good online, but everyone has been so nice, and they've wished me the best of luck, and they're excited to see that I'm the bachelor, and they hope that I find true love and all that stuff. So, hopefully, that trend continues because I'm not really trying to get beat up.

Phyllis Thomas: Oh and then you've been passing out so many roses and stuff, are you a fan of roses? Was roses, like, your chosen romantic flower before doing the show?

Sean Lowe: In my past, I've given out some roses and I'm certainly going to give out a ton of roses this season, but I think now that the show is over, I would be happy if I didn't see another rose for the rest of my life.

Phyllis Thomas: Thank you and good luck.

Sean Lowe: Thank you very much.

Operator: You have a follow-up question from Paige Feigenbaum from Entertainment Tonight.

Paige Feigenbaum: Thank you for taking another question from me. You had mentioned several questions that you had been prepared to be a stepfather to Ricky. Do any of the women this season have children already that you would step into that role again?

Sean Lowe: Yeah, you're going to see that there is, I believe there's just one woman, who does have children, and that's not a deal-breaker for me at all. In fact, I said with Emily, it almost made her more attractive in my eyes because I saw the love that she had for her daughter, and that's the type of wife that I'm looking for and the type of mother that I would like my wife to be. So, you know, whether it's dating on The Bachelor or dating in my real life here in Dallas, if a woman has children, you know, that's not a deal-breaker.

Paige Feigenbaum: And, did any of the women on the show remind you of Emily?

Sean Lowe: That's a good question. You know, I don't think so. But, I think that just is kind of a testament to how unique and special Emily is, but no-one really reminded me of Emily too much this season.

Paige Feigenbaum: That's good. So, you didn't have any like preconceived notions about anyone and they could just prove themselves to you? Well, thank you so much, and I look forward to watching you in a few weeks.

Sean Lowe: Thank you.

Operator: You have follow-up question from Beth Kwiatkowski from Reality TV World.

Beth Kwiatkowski: Hi Sean. So, would you say that your first impressions of a lot of the ladies were pretty accurate based on how they acted throughout the season or were you surprised about what you learned about some of them as time went on?

Sean Lowe: This was one of the things that I had to learn as the bachelor. Sometimes it takes weeks to see who a woman really is, and that first impression is not always accurate. And, you know, it's tricky because you hear women say certain things about certain women and, I would think to myself, "Well, I haven't seen that, so I'm going to make my own judgment and draw my own conclusions." But, then I would hear multiple women talk about that same woman and then you start to think, "Well, maybe there is something there," and you have to investigate and you feel like you're being fooled at certain points. It's really tough, so no, the first impression is not always accurate.

Beth Kwiatkowski: And, you know, you've touched a little bit upon the catty drama that's going to unfold this season and most of the girls during Ben's bachelor season really disliked Courtney Robertson and kept saying that Ben would foolish to pick her in the end, but obviously Ben did choose her and, unfortunately, the couple ends up splitting. And, I know Jake Pavelka had a similar experience with Vienna Girardi. So, how much weight did you put on how the girls interacted with and get along with each other throughout the season when you were deciding who to keep around? Was that a big factor?

Sean Lowe: It was a factor, but it wasn't a huge factor because, you know, like I said, I went into it wanting to draw my own conclusions and form my own opinions, but at the same time, you can't ignore the fact that, you know, you have multiple woman saying bad things about one particular person. So, it weighed on me a little bit, but at the end of the day, I made the decision I felt like was best for me.

Beth Kwiatkowski: OK. And, without you revealing whether you kept your mystery girl around, do you think the fact she arrived with all the rest of the girls the very first night, impacted your decision differently than it might have, say, if she had arrived mid-season, like Shawntel Newton had during Ben's bachelor season because, obviously, Ben chose to eliminate her right away as to not basically infuriate his bachelorettes who had been there and fought for him from the very beginning, you know what I mean?

Sean Lowe: Oh yeah, yeah. And, I watched that episode and I felt sorry for Ben being put in that situation, so I'm glad she did show up the first night, and I probably would have done the same thing Ben did just so I wouldn't, you know, infuriate the other women that had been there for the first several weeks.

Beth Kwiatkowski: OK. And, obviously, you had expectations and qualities that you were looking for in a woman once you first appeared on the show, but did those qualities and expectations change as the season went on?

Sean Lowe: You know, the one thing that I was surprised. I certainly do have just a few things that I look for. As I mentioned, I want someone who is smart and funny and who has a good heart, but the rest I kind of said surprise me. And, I was definitely surprised this season, and there's so many girls that have so many really unique personalities and qualities and, you know, I think if America is looking for me to kind of follow a "type" of woman, then, they're going to be surprised because there's all types of women that I start to develop relationships and feelings for.

Beth Kwiatkowski: OK. Great. And, my last question for you, Sean, is, what were you thinking and feeling when the very first limo pulled up? What was going through your mind?

Sean Lowe: It was such an anxious, exciting feeling. I really can't put into words, but I had no idea who was going to step out of the limo and so it's kind of scary, but exciting and fun at the same time.

Beth Kwiatkowski: Awesome. Well, I look forward to watching the season. Thanks again.

Sean Lowe: Thank you very much.

Operator: You have follow-up from Catlin Monteril from OK! Magazine.

Catlin Monteril: Hey, Sean. So, I just was wondering, are you nervous for your final choice to watch this season and did you (inaudible) on doing that?

Sean Lowe: Well, you know, without saying if I ended up with anyone or not, I hope that the women understand all of this, if there is a final woman, led me to her and, yeah, you're going to see me develop relationships with multiple women and kiss multiple women and I know that to be really tough to watch, but hopefully they would just have a good understanding of "Yeah, he had to go through that to end up with me."

Catlin Monteril: All right. Thank you very much.

Sean Lowe: Thank you.

Operator: And, I show no further questions at this time.

Cathy Rehl: Well, thanks everybody for being on the call. We'll have a transcript of this if you should need it tomorrow and; otherwise, we will talk to you after the first of the year once we have our premiere. Thanks everybody for all your time the last couple of days.

Operator: Ladies and gentleman, this does conclude today's conference. Thank you for participating. You may now disconnect.