THE BACHELOR S28. E9. | OVERNIGHTS + HOMETOWNS

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelor/Gizelle Hernandez

On tonight’s The Bachelor we’re continuing on with another key portion of the process, Fantasy Suites. We know that this episode is going to be a doozy and we’ll see how it all comes together now that we’re in Tulum. We have Daisy, Kelsey, and Rachel. We hear from each of the women about how they feel about the process and this important week with Joey Graziadei.

Susan sits down with Rachel and it’s a bit like sorority house mom vibes as she’s talking with her. How could you not want to hang out with Susan and feel good about yourself? To have the ability to get great wisdom from someone while also sharing the Bachelor Nation experience with them is great. Susan’s best piece of advice is that if she really wants to be with him, she needs to open up and to be vulnerable.

Their date will be in a lagoon and they will dive off of various levels that are around it. They jump off of different platforms until she falls in an odd way into the water. She ends up going to the hospital to get checked out, but ultimately, she ends up being ok! They talk later on and he wants to make sure that she is ok and she apologizes for what happened during the date - he lets her know that it was unforseen and it’s ok. She opens up more with him and she shows her vulnerabilities.

He gives her a card and lets her know that although their date was cut short, he wants to spend more time with her in the Fantasy Suites. They explore their villa and she looks forward to spending time with him off-camera. He wakes up the next morning with Rachel and we can definitely see them together as a couple. She told him that she loved him and she let him know that she loved how he took care of her. In Joey’s confessional, he says that he is falling in love with her.

There are still 2 more dates for him to navigate. Over the last few episodes, we’ve started liking Kelsey as we’ve gotten to know her. Leslie from The Golden Bachelor arrives to give her some advice. She hears her story and lets her know that she needs to be present when she is with Joey. She also lets her know that as much as she should enjoy her time with Joey, she needs to also realize that there is a possibility that she may not be chosen ultimately. Leslie tells her that she wishes that she didn’t feel so confident when she was going into the experience with Gerry as ultimately, she wasn’t chosen. She wouldn’t wish that feeling on her worst enemy.

Joey and Kelsey are finally on their date! They take a boat out to see the animals in the ocean and dive in. You can see how comfortable they are with one another. This could be a match - this season, The Bachelor definitely had a great crop of women as it got closer to the end. As they continue on to their dinner, they both talk about how much they have enjoyed spending time with one another. Kelsey tells Joey how she chatted with Leslie and the advice that she gave. He also talks about what it was like for him when he was with Charity and what happened to him on The Bachelorette. He tells her that he has felt that he has been falling in love with her for a long time and he knows how real it is. He knows how he feels and wants her to know. She accepts going to the Fantasy Suites.

We see them making breakfast together the next morning and they definitely look like they would be a great couple too. She tells him that she is in love with him. She’s going to hold onto everything that she has enjoyed as she waits to hear from Joey.

Daisy is looking forward to her date and is a bit anxious. Sandra tells her that she should stop thinking about the anxious vibes, she tells her to stay focused and she needs to talk with Joey. She needs to stop thinking about the other women who are still in this process.

We’re on the last date of the week. Daisy is nervous and knows she needs to be open and to express herself. She greets him and gives him an extended kiss. They take a ride with an ATV through Tulum.

We see Kelsey battling her thoughts about where she sits in the midst of the dates that have been going on. She even references her conversation with Leslie and how she needs to have a wall up.

Back on Daisy’s date, they enjoy some champagne in the jungle. They talk about Hometowns and she lets him know how much she loves him. They continue on with an outdoor shower so that they can clean up and get a bit closer.

They continue onto their dinner. Daisy lets them know that she had a great time with him. She lets him know that she gets frustrated with herself because she’s an emotional person. She lets him know that she overthinks things a bit. She tells him about her past relationship and how she would get shut down when she felt a certain way and expressed it. She loves that he is so emotionally available as she feels safe and seen. He lets her know that talking it out is an important part to being in a relationship so that the person you are with feels special. He lets her know that he is falling in love with her and they continue on to Fantasy Suites.

So 2 women have been told that he is falling in love with them and we know that someone writes a card saying that they need to see Joey.

It’s the next morning and we see Daisy and Joey together in bed. He says he loves being in that moment and they both say that they are falling in love with one another. She feels super calm and assured.

We see Kelsey continuing to feel confused about what is going on and whether it will be her. Joey feels that he has no concern that the women are there for him and he has no doubts. Kelsey goes by his room, but he is not there. So she writes him a note letting him know that they need to talk prior to the rose ceremony. She feels that she would rather leave now than have her heart broken. Hoey arrives later that day and finds the note that she left.He spirals a bit as usually a note saying “we need to talk,” tends to be something that doesn’t end up well.

The Tell All is next week. We’ll also get to know more about what happened with Kelsey.

JOEY GAVE ROSES TO |

JOEY DID NOT GIVE A ROSE TO |

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

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AFTER HOMETOWNS

DAISY

KELSEY

RACHEL

PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Richard Middlesworth

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THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

Allison - Philadelphia, PA, 26

Autumn - St. Louis, MO, 26

Chandler - NY, NY, 24

Chrissa - Abbotsford, BC CA, 26

Daisy - Becker, MN, 25

Edwina - Atlanta, GA, 25

Erika - North Bergen, NJ, 25

Evalin - San Antonio, TX, 29

Jenn - Miami, FL, 25

Jessica "Jess" - San Diego, CA, 24

Katelyn - Santa Fe, NM, 25

Kayla - Hamilton, OH, 27

Kelsey A. - New Orleans, LA, 25

Kelsey T. - Los Angeles, CA, 31

Kyra - Miami, FL, 26

Laine - Philadelphia, PA, 27

Lauren - Philadelphia, PA, 28

Lea - Waipahu, HI, 23

Lexi - Atlanta, GA, 30

Madina - Charlotte, NC, 31

Maria - Kleinburg, Ontario, 29

Marlena - West Palm Beach, FL, 26

Nat - Sudbury, Canada, 26

Rachel - Honolulu, HI, 26

Sam - Nashville, TN, 31

Samantha - Miami, FL, 25

Sandra - Nashville, TN, 26

Starr - Delray Beach, FL, 25

Sydney - Newport, RI, 28

Talyah - Huntington Beach, CA, 23

Taylor - Chicago, IL, 23

Zoe - Atlanta, GA, 24

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE BACHELOR S28. E8. | WELCOME TO HOMETOWNS

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelor/Gizelle Hernandez

It’s Hometowns fortonight’s The Bachelor! We start off in Kelsey’s hometown in New Orleans. She shows Joey Graziadei things that she likes to do there. They ride bikes, take walks, and just enjoy being in one another’s company. He asks her to just be in this moment fully. After a great day date, they make their way to Kelsey’s home and he meets her brother, sister, and father. They catch up her family on their travels, dates, and more.

Kelsey’s dad Mark chats with Joey and lets him know that Kelsey means a lot to him and that he needs to feel about her, the way that he does. He then chats with Kelsey to see how she is doing. Kelsey’s sweetness and ability to understand what she wants in life is really great to see. You can see how great Joey and Kelsey could be together.

Joey moves onto Rancho Cucamonga for Rachel’s hometown. He has a connection with her because he spent a lot of time in Hawaii and she is from there. Rancho Cucamonga is what she considers her second home. She spends time with him to let him know what Joey can expect with her family as well as how to interact with them to respect them.

There is a fun luau at Rachel’s aunt’s house. She has a lot of her family there and Joey impresses everyone with the greeting that honors her mother, eating the pig ear, and just being sweet. We can’t help, but notice that her dad, Hakim continues to give long side-eyes and even when Joey talks with her mother, she lets him know that this isn’t traditional and she doesn’t like that there are still 3 women in the mix. We know how important family and their approval is to Rachel so it’s going to be interesting to see if she will continue forward. Hakim tells Joey he doesn’t want Rachel to be hurt and he’s not happy that there are 3 women still in the mix. Both parents feel that Rachel needs to protect herself.

When Joey talks with Rachel, it’s clear that even with her parent’s feelings, they are going to continue to navigate this journey.

Joey’s 3rd Hometown takes him to Becker, Minnesota to meet Daisy. He knows that if she can’t see him with her family, then it’s going to be a deal breaker, so the stakes are high. We finally get to see the Old Christmas Tree Farm that she talked about. They did activities and then her friends met up with them and Daisy let them know that she’s really happy with him.

Joey meets her family and they share how their relationship has been. You can see that she has a great support system. Even her mom realizes that Daisy is not being as vulnerable as she needs to be to progress further with Joey. Her dad echos the same sentiment. It’s in these conversations that she finally realizes that she needs to get into this to truly know whether her and Joey can actually work.

Well, we’re in Niagra Falls and it’s the final Hometown which means, it’s time for Maria. They have a fun boat ride to see the falls up close. They talk about how she almost left last week and that makes him unsettled as it’s not an issue to have doubts, but to be so quick to end things! As she tells him that that that was a mistake, he learns that she has never brought someone home. This is another concerning aspect, but he also knows how much family means to her.

Maria’s family has been the ones that we wanted to see. Maria’s dad says what he feels and lets Joey know he doesn’t want his daughter hurt. He also talks with Maria about needing to be vulnerable because Joey is a good guy. She didn’t tell him that she was falling for him - could that be something that sends her home?

All the Hometowns had great families and it was nice to see how they could envision being with one another.

The ladies arrive for the rose ceremony and we know that 3 roses will be given out tonight. Joey thanks them for the Hometown dates that took place over the week. He feels confident in his decision and is about to hand out the rose when Maria pulls his aside and tells him that is she falling in love with him and that she doesn’t want to regret not telling him as she should have done it at her Hometowns. When Rachel asked what that was about, she says that she didn’t know but would tell her one day. He gives roses to Daisy, Kelsey, and Rachel.

Jesse Palmer tells Maria that he’s sorry and she can take as much time as she needs to say her goodbyes. Maria doesn’t understand why she wasn’t chosen. Interestingly enough, next week, they’ll be in Tulum and Joey in the women will navigate Hometowns. We also see that The Golden Bachelor contestants will be on the episode as well.

JOEY GAVE ROSES TO | Daisy, Kelsey A., Rachel

JOEY DID NOT GIVE A ROSE TO | Maria

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

---

AFTER HOMETOWNS

DAISY

KELSEY A.

RACHEL

PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Richard Middlesworth

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THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

Allison - Philadelphia, PA, 26

Autumn - St. Louis, MO, 26

Chandler - NY, NY, 24

Chrissa - Abbotsford, BC CA, 26

Daisy - Becker, MN, 25

Edwina - Atlanta, GA, 25

Erika - North Bergen, NJ, 25

Evalin - San Antonio, TX, 29

Jenn - Miami, FL, 25

Jessica "Jess" - San Diego, CA, 24

Katelyn - Santa Fe, NM, 25

Kayla - Hamilton, OH, 27

Kelsey A. - New Orleans, LA, 25

Kelsey T. - Los Angeles, CA, 31

Kyra - Miami, FL, 26

Laine - Philadelphia, PA, 27

Lauren - Philadelphia, PA, 28

Lea - Waipahu, HI, 23

Lexi - Atlanta, GA, 30

Madina - Charlotte, NC, 31

Maria - Kleinburg, Ontario, 29

Marlena - West Palm Beach, FL, 26

Nat - Sudbury, Canada, 26

Rachel - Honolulu, HI, 26

Sam - Nashville, TN, 31

Samantha - Miami, FL, 25

Sandra - Nashville, TN, 26

Starr - Delray Beach, FL, 25

Sydney - Newport, RI, 28

Talyah - Huntington Beach, CA, 23

Taylor - Chicago, IL, 23

Zoe - Atlanta, GA, 24

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

IT'S ABOUT THE STORY | MARIA STEN

This month's cover editorial is with actress and writer, Maria Sten. Throughout her career she has used her passion for creativity to navigate her interests whether it was being Miss Denmark 2008 and then representing her country at Miss Universe, working as a model and a dancer until connecting with her passion for storytelling!

For fans of Big Sky, she wrote for this crime genre series that took place in Montana; those who enjoy immersive podcasts, she included her voice work in QCODE's Narcissa; and she's currently in Prime Video's Reacher whose second season is streaming now and we're excited to see that not only is the third season greenlit, but it is already in production, and of course her character, Frances Neagley will be back!

We wanted to find out more about how she got into the industry as a writer and actress, the stories she likes to tell, how she gets inspired, being on Reacher, its success, working on projects she's passionate about, and more.

We also enjoyed our cover shoot with her at il Pellicano and Bijoux Lounge in NoLita which has been on our list to transport us as we navigate the winter weeks ahead.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We have been a fan of yours across the Narcissa podcast, your work as a writer with Big Sky and obviously with Reacher! But before we delve into that, in our research we saw that you were Miss Denmark 2008 and competed at Miss Universe as well, you were a dancer, and a model. What made you want to do that and to ultimately, dig deeper into entertainment as a writer and a producer.

