Tatum From ‘The Bachelor’ On Her Dramatic Exit & The Things We Didn’t See
Tatum Hargraves became the first woman to walk out of The Bachelor this season, after realising she had no chemistry with Jimmy Nicholson.
In a move that shocked her mansion friends, Tatum pulled Jimmy aside for a chat at last night’s cocktail party, expressing her desire to leave the mansion. There was no dramatics, no half-running down the driveway to try and get out like the old days. Just a straight-up chat that caught Jimmy and some of the other women in the house by surprise.
“When I figured out that mutually between us there was no chemistry… I didn’t want to waste much more of my time,” Tatum said in an interview with 10play after her exit last night.
We gotta say, we love a woman who knows what she wants.
Last night’s episode was a tad more dramatic than what we’ve been used to this season, with tensions boiling over on a group date when Holly was accused of acting differently on and off-camera. Tatum was a part of that conversation, and it was an environment she described to Punkee as “intense”.
We chatted to Tatum about the things we did and didn’t see on this season of The Bachelor.
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On her exit:
“By that stage I had been there for almost six weeks. I was there for love, and over time, I got to know Jimmy and when I first met him I didn’t feel that initial spark but I didn’t want to write it off.
The thing is I’ve been single for four years, so I know in myself if I have feelings for somebody or if there is a bit of lust. I knew in myself nothing was progressing for me. There was just no chemistry.”
On what we didn’t see of her actual date with Jimmy:
“About four weeks in, we had been on a group date on the beach and Jimmy had chosen me for some extra time which didn’t make it to air.
During this time we made some cocktails and got beneath the surface with each other, and we shared a kiss and we really got to know each other on a deeper level. I think after that moment… it put things into perspective for me, that my feelings weren’t progressing in a way that they should. It just wasn’t something I could fake.”
On catching Jimmy off-guard:
“My decision definitely caught Jimmy off guard, he was kind of shocked and didn’t know what to say. He was really respectful and understanding of where I was coming from. He always made me feel very comfortable.”
On the rumours of other girls also wanting to walk out:
“When I was in the mansion there was not one conversation of anyone saying they wanted to leave, that I was a part of. When I made the decision to leave, that wasn’t something I spoke about to anybody, I kept that to myself. I wanted to give Jimmy the respect, I didn’t want to go and gossip about it with the girls.”
On the intense group date with the anonymous question box and the Holly drama:
“The questions were directed to the majority of the people on the table – everyone had a question directed towards them at some stage. You’ve gotta remember we were all in this house for six weeks, there are 23 girls under the same roof and we’re all very different people. Emotions are heightened and getting on each other’s nerves is inevitable.”
“I don’t regret speaking out about Holly, I don’t feel as though I was nasty or putting her down. I think the question was fair to bring up. After the dinner party we spoke and everything was fine between us. You only see small snippets of the drama, but that isn’t essentially what it’s all about.”
On where she stands with Holly now:
“I’ve well and truly moved on from the show, I wish all the girls in the mansion the best and I hope everyone finds what they’re looking for. Whatever happened, happened. It’s water under the bridge and we’re all adults and can move on.”
On what she’s learned from being on The Bachelor:
“It’s really helped me put myself out there more, I’ve always been really career-driven and focused on getting my life sorted and I’ve never put time into focusing on my love life. So it’s really helped me grow in that area and helped me to be vulnerable and be upfront about what I want. It’s OK to tell people what you want because the right person will give that to you in return and if they don’t, they’re not your person.”
On who she hopes wins:
“I hope that Jay wins, she is a beautiful, genuine person and she was such a good friend to me in the house, I really hope she finds love.”