This past summer, Samantha Steffen was featured on Bachelor in Paradise Season 2 after she left in Week 5 of Chris’s season of The Bachelor. She was brought in during Week 3, which caused a lot of issues in the house with her date card and left a lot of what really happened up to the editors to craft into a juicy episode. Unfortunately, the editing was not in Steffen’s favor as she was associated with the majority of the drama in the show. Upset fans took it out on her via social media.
Luckily, now the smoke has cleared from this summer’s dramatic season so we talked to Steffen about her experience on both “Bachelor” shows and what her true passions are in life as she’s so much more than just a part of “The Bachelor” family.
Q&A with Samantha Steffen
What made you want to apply to be on “The Bachelor”?
It was actually extremely random. I’ve always loved the show and I was in a serious relationship a couple years ago but it unfortunately didn’t work out. After we had broken up, I had gone on a family vacation. My family friend recommended that I [apply for the show]. My dad said if it was Chris [Soules] I should do it. I went down to LA and looked up the auditions. The audition in Costa Mesa was the next day. I went and the rest is history. I left for the show a couple weeks after that. It was really last minute. He seemed like a great guy.
You’ve made a lot of friends because of this show. While the producers, or even the audience, may hope to see the women become enemies, do you find that the women often create strong bonds on these shows?
I do, only because I think unless you have actually gone through the situation, it’s hard to know exactly what it’s like. You’re there with no TV, no cell phone, no contact with the outer world. You’re focusing on dating that guy, living with the girls, and being with them 24/7. You create strong bonds. It’s fun. After we get kicked off the show, we bond because we can talk about what happened. You stay friends.
What’s one thing about filming the show or being a part of the show that the fans don’t know about? Are the hours irregular? Is the constant traveling exhausting?
Yes, I mean you don’t have contact with the outside world. You think what I am going to do, but then you get used to it and it’s nice, which sounds weird. But actually, sometimes date cards don’t show up until 3AM so you have to stay up during that time, and usually you have to get up really early. I normally need eight hours of sleep a night so it was tough.
The first rose ceremony of the season, I left my hotel to go to the house. I left around 2PM and I didn’t get done filming until 9:30AM. The rose ceremonies go really late. It’s so funny because you see so little. We’re constantly filming, talking about Chris, our feelings, and trying to get a chance to talk to him, and it’s just a long process. During the rose ceremony, it’s not like he calls out name after name like we see. He’ll call a couple of names, he’ll walk off, and think about what he’s doing. You’re standing there a long time!
As editing wasn’t really in your favor on “Bachelor in Paradise”, I know you’ve experienced some bullying on social media. How did you handle that?
Oh my gosh, it’s been a roller coaster. For me it was not easy watching back the show. I knew what was happening when I was there. I knew that something happened prior to me getting there. If I would have known what was there, I wouldn’t have put myself in that situation. Not knowing what happened before I got there, it was like .≤The Hunger Games’ in Paradise. There’s so much footage but you’re seeing such a small fraction. When you’re put in this role, it’s really hard. There’s a lot of really good moments that aren’t shown. I feel that I’m so opposite of what they have shown. Many times I didn’t even recognize myself. My family and friends agreed and didn’t know who they were watching. I come from a good family. We’ve grown up doing charity work. But when you sign up for a reality show, you sign your life away. But I don’t regret it.