MARIA STEN: You know, that’s a good question. I think that one thing that is true to my life and has always been true is that I have just zero chill. So I just want to do stuff all the time. I want to work, I want to challenge myself all the time and I want to grow. I came to NY when I was 18 to be a dancer and obviously when you come to NY as an immigrant, I did not have papers and I was working very hard to try and build my career and to build sort of a profile for myself so that I was able to get papers, and I was going back to Denmark and then randomly, Miss Denmark opportunity came up and I thought, sure why not? I won and then they said, do you want to go to Vietnam for 1 month and do Miss Universe? I thought, how could I say no to that? I think it was sort of a strange roundabout way as I don’t think that I consider myself to be a pageant girl per se, but it was such an incredible experience and I got to meet these amazing women from all over the world and I do still know a lot of people in that community. So you never know when these once in a lifetime experiences – how they can come about! For me, that was just something that I couldn’t say no to.

Then I think that from then on evolving into a dancer and then music, acting which I had done when I was a teenager and as a child a little bit. I sort of realized that these were the things that I wanted to do for my life. The desire to write came as a necessity to do so as I didn’t really feel that I could really stretch with the opportunities that were offered to me. Black women in the industry, at least at the time, it was more limited what we were offered. It still is in terms of opportunities, but of course, it is better now. I just wanted to write to play in the same roles that my other colleagues were able to play in as well. Then people apparently thought that I should be a writer! So now, I do both!

AM: I love that and to your point about the pageant system. In addition to my role here, as a fashion stylist, I have styled Miss America 2019 as well as Miss Ecuador 2018 ahead of her competing in Miss Universe that year. It is such an interesting world and that network is really amazing because the interest that a lot of the people do are so different. It’s literally that they could be rocket scientists, fashion designers, or other interests. It’s cool to see people that are part of that world!

MS: It’s really interesting and I think of course in America, it overlaps a lot. I’m still in communication with Miss Puerto Rico that was from my year, Ingrid who is also an actress, Meagan Tandy who was Miss California USA who was the year before me, and Miss Iowa from 2007 Dani Reeves is a good friend of mine. Not necessarily because we competed in pageants, but that network and you just find people like you do in any other industry that you connect with and you stay friends with! It’s really incredible. Meeting photographers like Fadil Berisha who is an amazing photographer did my very first headshot in New York when I was 19.

AM: I styled a shoot for an artist that he did the album art for – so talented!

MS: Yes he is and that was because of Miss Universe. I’m definitely grateful for that opportunity and it was only just a springboard for me to stay in the United States, to build my career, and etc. etc.

AM: I was such a huge fan of Big Sky and love that you wrote for this series. What drew you to this show?

MS: I am a huge Western nerd. I have been riding horses since I was 3 years old and I went to the US for the first time when I was 8 and spent a month with my family on a ranch in Arizona and I totally got bit by this Western bug because I grew up riding English and I had no idea that there was this thing that was called the Wild West and that there are these big wide open spaces with nature and cowboys with cool hats and six shooters! So I totally got obsessed with this world and watched all the westerns growing up and I had been wanting to write one for forever. I did write a pilot early on which was a spec of mine which was a period western. So when Big Sky came along, it was kind of an obvious choice for me. It was a Black female lead set in Montana and it’s a crime show and I thought – yes and of course, David E. Kelley (The Undoing, Love and Death, The Lincoln Lawyer) was attached! Generally, I don't do a lot of network television, but when it is David E. Kelley is doing it – that’s the parameters for it – that’s sort of a no-brainer for me.

AM: What do you look for in a project when it comes to you coming on as a writer?

MS: I definitely look for character and world and relationships. That’s definitely what I’m looking for and a lot of my projects are always born out of wanting to play in a world, but also what do I want to do as an actor? What could be interesting for me as an actor and also, what is the lack in the space? If I don’t see it in the space – female villains or Black people in the Western space – all of these things are things that I want to be playing in, but I don’t see – that is always a good incentive for me to start writing in some way, somehow. Definitely looking for things that are unique and have something to say. That is always important to me.

AM: What is your creative process like when you’re writing. It must be so interesting where obviously you’re thinking about the storyline and future seasons or how that character arc grows over a period of time. Where do you start with that?

MS: I definitely start with the pilot and I think about what is the pilot, who are the people that we care about, what is the central relationship, and what is the central theme of the show? Then, once I have a good grip on the pilot, what are we setting up with the world and the relationships with the characters – then I will branch out. I do that sort of organically. Once I’m flushing out the pilot, I’m thinking about when certain information will have to be revealed if you’re thinking about the season as a whole.

AM: Right.

MS: It’s an organic way and I don’t really have a way of going about it. I think that most things come to me in different ways. Sometimes I just know a scene, I know the beginning or the end, sometimes I just know the character and I just want to focus on that character and what interesting situation that I can put them in. Most of my own stories are like misfit families. Family dramas of some kind. So oftentimes, the central relationship will always be some kind of family relationship and how we can dive into these complicated relationships. Flawed characters are what I like to dive into. So that’s usually where it goes.

AM: I’m a huge fan of podcasts, generally true crime. But I really appreciate other genres in the scripted space. QCODE is one that I love with their immersive approach to storytelling and Narcissa was amazing and I loved hearing you in it. What drew you to that?

MS: Thank you!

AM: Oh it was so good!

MS: Yeah, I think that – what was happening at that time? Fun fact, I think at the time, I was home writing on something and I had just broken my wrist snowboarding so I was sort of just stuck at home and they said, “do you want to do this thing from your closet?” and I said yes absolutely because I really wanted to be able to do a project. That was one fun fact and also I think I really just wanted to dive into the character. That character is so interesting and not to give anything away, but playing something like that and the different dynamics that you have to sort of consider in playing a character like that, I thought it was interesting and to also look at AI and what’s to come in our society – I thought that that was interesting. For me, I thought that it was a fascinating dive into audio. I haven’t done a lot of voice work and I would love to. So I thought that it was a good way for me to get started.

AM: Over the holiday I watched the first season of Reacher and then watched the screeners of the 2nd season of Reacher. It's interesting that with as many shows that I watch and love there are always those that I haven’t gotten around to and I know I would love them! In prep for the interview, I wanted to see both seasons and it was so good and so fun to jump into. What was it about this show that you wanted to be involved in this series?

MS: Off the bat, it’s the action! I love the action, I love strong characters, kinetic characters, kinetic stories – Neagley, this word is so overused, but she’s a badass in a lot of ways and she also has this other kind of quirky quality about her. So to me, that was something really interesting to get to play with and to figure out how to make it interesting and grounded at the same time. For sure, to begin with. I knew it was going to be this splashy/action show and then when I got the job and I realized that there was this whole billion dollar book franchise that is behind it – I read all the books that Neagley was in and I got excited because there was so much to dive into and to explore that was about this mysterious woman that I got to play!

AM: Well beyond reading the books and the information that you were given, how else did you prepare to play her?

MS: Definitely kinetically. I was training just sort of on my own physique that we do as actors. Then I did kickboxing which I did when I was younger, shadow boxing, doing drills with a stunt team and then there was a lot of speaking to military veterans that had served – specifically women who had been in the army and the marines. I have a couple of friends that are veterans and so they put me in touch just so that I could understand what that life was like and the real things that you sort of have to endure day in and day out as being deployed and being part of this mahinery that is the US military.

I just love doing research and deep diving with characters so it was a combination of a few things.

AM: Obviously, not to have spoilers or anything, but where do we leave Neagley in Season 1 and where do we pick up with her again as we go into Season 2?

MS: You know, the good thing about the show is that each season is a contained story, right? We do 1 book per season so it feels quite satisfying where when we were in the first season, it was a limited series and if you’re watching the 2nd season, you don’t have to have seen the previous one to enjoy the next one. Of course, I think that you should so that you have an understanding of the character Reacher (Alan Ritchson), who he is and how he moves through the world.

But I think that we leave her and she’s come in to do her duty and to help save her friend. And now, we pick back up with her in Season 2 where there are bigger stakes for her and them because members of their unit have turned up dead. I think that is much more of a personal round and a personal story for all of our main characters this season. I think that the action and the scope of the season is indicative of that in terms of the action and the interplay between the characters and how stark it also is given that we shoot in the winter in Toronto.

AM: The final episode of the second season I was like, this is so exciting where everything ends. We know that it has already been greenlit for the 3rd season and we know that we will continue to see you. Do you know anything about the 3rd season that you’re able to share with us or what would you like to see if you were able to be in the Writer’s Room?

MS: I may or may not know things that I may or may not be able to talk about! So we can leave it at that ha ha! Of course, we will see Reacher do cool things in Season 3 and if Nealey shows up to lend him a hand again – hopefully that will be exciting for the fans as well as it has been in the other seasons. I think that the liberty of doing a book per season, we can dive into new stories as we adapt them for screen. The showrunners and the powers that be can fit it into what they feel is right for the TV version. So a lot more action of course, but the story changes in terms of scope, in terms of world, and I think that it will be interesting to see what comes next.

AM: Are there any upcoming projects that you have that we should keep an eye out for?

MS: I’m currently working on a few things on the writing side. I just finished a pilot which is a modern Western set in Wyoming where I also live. Right now, I also have 2 features in development, but they are in very early stages, but that’s what I plan to be working on for the writing side this year.

AM: When you’re not working on a project or in the throws of a project, how do you take time for yourself?

MS: I travel a lot. I love to go to different countries exploring different cultures. I specifically go to Mexico a lot, I go to Southern Africa a lot, I spend a lot of time on horseback in the bush in Southern Africa. There’s just nothing better than seeing wildlife from horseback. For me, it’s a great way to of course get inspired, reset, and step away from the hustle and bustle of our industry and just to have some stillness and to be off of our phones and to reconnect with nature.

IG @mariasten

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 38 - 45 + 45 Prime Video/Reacher | PG 42 9LIST STORI3S + PG 118 NEW YEAR N3W YOU Image Courtesy Maria Sten |

Our shoot with Maria Sten took place on Mulberry street in NoLita at il Pellicano and Bijoux Lounge. Following the credits from this photoshoot, we delve into into this restaurant as well as the lounge so that you can plan your next night out in an epic way!

IT'S ABOUT THE STORY COVER EDITORIAL | TEAM CREDITS

PHOTOGRAPHER Paul Farkas | FASHION STYLIST Kimmie Smith | MUA Rebecca Restrepo | HAIR STYLIST Corey Tuttle |

IG @pvfarkas

@shes.kimmie

@rebeccarestrepo

@coreytuttlehair

IT'S ABOUT THE STORY COVER EDITORIAL | CREDITS

LOUNGE LOOK PG 16-19 | BUCK MASON Molasses Lounge Wool Shirt + Pants |

FITNESS LOOK BACK COVER + PG 20 - 25 | COSMOLLE Air Wear Long Sleeve + High Waisted Legging Set | ATHLEISUREVERSE Varsity Jacket | NEW BALANCE 550 Sneakers |

OUT + ABOUT LOOK PG 26 - 29 | GREY BANDIT Adriana Coat | LNA CLOTHING Essential Cotton Kaden V Neck | MAVI Wide Leg Pant | ABBOTT LYON Curb Chain Necklace | SEQUIN JEWELRY Marleigh Evil Eye Charm Necklace | NAGICIA Braided Ring | SMARTGLASS JEWELRY Cube Gold Ring in Aqua and Antique Clear |

NIGHT OUT LOOK FRONT COVER PG 30 - 35 | FORE Dress | ALEX SOLDIER Silver Drop Earrings with White Topaz | LAGOS Caviar Beaded Ring, Black Caviar Silver Station Ceramic Caviar Beaded Bracelet, Black Caviar Single Station Ceramic Diamond Bracelet, Signature Caviar Silver Caviar Bracelet | STEVE MADDEN Evelyn |

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS

PAUL SHOT WITH | CANON Mark IV and Canon Lenses - 24-70, 70-200 + 50 1.2 | SIRUI Dragon Series Bendable RGB Panel Lights set of 2 of B25R*2 + DJ280 |

ATHLEISURE MAG: It was such a pleasure to have our cover shoot with Prime Video's Reacher star, Maria Sten. Tell me about the backgrounds of the co-owners of this restaurant from previous restaurants etc.

IL PELLICANO: Owner, Massimo Tabacco's journey from Rome to New York City in the mid-eighties led him to work in several esteemed Manhattan restaurants like Tre Merli, Azzurro Ciaobella, Coffee Shop, and Paper Moon Milano. In the early '90s, he opened Gilda near Saks 5th Avenue, where he forged a lasting friendship with Kyky Conille, who became a significant part of his citywide ventures. Kyky Conille is known for nightclubs in NYC like Provocateur, PM, the original Bijoux, and Lily Pond in the Hamptons. The restaurant is located above Kyky Conille and Dimitri Hyacinthe’s new club, Bijoux Lounge, which has become one of NYC’s hottest going out spots. Il Pellicano and Bijoux will be working together to deliver elevated dining upstairs and a late-night menu down for Bijoux’s patrons’ downstairs.

AM: When did il Pellicano launch and can you give us some background on the restaurant as I know you have a sister restaurant in CT.

