The Bachelor

We didn’t see much of Samantha Levey on The Bachelor Season 16, and we saw even less of her with Bachelor Ben Flajnik. So we were just as surprised as she was when he coldly dismissed her in Episode 4 on grounds of not not taking this “seriously enough” and not “handling herself well” on group dates.

“I didn't handle myself well??" says the pithy Pageant girl from Pittsburgh in an exclusive interview with Wetpaint Entertainment, "I’m sorry. I'm happy knowing that my parents won't be embarrassed or have to explain my actions to friends and family.”

With just three of her fellow contestants left in the running for Ben’s heart, Samantha gives her honest two cents on the Sonoma wine maker’s choices on the show so far (hint: She uses a word that rhymes with shmametic) and why she would’ve told her "best friend on the show" Kacie Boguskie to “run for the hills” if she’d ended up a winner in the end.

Heeeeeeeeeeeere we go!

What inspired you to go on the show initially?

Well, I'm going to have to go with my beyond awful dating history, and the hopes that perhaps this would be the one time things work out! (It didn't in case you missed it) I've had steady boyfriends since I was 15, and figured after 11 years, I had encountered every bad guy possible. Dating on National TV couldn't be any worse! Hey, maybe this would be the time things actually work out. I do believe everything happens for a reason, so I wasn't about to say no to being on the show.

Why wear the pageant sash?
Hahaha. Ohhh the sash. I went back and forth A LOT between wearing it or not. The thing is, that first night it’s you and 24 other really pretty (well maybe like 22 of them are) girls. You have the time you get out of the limo, and HOPEFULLY 2-5 minutes alone with Ben the whole night. You have to do something to make you stand out, or you're probably going home. The sash of course isn't all I am, in fact most people would never guess I did pageants and we all know I am not winning Miss Congeniality, ever. It was something however that I could do to make myself stand out and not just be another blonde girl in the room. 

How did you really feel about Ben — before you were eliminated? Were you into him at all?
I am a hopeless romantic, but I am not a complete idiot. I knew it was never going to be 'love at first sight' for me nor was I ever going to be the girl talking about how strong her connection to him is. It takes time to form feelings for a guy, at least it does for me. I wanted the time to get to know him and see if there could be something more - It just never really happened. I liked being on the dates and around Ben but I wasn't willing to 'play a game' for a mans attention. Its either there or it isn't. When I was eliminated my best friend on the show, Kacie B. already had strong feelings for Ben, and I would have rather her been happy then try to force anything. 

Were you surprised to hear Ben say what he said during your talk — that in his eyes you didn't handle herself well on group dates and he wondered if you took thing seriously enough? 
At the time I was surprised. I didn't think it really made any sense to be honest. I didn't handle myself well how? I’m sorry. I'm happy knowing that my parents won't be embarrassed or have to explain my actions to friends and family. Clearly we did not have a strong enough connection, and we both knew it. Did he handle it like a gentleman? No. 

Do you regret any of the things you said or did on the show? There were some not-so-nice things in the confessionals, especially early in the season about Blakeley Shea, who never seemed to be shown saying anything bad about anyone else.
Not at all. Again, I was really close with just about ever single girl there. In the beginning Blakeley was really bitchy to just about everyone. She had made other girls cry and was being a bully... mostly off camera. I remember on the Sonoma date she called us all 'Bitches.’ The cameras just happened to be off then too. Blakeley openly admits she was not trying to make friends. I will say she started to come around before I left. I think she realized how hard this could be if she didn't open up to the rest of us. Too bad Courtney [Robertson] never learned that. 

Which of the final three do you think SHOULD be with Ben? What’s your finale prediction? Have you seen any of the contestants since?
Tough questions. BEFORE i watched the show I thought it should be Kacie B. She is the nicest most genuine girl you will ever met. She is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. She really fell for Ben, and watching him around her, you could see he felt similarly for her too. NOW I want her to run for the hills. I believe that she, Nikki and Lindzi are way too good for Ben. Watching him get manipulated by Courtney makes me sick. The fact that he kept her is pretty pathetic on his part. No I have not seen the girls since, but we film WTA [Women Tell All] soon and I cannot wait to see them again!

What’s one major thing we're missing at home? 
The awesome dance parties we have when we're bored and losing our minds. That and the excessive amounts on tanning lotion we apply.

Need your daily dose of The Bachelor? Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. After all, you’d get our final rose.