IP: Popular, Fairfield, Connecticut Italian restaurant, il Pellicano, is opened its first NYC outpost. Known for their infusion of old classics with a modern twist, Il Pellicano will stand apart from the other traditional Italian restaurants on its block. Il Pellicano is located at 149 Mulberry, and encompasses a 50-seat dining room, a 40-seat front patio and 30-seat back garden. Owners Massimo Tabacco and Kyky Conilleofficially opened its doors to the public on Friday, January 12th.

AM: What is the importance of the Pelican?

IP: The Pelican (Il Pellicano) is a small hotel in Poro Ercole, Italy where Massimo (owner) used to ride to with his friends with motorcycles from Rome. Amazing ride on the coast of Tuscany, so it always had a sentimental meaning to him.

AM: Tell us about the design aesthetic of the restaurant and the meaning behind the name.

IP: The design is sleek and modern with green booths and gold light fixtures. The walls are filled with framed photos of Pelicans – drawing from the name.

AM: Who is the Executive Chef at il Pelicano on Mulberry St and can you provide information on their background and kitchens that they have worked in?

IP: Chef Saul Media is the executive chef at Il Pellicano on Mulberry Street. Chef Media’s heritage of Puebla Mexico is where the kitchen was his earliest classroom thanks to his grandmother and aunts. In his early twenties he embarked his journey to NYC, Connecticut, West Coast and then back to the East Coast making a mark in the world of culinary arts. With Chef Media’s first few years in the trenches starting as a dishwasher, then a line cool and then eventually cooking in renowned establishments including Gibsons Italia in Chicago, The Mark by Jean-Georges in New York, G’ios Italian and Cena’s restaurant in Tampa Bay, and the iconic steakhouse, The Forge, in Miami, among others.

AM: For those who are coming for lunch, tell us about 3 appetizers that we should try when dining with family or friends?

IP: Olive Oil Flight – three select styles of monini single harvest olive oil served with fresh baked herb focaccia

Caesar Salad – romaine arugula, croutons, parmigiano Reggiano, Caesar dressing

Heirloom Tomato Caprese – bocconcini mozzarella, basil oil, balsamic pearls, parmesan gel

AM: What are 3 main dishes that you suggest that we should have when we're coming in for lunch with family and friends?

IP: Chicken Milanese - arugula, tomato, cucumber, onion meyer lemon vinaigrette

Cacio E Pepe – Bucatini, Pecorino, Cracked Black Pepper

Tuscan Steak Sandwich – Shaved steak, cubanelle pepper, raclette cheese, carmalized onion

AM: What are 3 cocktails or wines that would be great to pair with our meal?

IP: Super Tuscan, Promis by Gaja, ITALY

Sancerre, Moulin Camus, ITALY

Barreled Negroni – Gin, Campari, Antica & Barrel aged in House

AM: For dinner, what are 3 dishes that you suggest to begin our meal?

IP: Forgmaggi e Salumi – rotating selection of curated meats and cheeses and house made accompaniments.

Carpaccio Di Polpo – thinly sliced octopus, roasted eggplant and tomato musarda, sherry glaze

Suppli di Riso Funghi – roman rice rice ball stuffed with mozzarella, parm, truffle dust, pistachio cream

AM: What are 3 dishes that we should have our eye on?

IP: Carbonara fettuccine - parmiggiano reggiano, guanciale and cracked pepper

Tartufo Al Funghi - pappardelle, wild mushroom blend, white truffle, pecorino romano

Pork Chop Scarpariello - cherry peppers, onions, white balsamic, crispy potatoes

AM: What are 3 sides that we should have with them?

IP: Rainbow Carrots, Mushroom Blend, and Asparagus.

AM: What are 3 cocktails that we should have in mind?

IP: Olive Oil Martini - tito’s fat washed with monini olive oil, cocchi bianco, brine, castelvetrano

Durazno Verde - tequila, ancho reyes, peach, lime, poblano ice, tajin

Amari & Aperitivo - a custom cocktail experience: select the bitter and the bartenders do the rest!

AM: What are there 3 dessert options that you suggest?

IP: The Almond Cake, The Smoked Burrata with Dried Figs, Infused in Truffle Honey, and the Chocolate Budino.

AM: As we navigate the winter and look towards the spring, are there any events that we should know about?

IP: Weekend truffle party brunches and a new truffle menu launching.

In Athleisure Mag's DEC ISSUE #96, Bijoux Lounge was featured in Athleisure List. We wanted to share a bit more about this hot spot!

As temperatures drop below freezing, venturing out for a night in NYC has become dreadful. The struggle of searching for a spot to stow away your bulky winter coat, spending ungodly amounts to Uber two blocks or enduring long club lines is very real. What if we told you there was a way to enjoy an entire night out without ever leaving a single location? In the past year, it has become increasingly common to bars/clubs or vice versa allowing you to complete the night out within the confines of one building. Il Pellicano & Bijoux Lounge is NYC’s newest restaurant and bar combination. Nightlife maven Lionel “Kyky” Conille, a pioneer and renowned for his NYC nightclubs like Provocateur, PM, the original Bijoux, and Lily Pond in the Hamptons, quietly marked his return to the scene with the opening of Bijoux Lounge at the end of 2023. This speakeasy-style, moody red-lit club has already hosted notable events, including the 21st birthday celebration of "Summer I Turned Pretty" star Lola Tung and Society Management's model-filled holiday party. Above the bar, Bijoux owner Conille and longtime friend Massimo Tabacco unveiled Il Pellicano a few weeks ago. The menu promises a seamless fusion of timeless and contemporary Italian flavors, echoing some of the beloved dishes from Il Pellicano's Connecticut location. Collaborating seamlessly, Bijoux and Il Pellicano are set to provide a can't miss elevated dining experience upstairs and a late-night menu downstairs.

IG @ilpellicanonewyork

@bijouxnyc

Read the JAN ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag and see IT’S ABOUT THE STORY | Maria Sten in mag.

THE BACHELOR S28. E7. | THE LOVE CONTINUES

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelor/Gizelle Hernandez

On tonight’s The Bachelor we’re in Jasper, Canada and we hear Joey Graziadei talk about how his experiences have been as he’s on a motorcycle. The views are stunning and with 6 women left (Daisy, Jenn, Kelsey A., Kelsey T., Maria, and Rachel), we’re that much closer to Hometowns! The women explore Jasper.

Jesse Palmer and Joey get a bit of tennis in as they catch up on what’s been going on and how he is navigating in Hometowns!

As the women debrief, they note that they have all had a 1-on-1 and that not everyone will get a second one. Daisy gets the 1-on-1. Emotions are high with the women as they can appreciate that dates are happening, but it’s also a feeling that they want to have that time with him alone as well. We see Daisy and Joey horseback riding and as always they have great banter. But he wants to make sure that he finds out more so that he is making the right decision. They continue their date with a hot tub as they continue to talk through everything.

Back at the house, another date card arrives with Kelsey T., Maria, Rachel, and Jenn are on a group date at the great outdoors. That means that Kelsey A. will have the 1-on-1 date.

Back on Joey’s date, Daisy says that in full transparency, she likes him a lot, but she is not there yet. She can see how they are great together and she sees that they can be together. But at least she is being honest. It seems like even with everything that she said he still gave her the rose. He’s definitely taking a gamble on whether this will end in a match as there is a world where she doesn’t accept his proposal.

On the group date, they meet a Lumberjill and learn how to cut wood with an ax, use a saw, and so much more. They meet Anita Jezowski who is a noted Lumberjill which we have included in Athleisure Mag previously. The women rock their plaid outfits and do a number of wood events and skills. Maris is not loving it. Kelsey T. won the competition and everyone sees Jenn snag a kiss when he is in the midst of his confessional.

The group date continues back at the Fairmont Jasper Lodge with the 4 women that were on the group date. He knows there’s a tough decision with the group rose. He chats with Jenn and she feels better that she let him know how she is still in the running and that she shouldn’t shy away from continuing on. Each woman wants to talk to him about their relationship, Hometowns, and their family. Kelsey T. drops that her dad doesn’t know where she is right now!

Maria talks with him and says that she doesn’t want to bring someone to meet her family and that he’s kissing other women and that she doesn’t know if she can do this. He’s shocked as their date last week was so good - which I can understand why it would carry over to the date and going onto Hometowns. Ultimately, Maria decides to stay, but Joey didn’t give a rose as he can’t come to a decision. He hugs the women go by and we see Joey walking around Jasper ahead of his 1-on-1 date with Kelsey A.

They navigate the town together and then they learn about a Polar Plunge taking place at a local lake. Kelsey A. is game and super excited. They plunge and you can tell she’s loving it and stays in much longer than what we would have stayed in!

Back at the lodge, Maria feels bad that she had the conversation the way that she did with Joey because she wonders if she may be going home because of it. She wants him to know that she is there for him. Back at the dinner date, Kesley A. and Joey bond over their family dynamics and ultimately, she gets a rose - or is she says, that Hometown rose.

The women were looking forward to a cocktail party, but Jesse lets them know that Joey doesn’t need to talk to anyone, he is ready to go straight to the ceremony. Only 2 roses will be given out tonight. Before he hands a rose out, he takes a few moments with Maria to find out where she is out (while the other women stare as they don’t have the ability to have a final conversation). Rachel gets the rose. Maria gets the final rose. He sends home Jenn and Kelsey T.

JOEY GAVE ROSES TO | Daisy, Kelsey A., Rachel, Maria

JOEY DID NOT GIVE ROSES TO | Jenn, Kelsey T,

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

---

THEY’RE GOING TO HOMETOWNS

DAISY

KELSEY A.

MARIA

RACHEL

PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Richard Middlesworth

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THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

Allison - Philadelphia, PA, 26

Autumn - St. Louis, MO, 26

Chandler - NY, NY, 24

Chrissa - Abbotsford, BC CA, 26

Daisy - Becker, MN, 25

Edwina - Atlanta, GA, 25

Erika - North Bergen, NJ, 25

Evalin - San Antonio, TX, 29

Jenn - Miami, FL, 25

Jessica "Jess" - San Diego, CA, 24

Katelyn - Santa Fe, NM, 25

Kayla - Hamilton, OH, 27

Kelsey A. - New Orleans, LA, 25

Kelsey T. - Los Angeles, CA, 31

Kyra - Miami, FL, 26

Laine - Philadelphia, PA, 27

Lauren - Philadelphia, PA, 28

Lea - Waipahu, HI, 23

Lexi - Atlanta, GA, 30

Madina - Charlotte, NC, 31

Maria - Kleinburg, Ontario, 29

Marlena - West Palm Beach, FL, 26

Nat - Sudbury, Canada, 26

Rachel - Honolulu, HI, 26

Sam - Nashville, TN, 31

Samantha - Miami, FL, 25

Sandra - Nashville, TN, 26

Starr - Delray Beach, FL, 25

Sydney - Newport, RI, 28

Talyah - Huntington Beach, CA, 23

Taylor - Chicago, IL, 23

Zoe - Atlanta, GA, 24

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE BACHELOR S28. E6. | OH CANADA

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelor/Gizelle Hernandez

On tonight’s The Bachelor we’ve made our way to Montreal with Joey Graziadei. He shares how he has been holding back a bit and he doesn’t like it as that’s not who he is. He also says that his personality isn’t really one that is energetic and he feels the pressure of presenting himself a certain way.

Jesse Palmer meets with the women to let them know how important the week is and that there are 3 dates for the week. It will kick off with a group date - Daisy, Katelyn, Kelsey A, Jenn, Rachel, Lexi, Lea, and Jess. That means that Kelsey T and Maria are getting the 2 1-on-1 dates. For the group date, they are given clues to go from one location to the next to find him. He lets them know that he is happy to see them, but that he is battling the varying emotions that he is feeling.

After walking around the city, the group date arrives at a restaurant where they make their own poutine with varying topics. A number of the women felt uncomfortable to watch the other women as they interacted with Joey. During the cocktail hour, the women talk amongst themselves to express how they feel unsure about what is going on and seeing what is happening between him and others. When Joey arrives and asks them how they are feeling, he can tell that they are sad and feeling a bit awkward. He reiterates that he also feels unsettled and that he knows that that is something that they are feeling too. By being transparent, he gives them that space to feel their feelings and to let him know. He gives a lot of time for each of the women so that they can share and connect with him. Jess has been a bit on edge the entire time and you can see it in every interaction she has with him or when she is talking with the other women. Daisy encourages her to talk with him.

Jess lets him know that she is falling for him and he lets her know that as good as that sounds, he can’t envision being with her and so he walks her out to send him home. He knows he made the right choice, but he feels awful that he crushed her. He comes back to the women of the group date and lets them know that he sent Jess home.

The group date rose is given to Jenn - not a surprise!

With the group date out of the way, the first 1-on-1 date is with Kelsey T! Their date involves them training to be part of Cirque du Soleil. Apparently, their training will allow them to test how they trust with one another as they do the various drills.

We also see Lexi and Maria chat as we can see that Lexi doesn’t like the timeline that was presented to her especially because of the health issues that she has which already has a certain level of concern for her. Maria empathizes with her and agrees that no one is right or wrong in what they’re saying/seeing, but what works for him, may not work for her.

For their dinner date, we know that the two will continue to talk in-depth about themselves as well as where they are at. Kelsey T lets him know that she had a lot of nerves going into the date. He acknowledges that he felt that and he apologizes that he didn’t handle the spins well. She explains that her family is tough and that she was close with her father growing up, and then he stopped talking with her for a while. Her father wanted her to focus on religion and he didn’t support her going to college. So since she didn’t follow the religion, she couldn’t stay with him. This let her view relationships differently and she has trust issues with people in general. She lets him know it is a work in progress and she shares how they have begun to try to come together again, and although she likes it, he still missed her growing up as an adult. She tells him that she wants to be loved and she wants a husband and that what she is feeling feels right to her. He gives her a rose.

The final 1-on-1 date is with Maria! A butler arrives to let her know that Joey is ready for her and they hop in a limo to tour around the town. You can definitely see the good vibes between them and this is why we have felt that she is in the running for Hometowns. Of course she arrives at Claudette and meets the designer of the namesake line. She is going to pick up a dress for her night out. They take a luxurious ride in a helicopter and enjoy champagne as they look at the city.

They continue to dinner and they share how they always have a great vibe with one another. Maria explains how important it is to her for the person that she is with to be transparent and to mean what they say. She lets him know that she is falling for him in ways that she didn’t expect. They dance with one another to Feist and she receives the rose as well.

We see Lexi head over to Joey’s room to talk with him about what she thought about the timeline that he laid out. But due to her infertility, she has a quicker timeline and she thinks it’s unfair for her to stay when she is on a different timeline then him. He agrees with her that their date in Malta was amazing and he knew that when she shared where she was at, he may have to consider having children earlier - which wasn’t in his plan. But he understands where she’s at and why she has to leave. He walks her out even though he can see her as his wife.

With Lexi leaving, Joey is shocked as he wanted to have more time with her. He’s concerned about other people leaving that he doesn’t want them to. With 3 women holding a rose, other women are unsettled as the pressure is building. He also lets them know that he is happy to have the women there and he knows how important it is to find his person. His ability to share his vulnerabilities should also encourage the women to check in with him to ensure that they are connecting as it is happening with other women.

Jenn brings him by the women to play piano with him and the other women shift uncomfortably to see their interaction with one another.

Joey lets them know that there will be multiple women who will be going home. At the rose ceremony, only 3 roses are being given out! Daisy, Kelsey A., and Rachel receive the final roses of the night.

JOEY GAVE ROSES TO | Daisy, Jenn, Kelsey A., Kelsey T., Maria,

JOEY DID NOT GIVE ROSES TO | Jess, Katelyn, Lea

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

---

WHO WE THINK IS GOING TO HOMETOWNS

DAISY

JENN

KELSEY T

MARIA

PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Richard Middlesworth

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THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

Allison - Philadelphia, PA, 26

Autumn - St. Louis, MO, 26

Chandler - NY, NY, 24

Chrissa - Abbotsford, BC CA, 26

Daisy - Becker, MN, 25

Edwina - Atlanta, GA, 25

Erika - North Bergen, NJ, 25

Evalin - San Antonio, TX, 29

Jenn - Miami, FL, 25

Jessica "Jess" - San Diego, CA, 24

Katelyn - Santa Fe, NM, 25

Kayla - Hamilton, OH, 27

Kelsey A. - New Orleans, LA, 25

Kelsey T. - Los Angeles, CA, 31

Kyra - Miami, FL, 26

Laine - Philadelphia, PA, 27

Lauren - Philadelphia, PA, 28

Lea - Waipahu, HI, 23

Lexi - Atlanta, GA, 30

Madina - Charlotte, NC, 31

Maria - Kleinburg, Ontario, 29

Marlena - West Palm Beach, FL, 26

Nat - Sudbury, Canada, 26

Rachel - Honolulu, HI, 26

Sam - Nashville, TN, 31

Samantha - Miami, FL, 25

Sandra - Nashville, TN, 26

Starr - Delray Beach, FL, 25

Sydney - Newport, RI, 28

Talyah - Huntington Beach, CA, 23

Taylor - Chicago, IL, 23

Zoe - Atlanta, GA, 24

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE BACHELOR S28. E5. | TRAVELING FOR LOVE II

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelor/Gizelle Hernandez

The second episode from this week of The Bachelor we’re back with Joey Graziadei as last night, Joey continued his love story by selecting women that he wanted to know more.

JOEY GAVE ROSES TO | Kelsey T, Lexi, and Maria

JOEY DID NOT GIVE A ROSE TO | Sydney

With the drama that had taken place, we ended up getting the rose ceremony at the top of tonight’s episode and he picked who will continue the journey with him. After the rose ceremony takes place, he tells the remaining women that they are going to Marbellla, Spain.

JOEY GAVE ROSES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SHOW’S ROSE CEREMONY | Autumn, Katelyn, Daisy, Jenn, Jess, Kelsey A., Lea, Madina, Rachel

JOEY DID NOT GIVE A ROSE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SHOW’S ROSE CEREMONY | Allison, Edwina

As last night’s episode came to a close we realized that there is now an odd drama of Lea feeling a certain type of way with Maria. She even pulled Madina aside to let her know that she didn’t understand how she could be nice to Maria when she was friends with Sydney. Due to the uncomfortable situation, we hear Maria tell producers that she doesn’t want to stay, someone else can take her rose, and that she doesn’t want to be on this experience with this kind of energy. Ultimately, Madina tells her that Joey picked her for a reason and that she needs to see this through. She decides that she will stay and remain focused on her experience with Joey.

Joey joins them in Spain and has a sangria with them. He lets them know that Kelsey A will have a 1-on-1 with them as they ride off on the Vespa.

Some of the women are frustrated that they haven’t really spent time with him and it makes them wonder when they will get their chance. For some, it becomes very emotional.

On the 1-on-1 date, they enjoy wine and prosciutto. It’s a great way for them to get to know one another. They take a walk and even play an impromptu game of soccer. Things seem so easy between them as they head into their dinner. She wants to be able to talk about her family as she thinks that it is important for him to know. She talks about her mom and how much she had an impact on her although she passed away from breast cancer. He appreciates that she shares this part of her life with him and he gives her a rose.

Lexi, Daisy, Jenn, Autumn, Maria, Katelyn, Madina, Lea, Jess, and Kelsey T are on the next group date. This means that Rachel will be on the 1-on-1 date.

The group date kicks off with them creating a sentence to let Joey know what he means to them and then incorporating art as well. They share each of their works and what they mean with him. Jess wins this challenge. They head off in their swimwear to make a new piece of art together as a couple.

The group date after party takes place and of course Jess says that selfishly, she wants to have more time with him, even though she got time with him after winning the challenge. Joey tells them he enjoyed being with them in the day and he asks to steal Jenn.

Back at the hotel, Rachel’s date card officially arrives and she knows that she’s going to go dancing with him for their 1-on-1.

The rose for the group date after party goes to Maria. The looks on the women’s faces was very telling.

On the 1-on-1 date, we can see how they vibe with one another. She has always wanted to see a flamenco show and they end up learning how to do it. After changing into the outfits, they actually dance in front of a crowd. It’s nice to see how they continue to navigate their relationship as you can see that something is there.

At their dinner, Rachel talks about her work as an ICU nurse and why it’s important to her and how it does take time. She says she’s a slow burn and it takes a while for her to open up. Joey loves the passion for her job and how she enjoys what it is that she does and he appreciates that. She feels supported by him and she feels deserving of his time and attention. Joey gives her the date rose. He tells her that he is all in on her slow burn and he is ready for anytime he wants to share with him. Their date concludes with fireworks as they walk outside of the restaurant.

Jesse Palmer and Joey play tennis together. It’s always nice to see how he bonds with The Bachelor. Joey welcomes the women and tells them how he appreciates them being there. He continues to remind them about what his goal is and why they’re there. The cocktail party begins as the women work to get time with him. Somehow Jess doesn’t get time with him but has the time to have words with Maria since she took time with him when she already has a rose.

At the rose ceremony, he lets them know that he had a great week with the women and that as much as that is great, it lets him think about what he is looking for and works for him. He selects the women that are continuing with him and he lets them know that they are going to Montreal.

JOEY GAVE ROSES TO | Daisy, Jenn, Jess, Katelyn, Kelsey A., Kelsey T., Lea, Lexi, Maria, Rachel

JOEY DID NOT GIVE ROSES TO | Autumn and Madina

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

---

WHO WE THINK IS GOING TO HOMETOWNS

DAISY

JENN

KELSEY T

MARIA

PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Richard Middlesworth

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THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

Allison - Philadelphia, PA, 26

Autumn - St. Louis, MO, 26

Chandler - NY, NY, 24

Chrissa - Abbotsford, BC CA, 26

Daisy - Becker, MN, 25

Edwina - Atlanta, GA, 25

Erika - North Bergen, NJ, 25

Evalin - San Antonio, TX, 29

Jenn - Miami, FL, 25

Jessica "Jess" - San Diego, CA, 24

Katelyn - Santa Fe, NM, 25

Kayla - Hamilton, OH, 27

Kelsey A. - New Orleans, LA, 25

Kelsey T. - Los Angeles, CA, 31

Kyra - Miami, FL, 26

Laine - Philadelphia, PA, 27

Lauren - Philadelphia, PA, 28

Lea - Waipahu, HI, 23

Lexi - Atlanta, GA, 30

Madina - Charlotte, NC, 31

Maria - Kleinburg, Ontario, 29

Marlena - West Palm Beach, FL, 26

Nat - Sudbury, Canada, 26

Rachel - Honolulu, HI, 26

Sam - Nashville, TN, 31

Samantha - Miami, FL, 25

Sandra - Nashville, TN, 26

Starr - Delray Beach, FL, 25

Sydney - Newport, RI, 28

Talyah - Huntington Beach, CA, 23

Taylor - Chicago, IL, 23

Zoe - Atlanta, GA, 24

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE BACHELOR S28. E4. | TRAVELING FOR LOVE I

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelor/Gizelle Hernandez

We’ll get 2 episodes this week of the The Bachelor as we continue along with Joey Graziadei. The Maria Syndey drama continues as you just can’t have both of them in the same house.

Jesse Palmer lets them know that Joey has moved on to their next destination which will be in Malta. So they will pack their bags to get to him in an hour.

Once the women settle into the hotel, there is a date card and we learn that Lexi will have a 1-on-1 date with Joey.

With their date underway, we can see how their chemistry will be with one another. They explore the streets with looking at jewelry, eating from the street carts, just strolling through the city, playing bocce, and then just dancing.

Back at the hotel, Maria and her new bestie Allison are chatting about what’s going on and then Jess and Sydney are doing the same thing. We see that this drama is not ending anytime soon.

Back on the date, they are in a church which brings up her emotions thinking about her grandfather who was a painter as well as the fact that she hasn’t revealed her health situation that could make having children difficult. She feels that she needs to disclose this tonight so that Joey is in the loop. They also talk with a priest whose there to get his insights on relationships and marriage.

The next date card arrives Jen, Daisy, Edwina, Catelyn, Allison, Rachel, Autumn, Kelsey T, Jess, Madina, Lea, and Kelsey A find out that they are on a date together.

They realize that Maria and Sydney’s names weren’t called so they all deduce that they will be on a 2-on-1 date.

Back on the 1-on-1 date, Joesy says he enjoys that Lexi seems like she is really letting him know more about her. She lets him know that she has something else to share in terms of her endo journey. She explains she didn’t know what her issues were, but after having a surgery, she realized that she has stage 5 Endometriosis and she was told that she may not be able to have her own children. Lexi says that this is devastating as she felt that it was her calling to be a mother. She had only told one other person, her ex and he decided that he didn’t want to go further into their relationship. Joey appreciated her sharing that information and understood how difficult it was for her to share it. He lets her know that this doesn’t scare him and there are other options that can be looked at in terms of creating a family.

He gives Lexi the date rose.

The group date begins and we get an interesting factoid that certain scenes from HBO’s Game of Thrones were filmed there. At Fort Manuel, they see two people fighting one another with a complementary outfit to boot. The ladies will be trained to be knights and they’re able to create their fighting outfits with accessories. They all spar with one another and then do a series of challenges such as engaging in eye contact with one another - some even get kisses from them. They then have to grab sashes off of each other. There is also a sausage grab that has to be done with their mouths only - no hands. The winner of the series of challenges was Autumn. She gets to have more time with Joey to chat with him away from the women at the Fort (although they can see her).

The cocktail party after the group date begins and the women realize that there are a number of people on the date and they need to get their time so that they can further their connections. He finds a way to connect with each of them whether it’s wearing glasses with Rachel because she was wearing them or asking Kelsey T what she needs to feel loved.

Back at the hotel, the next date card arrives and Lexi lets Sydney and Maria know that they are on the 2-on-1 date. We all know that in this scenario, only one person will remain.

Back at the after party of the group date, Jess gets her time with Joey so that she can let him know what she’s feeling. She tells him that she can see that she is falling for him and she can’t wait to see where it goes. They share a kiss. Joey gives the group date rose to Kelsey T. and he lets them know that he’s heading out.

The 2-on-1 date is something that we have looked forward to since last week when we saw it in the teaser. To see the drama culminate in this way, we can only hope that he selects someone today as it seems like we have an entire hour dedicated to this. Sydney feels that being on this date with Maria is like being with the devil which is a harsh thing to see. Joey wants to get clarity and figure out what is going on with them. As they head to their destination on a yacht, Joey is on a boat approaching them. When he sees them, he acknowledges that this date may seem a bit awkward, but he has a fun date planned for them at The Blue Grotto. They navigate through the natural structure and then they find themselves sitting together near the boats so that the air can be cleared. He asks Sydney to come with him so that he can understand what is going on. She continues to drum up more instances that didn’t happen. When he talks with Maria, she is so frustrated that she starts to shut down. Joey still doesn’t know the truth of what happened and he eants to have clarity even more.

Both women make their way to the dinner and Joey says, he’s not focused on the truth because he can see that that’s not going to go anywhere, so it will be about the connection. He asks if Sydney sees herself with him and why. He asks the same of Maria as well. He said based on the date earlier, that wasn’t a question he was able to ask and he’s glad that he was able to see where they felt on that topic. He walks Sydney out and Maria receives the rose!

We can only hope that all of the drama will now be greatly reduced! We see the women getting ready for the cocktail party. Upon arrival, Maria says that she’s not there to ruffle feathers and she’s just going to tuck in and she wants the other women to have time. Joey arrives and says that they all look so nice and he’s happy to be in Malta with them and he gives nice compliments to all of the women as a group. He lets them know that Sydney is not there because he didn’t feel the connection and that is the purpose of being there.

Jenn continues to connect with him by bringing him back to the water, Edwina lets her interest in him to be plainly known and other women take the time to reach out. Madina shares that she has had some trauma that her parents were involved in and it made her closed off. He lets her know that he doesn’t want her to share things that she’s not ready too, but that she should do it in her own time. They even do a trust fall exercise. Lea decides to continue the Sydney drama by pulling Madina out and telling her that the way that she is navigating everything isn’t sitting right with her. Madina lets her know that she doesn’t need to understand how she approaches things.

JOEY GAVE ROSES TO | Kelsey T, Lexi, Maria

JOEY DID NOT GIVE A ROSE TO | Sydney

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

---

WHO WE THINK IS GOING TO HOMETOWNS

DAISY

JENN

KELSEY T

MARIA

PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Richard Middlesworth

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THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

Allison - Philadelphia, PA, 26

Autumn - St. Louis, MO, 26

Chandler - NY, NY, 24

Chrissa - Abbotsford, BC CA, 26

Daisy - Becker, MN, 25

Edwina - Atlanta, GA, 25

Erika - North Bergen, NJ, 25

Evalin - San Antonio, TX, 29

Jenn - Miami, FL, 25

Jessica "Jess" - San Diego, CA, 24

Katelyn - Santa Fe, NM, 25

Kayla - Hamilton, OH, 27

Kelsey A. - New Orleans, LA, 25

Kelsey T. - Los Angeles, CA, 31

Kyra - Miami, FL, 26

Laine - Philadelphia, PA, 27

Lauren - Philadelphia, PA, 28

Lea - Waipahu, HI, 23

Lexi - Atlanta, GA, 30

Madina - Charlotte, NC, 31

Maria - Kleinburg, Ontario, 29

Marlena - West Palm Beach, FL, 26

Nat - Sudbury, Canada, 26

Rachel - Honolulu, HI, 26

Sam - Nashville, TN, 31

Samantha - Miami, FL, 25

Sandra - Nashville, TN, 26

Starr - Delray Beach, FL, 25

Sydney - Newport, RI, 28

Talyah - Huntington Beach, CA, 23

Taylor - Chicago, IL, 23

Zoe - Atlanta, GA, 24

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE BACHELOR S28. E3. | FOR THE LOVE OF LOVE

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelor/Gizelle Hernandez

We enjoy kicking off the week with, The Bachelor’s Joey Graziadei. This season, they always give us a bit of a teaser on something taking place and we know that Joey is addressing issues with the women.

We start off with hearing the women in the house talking about them being excited about how things are progressing. Jesse Palmer lets them know that there are 18 women in the house, 2 group dates, and a 1-on-1 date. He leaves them with a group date card where Edwina, Kelsey A, Lexi, Allison, Madina, Chrissa, Lea, Sydney, and Maria will be on a date together. This date is about Mrs. Right and he hopes to find her. He invited a group of women on the date from The Golden Bachelor. April, Susan, Kathy, and Nancy came along. This date will be a pageant and the first one that the show has had. They first sported their loungewear looks, then it was time for them to answer questions asked by The Golden Bachelor women. The third round allows them to show their talents. The winner of the Bachelor Nation Mrs. Right Pageant is Lexi.

At the after party for the group date, the women all muse over Lexi getting the rose for her non-talent being chosen.

At the after-party, Joey gets to know them better and wants to know more about them and to dig into what happened with Madina who feels that she was bullied. He addresses it with the women, but then gives the rose to Kelsey A. He tells them that they need to step up and tell him about this and then he leaves them to all talk with one another. Sydney, Maria, and Madina all talk about the interaction that took place a few nights back.

The next date card arrives with Jenn getting the 1-on-1 date leaving the remainder of the women on the 2nd group date.

Once again we see Madina and Maria talking and establishing that they’re good. But they also recognize that Sydney is stirring things up for no reason.

Jenn’s date with Joey is going surfing! They pick out boards, wetsuits, and it’s a cute and active date. They continue to dinner and she discloses her family dynamic which is a pretty rough situation with the unease between her parents and then also not having her father in her life. He gives her the rose - which is a no-brainer.

The second group date card arrives and Katelyn, Autumn, Rachel, Daisy, Evalin, Kelsey T, Starr, and Jess are on a date together. Since he is done playing tennis, it seems like this will be a tennis date.

We catch up with Joey on his turf, the tennis court which is passion as well as what he does as a career. James Blake and Pam Shriver are also on this date! The first Bachelor Open has a bit of a crowd, costumes of the athletes, and more. They play doubles with one another and ultimately team Lobster and Butter - Kelsey T and Evalin win. At the cocktail party after this group date, he gets to know more about the women through their anecdotes. Katelyn shares that her family is cursed because all the women are single in her family. He connects with each of them and then he gives the date night rose to Katelyn.

The girls debrief about the tennis date and how it went. It seems like all the women are having good vibes ahead of the cocktail party. Jesse arrives and lets them know that there will not be a cocktail party and that there will be a pool party. They end up having a KFC lunch. As people start enjoying the party and being with Joey, of course Sydney gets messy again and tells Joey that Maria is the problem and how she verbally accosted her. Joey pulls Maria aside to find out what’s going on as he is surprised to hear this, but wants to get the facts. Maria tells him that she is not a bully and that she has had that happen to her. She also tells him that there is no way that you can like both Maria and Sydney because they are two different people. Joey cuts the pool party short (has there ever been a pool party that wasn’t cut off early?).

They head straight into the rose ceremony. He thanks them for being there and acknowledges that this process i leading him to where he wanted to be. He gives roses to Lexi, Lea, Kelsey T, Rachel, Madina, Daisy, Jess, Edwina, Autumn, Allison, Maria, and Sydney.

JOEY GAVE ROSES TO | Allison, Autumn, Daisy, Edwina, Jenn, Jess, Katelyn, Kelsey A, Kelsey T, Lea, Lexi, Madina, Maria, Rachel, and Sydney

JOEY DID NOT GIVE A ROSE TO | Chrissa, Evalin, and Starr

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

---

WHO WE THINK IS GOING TO HOMETOWNS

DAISY

JENN

KELSEY T

MARIA

PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Richard Middlesworth

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THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

Allison - Philadelphia, PA, 26

Autumn - St. Louis, MO, 26

Chandler - NY, NY, 24

Chrissa - Abbotsford, BC CA, 26

Daisy - Becker, MN, 25

Edwina - Atlanta, GA, 25

Erika - North Bergen, NJ, 25

Evalin - San Antonio, TX, 29

Jenn - Miami, FL, 25

Jessica "Jess" - San Diego, CA, 24

Katelyn - Santa Fe, NM, 25

Kayla - Hamilton, OH, 27

Kelsey A. - New Orleans, LA, 25

Kelsey T. - Los Angeles, CA, 31

Kyra - Miami, FL, 26

Laine - Philadelphia, PA, 27

Lauren - Philadelphia, PA, 28

Lea - Waipahu, HI, 23

Lexi - Atlanta, GA, 30

Madina - Charlotte, NC, 31

Maria - Kleinburg, Ontario, 29

Marlena - West Palm Beach, FL, 26

Nat - Sudbury, Canada, 26

Rachel - Honolulu, HI, 26

Sam - Nashville, TN, 31

Samantha - Miami, FL, 25

Sandra - Nashville, TN, 26

Starr - Delray Beach, FL, 25

Sydney - Newport, RI, 28

Talyah - Huntington Beach, CA, 23

Taylor - Chicago, IL, 23

Zoe - Atlanta, GA, 24

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE BACHELOR S28. E2. | THE JOURNEY REALLY BEGINS

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelor/Gizelle Hernandez

In this 2nd episode of this season, The Bachelor Joey Graziadei is seen playing tennis with Jesse Palmer so we know that he is actually a pro. We also got a cold open that seems a bit intense!

They recap night one to see what everyone thought about their experience with Jesse. He lets them know that it’s all starting now.

Rachel, Taylor, Evalin, Erika, Maria, Lauren, Kelsey T., and Jess are on a group date together that involves the wedding date. They pick out their own dresses and head out to meet Joey. The wedding date is imagining that they are at their own reception and one woman will be able to have a dance with them! Lauren is having a hard time with this date as she is so sad with the passing of her father. Joey picks Rachel as the winner as she did all the activities with him. Michael Bolton sang for their first song and they had a great kiss as well! The group date continues with the after-party

The women get to know him more after their wedding date and they share their feelings so that he can get to know them more.

The ladies at the house hear about the next date which is a 1-on-1 date with Daisy.

Back at the group date, Jess gets the group date rose.

Daisy arrives at the date which includes a helicopter and then a fun music festival where they get to know one another more with food, beverages getting cute shirts. They dance on stage at the festival and Daisy realizes she needs to finally loop him in. She lets him know about her health issues at their dinner. He takes it in and feels that she is impressive with everything that she has been through and he gives her the rose as well.

The remaining women Allison, Chrissa, Edwina, Jenn, Katelyn, Kelsey A, Madina, Starr, are on the group date with him. Jubilee and Demi are The Bachelor alumni who are going to train them emotionally and physically for what’s ahead. The boot camp puts them through the paces as they break a sweat. After their warm-up, they learn that they will do paint balling. Although the blue team wins, only one person gets time with him. He selects Edwina to enjoy the evening date with him. They talk about her upbringing and what drives her and he gives her the date rose.

Maria and Medina have an odd conversation about age and it feels like it’s nonsencial. Lauren eliminated herself out of the house and said maybe she’d see him at Hometowns with her sister!

JOEY GAVE ROSES TO | Alison, Autumn, Chrissa, Daisy, Edwina, Evalin, Jenn, Katelyn, Kelsey A, Kelsey T, Leah, Lexi, Madina, Maria, Rachel, Starr, and Sydney.

JOEY DID NOT GIVE ROSES TO | Erica, Lauren, Marlena, and Taylor

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

---

WHO WE THINK IS GOING TO HOMETOWNS

DAISY

JENN

KELSEY T.

LEA

PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Richard Middlesworth

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THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

Allison - Philadelphia, PA, 26

Autumn - St. Louis, MO, 26

Chandler - NY, NY, 24

Chrissa - Abbotsford, BC CA, 26

Daisy - Becker, MN, 25

Edwina - Atlanta, GA, 25

Erika - North Bergen, NJ, 25

Evalin - San Antonio, TX, 29

Jenn - Miami, FL, 25

Jessica "Jess" - San Diego, CA, 24

Katelyn - Santa Fe, NM, 25

Kayla - Hamilton, OH, 27

Kelsey A. - New Orleans, LA, 25

Kelsey T. - Los Angeles, CA, 31

Kyra - Miami, FL, 26

Laine - Philadelphia, PA, 27

Lauren - Philadelphia, PA, 28

Lea - Waipahu, HI, 23

Lexi - Atlanta, GA, 30

Madina - Charlotte, NC, 31

Maria - Kleinburg, Ontario, 29

Marlena - West Palm Beach, FL, 26

Nat - Sudbury, Canada, 26

Rachel - Honolulu, HI, 26

Sam - Nashville, TN, 31

Samantha - Miami, FL, 25

Sandra - Nashville, TN, 26

Starr - Delray Beach, FL, 25

Sydney - Newport, RI, 28

Talyah - Huntington Beach, CA, 23

Taylor - Chicago, IL, 23

Zoe - Atlanta, GA, 24

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE BACHELOR S28. E1. | AND WE'RE BACK WITH JOEY

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelor/Gizelle Hernandez

Were back for another season of The Bachelor where Joey Graziadei who was the runner up in S20 of The Bachelorette with Charity Lawson, is staring his jewelry. We get to see that he moved back to Philly to be near his family and to get his life back on track.

Jesse Palmer greets Joey and lets him know that he’s making history by having the most women in his season who he’ll get to know.

There are a number of great girls that we’re interested in and we can’t see how having 2 sisters in the mix could go wrong!

Jesse reminds us that during the After the Rose Ceremony, one of the women who appeared received a card and she is not able to open it until she gets into the house. He says that this will change the game - so we’ll have to wait and see.

All the women have arrived and we’re officially ready for it all to begin. Joey takes time with a number of the women getting to hear more about them, giving the first kiss (which Jess then tells everyone she received - not a great move), and they all wonder what is in Lea’s envelope.

Jesse arrives with the First Impression Rose. it always changes up the energy with the women. There are so many dramatic moments with the women, the 2 sisters letting everyone know that they are siblings, Jess being a villain, Jess and Taylor having their words with one another. We find out that Lea’s card says that she is able to steal someone’s 1-on-1 date anytime prior to Hometowns! That’s a game changer and a power move. In addition to telling Joey, she tells the women in the house - yet another mood shift and she burns it. It was a nice moment to see her show that level of transparency with the women in the house. Of course, Jess chimes in that she would have kept it - no one asked her what she would do. We also see Maria kiss him when she said that she wouldn’t on the first day. Lea gets the First Impression Rose and of course that creates a lot of emotion around the house. He loves her character and is excited to go on the journey with her. Jesse lets them know that the cocktail party has come to an end and those who didn’t get a chance to talk with him have a lot of feelings to sort out.

With the rose ceremony, there are 32 women who will get to see where they are on this part of the journey! It’s a long night, but those who are super emotional the first night, how will they be able to make it as they continue throughout this season with all of the highs and lows?

JOEY GAVE ROSES TO | Alison, Autumn, Catelyn, Chrissa, Daisy, Edwina, Erica, Evalin, Jenn, Jess, Kelsey A, Kelsey T, Lauren, Leah (First Impression Rose), Lexi, Madina, Maria, Rachel, Starr, and Taylor.

JOEY DID NOT GIVE ROSES TO | Chandler, Kayla, Kyra, Lanie, Nat, Sam H., Samantha, Sandra, Talyah, and Zoe.

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

---

WHO WE THINK IS GOING TO HOMETOWNS

JENN

KELSEY T.

LAUREN

LEA

PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Richard Middlesworth

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THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

Allison - Philadelphia, PA, 26

Autumn - St. Louis, MO, 26

Chandler - NY, NY, 24

Chrissa - Abbotsford, BC CA, 26

Daisy - Becker, MN, 25

Edwina - Atlanta, GA, 25

Erika - North Bergen, NJ, 25

Evalin - San Antonio, TX, 29

Jenn - Miami, FL, 25

Jessica "Jess" - San Diego, CA, 24

Katelyn - Santa Fe, NM, 25

Kayla - Hamilton, OH, 27

Kelsey A. - New Orleans, LA, 25

Kelsey T. - Los Angeles, CA, 31

Kyra - Miami, FL, 26

Laine - Philadelphia, PA, 27

Lauren - Philadelphia, PA, 28

Lea - Waipahu, HI, 23

Lexi - Atlanta, GA, 30

Madina - Charlotte, NC, 31

Maria - Kleinburg, Ontario, 29

Marlena - West Palm Beach, FL, 26

Nat - Sudbury, Canada, 26

Rachel - Honolulu, HI, 26

Sam - Nashville, TN, 31

Samantha - Miami, FL, 25

Sandra - Nashville, TN, 26

Starr - Delray Beach, FL, 25

Sydney - Newport, RI, 28

Talyah - Huntington Beach, CA, 23

Taylor - Chicago, IL, 23

Zoe - Atlanta, GA, 24

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE GOLDEN WEDDING | GERRY + THERESA GET MARRIED

PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Golden Bachelor

The Golden Bachelor left us with an engagement between Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner! Tonight, we’re watching the wedding live from the La Quinta Resort in Palm Springs. Various contestants from his season are either commentators on the red carpet from Kathy to even seeing stunning Ellen (rocking Gerry’s earrings). Leslie even showed up to congratulate the happy couple! We know that Susan will be officiating the wedding so it’s interesting to see how those in his season are there as well as having Charity Lawson from S20 of The Bachelorette as a correspondent on The Golden Carpet. We also saw how Theresa and Gerry spent their Christmas holiday as it was the first time that their families came together for this event! Tonight, we will see the wedding as well as the reception of the first The Golden Bachelor wedding that has ever taken place.

We also get to see behind the scenes of Gerry getting ready (as he places his hearing aids in). It’s always fun to see the OGs coming together as well as those that we have seen more recently. Of course, Joey Graziadei makes an appearance and it’s nice to see Charity wishing him well for his journey on The Bachelor. We even get to see what the wedding will look like in terms of the tablescapes. We have previously interviewed Mindy Weiss about her approach to event planning and seeing what she did with this wedding, is amazing. Jesse also keeps giving us updates on how his wife is doing as she is pregnant.

It’s really nice to see how many of the women are so connected with one another naturally - not to say that that has not been true in other seasons, but the authenticity amongst these women in this group is amazing. The Bachelorette party included a boudoir shoot with some of her friends as well as Chippendales that came to end the night - so fun to watch them all have a good time. Dotun, Charity’s husband even came by and was quickly stolen away by Kathy!

Finally, after looking back at events during the season and recent events leading to the wedding, the actual ceremony begins. Attendees included 50 people from Bachelor Nation, friends, family, etc and it looks like a nice gathering. All the details clearly have come together seamlessly. Susan looks amazing as the officiant. Their children share their loving thoughts on both Gerry and Theresa. They exchange their vows and share anecdotes of their experiences with one another and they exchange rings. Susan pronounces them married and we move onto the reception. During the reception we see more of Bachelor Nation as well as learn that Charity and Dotun will be getting married in the fall of 2025 - mark your calendars.

Each night during this season, we have tweeted about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE HEAT | DANIEL AUUSTIN

This month, one of our favorite shows came back for its second season, HBO's Rap Sh!t which follows the journey of Shawna (Aida Osman) and Mia (KaMillion) as they navigate the music industry. Their relationship and journey is loosely based on City Girls. We learn about the music scene in South Florida, the Haitian community and what they do in order to survive along their ride to the top! One of the main characters, Maurice is played by Daniel Augustin who we have enjoyed in ABC's Grey's Anatomy and Hulu's How I Met Your Father! We wanted to find out more about this entertainer, how he approaches his craft, and what we can expect from this season of Rap Sh!t.

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s so good to sit down with you as I have been a fan of your work and I love your character Maurice in Rap Sh!t and of course, the show is amazing! So I’m excited to talk with you!

DANIEL AUGUSTIN: Thank you so much! Thank you so much for saying that! It’s very exciting to hear and I’m excited to talk to you guys too!

AM: It’s clear that you’re definitely an entertainer. You’re an actor, director, producer, and a musician. When did you realize that you wanted to be in this industry?

DA: I think that I realized that I wanted to be in this industry before I knew how to be. That was around the time when I was watching Hannah Montana.

AM: Oh!

DA: The TV show, yeah! I didn’t know how to be an actor at that time because all I could do was the community acting in South Florida. South Florida didn’t have anywhere near the industry. I think in South Florida there were some Nickelodeon shows, but nothing along the lines of what I was seeing on Hannah Montana. I remember Hannah Montana’s (Miley Cyrus) brother on the show whose name was Jackson (Jason Earles) - I remember hearing he was 28/29/30 and he was playing her high school brother. I remember thinking how many opportunities must come from being able to portray characters at different ages. I just remember watching that show and that it sparked my imagination as to what’s possible and to no longer seeing what I see on TV as solely impossible.

AM: Right.

DA: I mean, she was even doing a bunch of stuff like being dressed up and nobody knowing that it’s her and all she’s doing is just wearing a different wig! That show did a lot for me and I think that at the time that that came out, I was probably 14/15 and that’s when I felt that I wanted to do it. Before that, watching people like Martin Lawrence (Martin, Boomerang, Bad Boys franchise), Jamie Foxx (Ray, White House Down, The Amazing Spider Man 2), Marlon Wayans (Scary Movie franchise, Respect, Air), and Will Smith (Men in Black franchise, Suicide Squad, King Richard) in their sitcoms that they had at the time – those guys raised me essentially and I think that that’s where I found my sense of charisma and playfulness with people. But I don’t think that it was until I saw the Hannah Montana show that I started to think that anything could kind of be possible. This guy is 29 years old and he’s playing someone in high school! That’s when I started to think about how I could go about doing this.

AM: That’s really cool and it’s interesting to see where inspiration can come from.

Earlier this month, you released Movie. Why did you want to take on this project?

DA: Movie means a lot to me because I have not been releasing music in years. I started releasing music when I was maybe 10 years old. So I think I stopped around 2018 as I had made a very hard pivot towards film and TV so I have not been recording, I have not been writing, and I hadn’t really been finding my way to sonics in the way that I would as a recording artist. I was very excited about doing this because when the SAG strike happened, I wasn’t nervous about anything, but I thought about how much control of my career that I don’t necessarily have per se. I don’t want to feel like I don’t have control of my life. So I started to pivot and focus on writing again and I started to focus first on screenwriting. I wrote a pilot, I wrote about my old high school football coach and I’m writing a feature film with my wife, Sh’Kia Augustin that we’re collaborating on. But there was still something that I didn’t feel like I was activated in a very theatrical way and in a way that moves through my body. So, I started to team up with the guys – a majority of those that I did when I was young. So I started in a Christian rap group called Mav-7 and I started reaching out to those guys that were in that group. Alvin Lewis is the main one who is servicing as all forms of A&R, helping me find music/songs and people to work with. Steven Guy, Channel Aria Sound, that’s just 3 names off the top and these guys were helping me craft my sound again. They were helping me craft stories and they were helping me see myself in an entertaining way that amused me and in a way that I felt would be entertaining to others and that I would want to be behind it.

I think that the strike had a lot to do with it and it offered me a lot of time to actually find another form or way to express myself.

AM: You also released Kinfolk: The Series which is 6 episodes and is also your passion project. It was also recognized and selected in Tribeca’s 2022 Creator Market, what led to that coming about?

DA: Kinfolk is another form of taking control of my career. I didn’t film it and you know work on it just to take control of my career. I started as a production assistant and I learned so many skills as a production assistant. I think I started in 2012 working at this small production company called As Seen On TV. They do these smaller commercials for products that you’ll see in Walgreens and Walmart. The commercials will go on late at night, but this gentleman, Laszlo Rain, he would do such an amazing job at making sets to make it look like it was a much bigger professional production. I was always enamored at that and I was always enamored at the magic behind what it took to make it look good. As an actor, I see the part that I play, but there are so many parts that go into the process.

Around 2010, Kanye West had come out with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album that he did and I also remember High School Musical. High School Musical really changed the way that I saw creativity as a whole. From that point on, I wasn’t the guy that was just making the songs, I wasn’t the guy that was the actor, I wanted to turn my songs into a script. So it went from, I want to make music and to feel the rhythms – it turned from that to wanting to be able to turn this into more of a narrative. My wife and I, who was my girlfriend at the time, she helped me get my first camera. It was a Canon 5D Mark III. We bought that camera and we started shooting. I still didn’t know that I wanted to do all of this stuff yet because I wasn’t good at it. I wasn’t good at directing, I wasn’t good at editing, I wasn’t good at coloring, I was bad at it – I was bad at all of that stuff actually.

But we just kept doing stuff, kept shooting stuff and people kept asking me for stuff. They’d say that they had a wedding on Fri and if I could help them, and I would. That would allow me to have a new lesson on a Fri that I hadn’t expected to get. So upon doing Kinfolk, I think that that was a culmination of a lot of different years of being creative and just just being in front of the camera. That’s not to say that being in front of the camera is not creative. But you see how much more creativity goes into pre-producing a project and then the post-production of a project. I think that by doing pre-production, post-production, and feeling the sense of gratitude for completing the project, I started to really feel like I was more than the person who waits to be picked and on set. A lot of the people that I worked with on set, those actors would tell me how much they appreciated the opportunity because a lot of those people were those that were super talented, but they weren’t booking stuff. Booking is not that simple. It’s hard and it feels like a lottery sometimes. It feels like you’re just not going to win! Upon working with other people and other actors, who just really want to be able to go out and do this, I started to appreciate it more because I think that I started to get more value out of my days because I was able to service more people than myself as opposed to just waiting for an audition. I know I started to appreciate that process more and more and I think that that’s where it all started.

AM: That’s really interesting and because of that, you and your wife, have your production company Augustin Productions. What are the kinds or types of projects that you’re looking to do under that company?

DA: Right now, all of the projects, when I think about it they’ve all been in alignment with very family oriented stories or family away from family kind of stories. I think that that’s what I have been coming to terms with – how much is family really part of all of our lives. Kinfolk in particular is so family centric, but aside from that, I worked on a short film that I believe made it to the Toronto Black Film Festival called TIFI {LITTLE GIRL} in creole Tifi means girl. It’s about this young girl and her family. This young girl wants to play soccer. So I think that if I can tie it into one word – cultural. Augustin Productions works on projects that have very cultural and specific minded objectives and narratives. I don’t know if that makes sense on how I just phrased that – but it makes sense to me – very cultural.

AM: No, I definitely get where you’re going with that and how the work ties itself into that category.

DA: I like that it’s family and culture based. In Kinfolk, we don’t have any Haitian characters in there, but there’s a lot of things that I think that Haitian families can relate to even though that story has more African American in it than anything else. So I think that the culture always stands firm more than anything I’m directing, shooting, editing, but also there’s family tied into it very heavily which I think helps people relate so much more when they’re watching.

AM: As an actor, what are you looking for when you’re thinking about accepting a role and what’s your creative process when you are becoming that character that you will portray?

DA: What I’m looking for – when I’m looking at a role, it’s how can I actually add value to the role? I’m looking to see where I can actually add that kind of value because I can see who the person is on paper. But when I start to speak for the person, the paper can only serve as a blueprint now. So I tend to look for everything that’s not on the paper. The paper serves solely as a blueprint, but that blueprint tells me things that sometimes, you can’t fit on the page. So I start to make choices for the actor that I believe and the writers may change some things and they’re more than welcome to – I just start to make choices for the actor based on what the blueprint tells me. If the blueprint says this character is going to say this in this scene, I’m going to take that to mean that they said that, but there is a reason why they said that, and that’s not necessarily off the page. So I’m looking to see if what they have given the actor can lead to images in my head. If it doesn’t lead to images in my head, then there might be somebody else who is best served for that role. Because I need to be well informed in how I can bring something to that role almost like a BYOB. I’ve got to bring my own bottle and food to the party. So I’m looking for something that will let me know what ingredients that this character may need so that I can sizzle off the page.

As far as how I prepare, a lot of times I think that I lead in with some kind of music. Like after I read the role, I almost always can have a soundtrack in mind. Preferably, it’s something without words, I always try to have a soundtrack in mind and I just let it play as I start to prepare. So there’s 2 types of preparation. There’s the audition and then there’s on set. If it is an audition, I’m still going to have music playing while I’m preparing, just because it almost feels like that music speaks to the character and what I’m about to do as well.

So for my role on Rap Sh!t – for that role, before I even did the audition, I had the music going in the background just playing and it was probably a very specific song based on where that person is in their life. The character Maurice, where he was in life at the beginning of the show in Season 1 is not where he is going to be in Season 2. In Season 2 by the finale, he will have gone through stuff that I don’t think that people would have assumed would be what he is going through.

So for the first season, all the songs that I was listening to were so so flirty, playful, seductive, and sensual. But in Season 2, I get into a lot more. So on my way to work, if we’re shooting in Culver City in LA or if we’re in Miami and I’m on the plane, I already have a playlist prepared to have him start to speak to me and to speak for me and these people have already gone through all of these things. One of the songs in particular, I hope it doesn’t give away any information -

AM: ooo

DA: I’ll give you 2 songs. 1 song that I would always listen to on the way to work was Michael Franks’, When Sly Calls, that’s a jazz sound. The other is The O’Jays’ Back Stabbers.

AM: Ok now!

DA: Haha so I listen to those songs on the way to work. These people have lived through that stuff already so by the time that I get into work, I feel like I have downloaded some energy before I come into work. Because what’s going to go on the screen, can’t be what’s on the page. Because on the page is literally my blueprint and for me to come in and color things onto the page so that we can fill the page with more than that black ink, I need something else that has been downloaded into my system that I can now give and bring to this party. I need to be able to bring my own bottle, to bring my own food, and I think that I get that a lot from music! I do other things too. I study in a very particular way as I’m sure that every actor does, but I kind of always have music in the background playing when I’m studying. So even when I put the script down for a second, I’m catching this person’s energy and it’s staying with me when I’m on set. It’s not just me, it’s kind of like, you know the work is us, but it’s bigger then us too.

AM: I love how you’re using music in that way!

I love this show, I’m such a huge fan of it from the words, the characters, the visuals and more! Of course, as we all watched the series finale of HBO's Insecure, to know a few months later that we could get excited about her newest project, Rap Sh!t the anticipation was real! What drew you to this series initially?

DA: Well initially, it was the fact that it was based on Miami – that was 1. He’s Haitian – that’s 2! He wasn’t Haitian at first as it just said, that he was either Haitian or Hispanic when I first saw the breakdown. Haitians are a huge part of the culture in Miami so that drew me in heavily. Lastly, and there’s more than this, but my character starts off working at a hotel in Miami. When my parents first came to South Florida from Haiti, they both came from Haiti, they were immigrants, and they both worked at hotels in Miami. My dad was a concierge and when I saw that role with him being a concierge, it was like a spiritual connection for me in a sense where it was just something small and cute that I can appreciate about this character because a majority of times, usually not everything connects.

Sometimes, you’re trying to see where you can connect this or that. I had a character on How I Met Your Father who moved to Australia. I had never been to Australia, so that was something for me that for me to be able to connect with it, I was watching documentaries of Australia and the Great Barrier Reef and stuff like that! When I saw those things and that he was Haitian, living in Miami, and a concierge, automatically it started to sit very well with me.

AM: Wow!

DA: There’s so many other things in it that are icing on the cake for me! But him being Haitian and from Miami was great! I’m from Fort Lauderdale, but we’re neighbors and that was something for me that was very very special to see. I don’t see that on every audition. There are definitely more Haitian roles and I’ve seen that uptick in the past over the past or 3 years for Haitian roles and Haitian representation. But, seeing Issa Rae’s name, I’ve always been a fan of hers especially just based on how she uplifted her community, she’s done so much creatively speaking, and how she has done so much for independent creators. I’ve always been a huge fan of hers so seeing that she was behind this and HBO – I’m a huge huge huge fan of this as well. So seeing all of these things was like, alright it’s such an alignment that for me to be able to have this role it’s just one of my most proudest achievements of my life to date.

AM: How would you describe Maurice?

DA: I would describe Maurice as indescribable, but I will still explain that. I feel like he’s all of us in a way as he’s very human individual, he’s just also a very, by any means necessary kind of guy at the same time. In spite of his by any means necessary approach, he’s able to be playful and fun. He’s flirty and supportive. I think that he’s one of the most diverse characters I’ve seen on screen because I think that there’s so much to unpack as it pertains to his character, his culture, how he communicated with women, because I think that when people talk nowadays and they talk about dating, they tend to talk about how difficult dating is. But I don’t think that it is difficult, just because it’s hard, it’s difficult because we’re not all good communicators, we don’t always know what we want, and sometimes when we do feel that we know what we want, it’s not very clear. I feel like he’s misunderstood, but he’s one of the most supportive individuals that I have seen on screen, almost to a fault.

AM: For those that may need a refresher where did we leave Maurice last season and depending on how much you can tell us, where do we pick up with him again heading into this season as it just started earlier this month?

DA: Last season, he was bathed in mystery. The season ends off with him essentially letting Shawna know that they need to cool off and they need to lay low because they got caught and they’re in trouble, but he’s playing it off like it’s ok. Because I think that he has been in these kinds of scenarios before.

Me personally, I have experienced a lot of what Maurice has experienced because when I was younger, I had a lot of friends that were in what you say in creole, the jwett – it’s a play, it’s a game and so I was on the outside looking in for some of it, but when I didn’t have a 9-5, I had friends that were doing what Maurice was doing and they would try to pull me in and sometimes, they’d get me to come in because I was trying to figure out how to pay bills or how to pay for studio sessions and so on and so forth. So, I’ve been in the situation where Maurice has been in where you’re in trouble, but you have to have confidence that you’re not in trouble so that you can actually get out of trouble.

So he’s been in a headstrong space where he’s seemingly way too cool about it and I think that it is creating an unease for Shawna because of how cool he is about it, she doesn’t necessarily know how to be easy because she doesn’t know and hasn’t had the kinds of experiences that he has had. He ends up letting her know that they’re in trouble, that she is ok, that nothing is wrong, and nothing is going to happen. Ultimately, when she goes back to work, something has happened, the cops come, and they want to speak to her. She doesn’t know how to handle it and she doesn’t know how to be cool and she runs. The season ends with her trying to run off from the police! We end up leaving it off in this space that is a bit open ended and we don’t know what is going on with Maurice and Shawna and she doesn’t know what happened nor does she know what is happening between the two of them.

Essentially I think that Shawna is going to continue to be left in that space of not knowing what is happening more that anybody. For Season 2 as we continue, I think that we’re going to play more of a game of that space and not knowing with Maurice. It’s a mystery and sometimes it’s going to be poured onto Shawna and I think that they are going to go back and forth and so I don’t want to say too much!

AM: Oh wow! We’ve been watching a few seasons and of course, we’re hooked and can’t wait to see how the season continues to evolve and unfold! When it ended last season, I wanted to know what was going on and thankfully we’ll get more answers over the next few weeks and I know our readers will feel the same way!

DA: Yes! It’s going to be a seesaw of emotions in Season 2!

AM: When you’re not on set, how do you take time for yourself to relax or to indulge in self-care?

DA: Man, man – how do I? When I’m not on set, lately what it’s been is that I have been doing therapy lately. That’s been very useful for me to figure out what self-care even looks like? So that’s been one of the things because sometimes, even when I’m not on set, I’m still working on stuff! I’m still writing scripts and I have been doing that a lot. I’ve been working with script consultant, out in London, by the name of Dominic Morgan, very helpful. I’ve been working with a script consultant here in LA called Pilar Alessandra and her program is called On The Page. It’s hard for me to call that self-care, but I have been trying to figure out too – what self-care even is.

Some of the other things that I have been doing self-care - wise is I have been watching more documentaries lately and reality TV as opposed to narratives. It’s just so I can cool off a bit on all of the story stuff that I am constantly involved in. Just so that I can have a bit more fun with it. I’ve been recording again. That’s been a lot of fun and I flew out to South Florida and recorded a lot of music with Alvin Louis and Steven Guy.

And there’s been yoga -

AM: Nice!

DA: There’s been creating even though that’s not necessarily a super chill thing to do. It does feel like self-care to me because it makes me feel like I am taking care of myself creatively and professionally as well. Last one that I will add to that is reading! I’ve been doing a ton of reading!

AM: Are there any upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for that you will be releasing soon that you’re able to share?

DA: Oh wow, so, there definitely is. There’s some stuff that has happened that I have not been allowed to talk about!

AM: As always is the case!

DA: Yeah, so I’m trying to see if I can sneak something off about it. Let’s just say, there’s going to be something going on in the near future where it will be super hero related. I’m not saying that I will be a superhero.

AM: Okay.

DA: But it is something superhero related in the pretty near future. I just don’t have control over dates. I did just release a music video for Movie and that one was just one part of what I will be sharing with fans. There’s going to be some BTS coming out about that and also a ton of other videos that I shot. 2 more videos here in LA that were directed by Jacob Rink and I shot 2 videos in South Florida. So there is going to be a lot of music and I’m trying to see if the feature film that me and my wife are writing, I wish that I could talk about it, but I’m scared to say what the topic is of the film as I think that it is so synonymous with all of us here. For that one, I’m trying to see if we will be able to self-produce it and to shoot it on our own. I don’t know if we are going to be able to self-produce it just yet, but that’s a goal as well. So right now, I’m going to say that those are the main things that are on the forefront of my mind – music, self-produced content and a superhero thing that I am holding out for that I am hoping will come out soon. I look forward to be able to talk about that and I would also like to be able to say a Rap Sh!t Season 3!

AM: We are all hoping that there will be a Rap Sh!t Season 3! It’s been fun over the years to see you on Grey’s Anatomy as well as How I Met Your Father! In terms of you and this show, I’m always a fan of the concepts that are talked about, looking at how people navigate getting into the music business, learning more about the vibe of South Florida and anything that is missed from the show, catching up with Jessie Woo and Zach Campbell on Chat Sh!t fills in the rest of the gaps I enjoy hearing immediately after I have watched!

DA: Yeah!!!!!

AM: So I definitely hope there are more seasons to come and you continue to do what you’re doing!

DA: Thank you, I appreciate you for saying that!

IG @danielaugustin

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 158 - 162 Ben Cope | PG 165 + 166 Alicia Vera/HBO Max | PG 169 + 170 Erin Simkin/Max |

Read the NOV ISSUE #95 of Athleisure Mag and see THE HEAT | Daniel Augustin in Mag.

THE BACHELOR S28. E0. | THE LADIES OF JOEY'S SEASON

PHOTO CREDIT | ABC The Bachelor/Gizelle Hernandez

On Jan 22nd, we will get to see the premiere episode of S28 of The Bachelor where Joey Graziadei who was the runner up in S20 of The Bachelorette with Charity Lawson, will be able to start his own journey on The Bachelor! We can’t wait to see who he picks and what happens along the way. We’re sharing the contestants that will be in this season and we’re really looking forward to how sisters Lauren and Allison navigate competing for the same man, living in the house, and how they engage with the other women!

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

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WHO WE THINK IS GOING TO HOMETOWNS

JENN

KELSEY T.

LAUREN

TALYAH

PHOTO CREDIT | The Bachelor Contestants/Richard Middlesworth

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THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

Allison - Philadelphia, PA, 26

Allison - St. Louis, MO, 26

Chandler - NY, NY, 24

Chrissa - Abbotsford, BC CA, 26

Daisy - Becker, MN, 25

Edwina - Atlanta, GA, 25

Erika - North Bergen, NJ, 25

Evalin - San Antonio, TX, 29

Jenn - Miami, FL, 25

Jessica "Jess" - San Diego, CA, 24

Katelyn - Santa Fe, NM, 25

Kayla - Hamilton, OH, 27

Kelsey A. - New Orleans, LA, 25

Kelsey T. - Los Angeles, CA, 31

Kyra - Miami, FL, 26

Laine - Philadelphia, PA, 27

Lauren - Philadelphia, PA, 28

Lea - Waipahu, HI, 23

Lexi - Atlanta, GA, 30

Madina - Charlotte, NC, 31

Maria - Kleinburg, Ontario, 29

Marlena - West Palm Beach, FL, 26

Nat - Sudbury, Canada, 26

Rachel - Honolulu, HI, 26

Sam - Nashville, TN, 31

Samantha - Miami, FL, 25

Sandra - Nashville, TN, 26

Starr - Delray Beach, FL, 25

Sydney - Newport, RI, 28

Talyah - Huntington Beach, CA, 23

Taylor - Chicago, IL, 23

Zoe - Atlanta, GA, 24

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S.1 E.8 | FINALE + AFTER THE FINAL ROSE

PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Golden Bachelor

We’re back after a break for Thanksgiving and we finally get to see how it all ends on The Golden Bachelor. Jesse Palmer promises that we will definitely have some twists and turns as we watch how Gerry will navigate this experience. Back in Costa Rica, he chats with his 2 daughters and his granddaughters who came out to meet the final women, Theresa and Leslie. You can see how close their bond is as well as how they want him to enjoy his experience.

First up is Theresa who bonds well with his family. She lets them know that her story is very similar to Gerry’s in terms of marrying her high school sweetheart and also seeing him get sick and pass away. She makes a great impression and later on when she is alone with him, she lets him know that she only wants to be proposed to if he is 1000% sure. He promises her that.

Back in the studio, there are various people from across the franchise that is in attendance. It’s always nice to see people and those that they are with as well as those that we will see again in future seasons.

Leslie meets the family and it seems like he is more at ease with her and has a lot more jokes that he shares with her. It seems like the family likes both women. It seems like whoever is on the second date with Gerry gets an awkward version of him that starts to mentally step away from who he is with. Leslie picks up on it and feels that she will address it when they are on the later portion of their date.

He lets her know that the process can be a lot but that he’s happy that she is there and that although he had a dip, it’s time for them to focus and have fun. She gifts him a book that has their memories from their time together from cards, photos and more! The book is also blank for more chances to fill up. He thanks her for being a blessing and she lets him know that she can’t imagine being without them. She tells him that he loves her and he doesn’t say it back. He’s emotional and she asks if he has something to tell her and he just says that the decision is a lot harder than he thought and that it is impossible. He leaves her, cries in the stairwell, and she feels that she’s not sure on where they stand. He decides to go back and talk with her to say what was on his mind. He tells her that he has fallen in love with Theresa and that that is the direction that he is going to take. Leslie says that everything that he told her the other night was a lie. She tells that they weren’t off, that he was off today and wants to know where things went wrong. He tells that things just evolved and that she shouldn’t feel awful. She tells him that she can feel whatever way she wants and she tells him that he went down a path, made her feel assured, and then he took a turn and left her there. She tells him that she fell in love with him and his family and at least she won’t have to go through the process of walking out in the gown and dress on the platform to be even more embarrassed. Jesse’s face watching it looks so disheartened. Gerry seems torn up over what happened as well.

Leslie is on the couch and you can see that she is still affected by what happened. She walks us through the days leading up what we just saw. Jesse lets her know that Gerry is there to talk with her so that she can find out more about what took place. She tells him her thoughts and that even though we didn’t hear everything that took place in their overnight, she lets him know that what he said, didn’t match what he ultimately did to her. He tells her he tried to focus on each relationship and sometimes he got caught up in the moment and said I love you. She says that she hears what he’s saying, but she can’t say that she forgives him.

We’re back in Costa Rica as both Theresa and Gerry prepare to see one another. They meet one another on the platform and we know that he intends to ask her to marry him. We also know that if he asks, Theresa will say yes. She tells him that she wants to spend the rest of her life with him. He tells her that she’s not the right person to live with, she’s the right person that he doesn’t want to live without. He asks her to marry him. He gives her the final rose, the Golden Rose.

The couple finally make their way to the stage. With their first public experience, they can finally let everyone know - apparently, she didn’t even tell her sisters! Interestingly, we learn that on Jan 4th, Gerry and Theresa are getting married live on ABC and then on Jan 22nd, we’ll get to watch Joey start his Bachelor journey!

Each night during this season, we tweeted about The Golden Bachelor and you were able to chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as we got closer to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

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GERRY CHOSE

THERESA

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THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ANNA - Summit, NJ; 61

APRIL - Port St. Lucie, FL; 65

CHRISTINA - Sierra Madre, CA; 73

EDITH - Downey, CA; 60

ELLEN - Delray Beach, FL; 71

FAITH - Benton City; WA; 61

JEANIE - Estill Springs, TN; 65

JOAN- Rockland, MD; 60

KATHY - Austin, TX; 70

LESLIE - Minneapolis, MN; 64 (Copy)

MARIA - Teaneck, NJ; 60

MARINA - LA, CA; 60

NANCY - Alexandria, VA 60

NATASCHA - NY, NY; 60

PAMELA - Aurora, IL; 75

PATTY - Durham, NC; 70

PEGGY - East Haven, CT; 69

RENEE - Chicago, IL; 67

SANDRA - Doraville, GA; 75

SUSAN - Aston, PA; 67

SYLVIA - LA, CA; 64

THERESA - Shrewsburry, NJ; 70

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S.1 E.8 | FANTASY SUITES

PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Golden Bachelor

Well it’s time for Fantasy Suites and we’re in Costa Rica for this week’s The Golden Bachelor. It’s another part of this franchise where we’re interested in seeing how Gerry navigates many of the elements of the show that we have come to expect. Jesse and Gerry catch up on what the week entails as well as what he feels for both of them - he also notes that he said he was in love with Leslie and he hesitated with Theresa.

He kicks off the dates starting with Leslie. They have a little hike which leads them to their repelling activity! Leslie looks super apprehensive (as are we), but they end up getting through it and end up at the base of the waterfall in their swimwear embracing the moment. They continue their date at dinner where they talk more about what they expect. They move onto the Fantasy Suites where they can talk more and can get to know one another. They wake up next to each other enjoying breakfast and Gerry says how he feels that their relationship has improved significantly. Leslie watches him leave knowing that he will be with Theresa next and she has to say secure in what they have built.

The date on paper seems great between Gerry and Theresa; however, his mind is back with Leslie. Theresa notices and brings it up. You can see Gerry struggling and he even acknowledges that he needs to be present to figure it out with Theresa. After they finish riding horses together, they’re at dinner. Gerry asks more questions, but you can see that he’s trying to give her time so that he’s not as lackluster as he was with her before. By asking her questions, he hears more about her life in securities and how she hasn’t been with anyone since her husband. It seems that he has been drawn in a bit more. They wake up together and it seems like they’re close as well. He lets her know that he loves her.

It’s definitely going to be a tough decision and someone is going to be hurt whichever way it goes. Nov 30th will be the day when we find out who he chose! We also get to see his family and what they think about the final two women.

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

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WHO’S GOING TO FANTASY SUITES

LESLIE

THERESA

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THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ANNA - Summit, NJ; 61

APRIL - Port St. Lucie, FL; 65

CHRISTINA - Sierra Madre, CA; 73

EDITH - Downey, CA; 60

ELLEN - Delray Beach, FL; 71

FAITH - Benton City; WA; 61

JEANIE - Estill Springs, TN; 65

JOAN- Rockland, MD; 60

KATHY - Austin, TX; 70

LESLIE - Minneapolis, MN; 64

MARIA - Teaneck, NJ; 60

MARINA - LA, CA; 60

NANCY - Alexandria, VA 60

NATASCHA - NY, NY; 60

PAMELA - Aurora, IL; 75

PATTY - Durham, NC; 70

PEGGY - East Haven, CT; 69

RENEE - Chicago, IL; 67

SANDRA - Doraville, GA; 75

SUSAN - Aston, PA; 67

SYLVIA - LA, CA; 64

THERESA - Shrewsburry, NJ; 70

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S.1 E.7 | ROSES + WOMEN'S TELL ALL

PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Golden Bachelor

Last week we saw Hometowns on The Golden Bachelor and we left Gerry having to make his final decision for roses! We definitely feel for him as we can see the toll it is taking on him. It’s also the Women’s Tell All, so we can find out more about what was taking place. We’ll have to wait a bit to see who else received the rose, but it’s great to see the women on the stage and to hear from them. It’s also great that we’re able to take a walk down memory lane to see a number of the events and the interactions.

We have to say that he cast of women that were in this season were lovely and inspiring. Susan was a fave and to see Kris Jenner shout out the women as well as Susan specifically was a great moment! Joan talks with Jesse Palmer one on one. It was sad to see that she left early due to her family needing her, but sweet to see how Gerry handled it. Ellen also gets to chat with Jesse about her journey. She even talks about her best friend Roberta who passed away prior to the airing of the show which was another moment that touched everyone.

Gerry hits the stage and sees the women on the stage and he lets them know that he misses all of them and loves them all. He lets them know how he enjoyed getting to know them as well as showing how people of their age still have lives to lead and that they should be out there!

We finally find out who else gets a rose as we know that Leslie already has hers! It’s between Faith and Theresa. As Gerry contemplates his decision, Jesse asks him what he wants to do and Gerry says he knows what he needs to do, he just doesn’t want to do it. Gerry comes back in the room, apologizes for the delay and gives the last rose to Theresa! You can see that the audience is surprised as we all thought it would go to Faith! Seeing the anguish on Faith’s face watching this scene in the audience is gut wrenching. She chats with Jesse and her fellow cast mates send her love. Jesse says what we’re all thinking, “we’re shocked that she was sent home!” Seeing Gerry cry when he saw Faith was so sad and to hear her crying was so emotional. The respect between one another is really sweet to see.

We get a bit of a peek into the upcoming weeks and the emotional journey will continue. We see him continue with both women, them at Fantasy Suites, his family having their input and more. There’s still a lot more to the story as the final episode for this season culminates on Nov 30th.

Gerry Gave Roses To | Leslie and Theresa

Gerry Sent Home | Theresa

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

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WHO’S GOING TO FANTASY SUITES

LESLIE

THERESA

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THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ANNA - Summit, NJ; 61

APRIL - Port St. Lucie, FL; 65

CHRISTINA - Sierra Madre, CA; 73

EDITH - Downey, CA; 60

ELLEN - Delray Beach, FL; 71

FAITH - Benton City; WA; 61

JEANIE - Estill Springs, TN; 65

JOAN- Rockland, MD; 60

KATHY - Austin, TX; 70

LESLIE - Minneapolis, MN; 64

MARIA - Teaneck, NJ; 60

MARINA - LA, CA; 60

NANCY - Alexandria, VA 60

NATASCHA - NY, NY; 60

PAMELA - Aurora, IL; 75

PATTY - Durham, NC; 70

PEGGY - East Haven, CT; 69

RENEE - Chicago, IL; 67

SANDRA - Doraville, GA; 75

SUSAN - Aston, PA; 67

SYLVIA - LA, CA; 64

THERESA - Shrewsburry, NJ; 70

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S.1 E.6 | HOMETOWNS

PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Golden Bachelor

It’s Hometowns on The Golden Bachelor and Gerry is on his way to see the ladies and their families which will also include children and grandchildren! We start off with Theresa in Shrewsbury, NJ. Seeing the family support that she has is always nice to see. Everyone weighs in on how they like Gerry.

With a great date down, Gerry continues on to see Faith in horse country! Benton City, WA is rural, but it’s awesome to see her horses. The two of them ride horses together and they talk about the fact that neither would want to to leave where they live as they have roots and interests there. How will they figure out how they will make their relationship work? Faith’s sons ask about whether he is in love with Faith and he admits with a number of pauses that he thinks that he is. The fact that they both said I love you - how sweet is that?

The last date takes place with Leslie. He learns about how important her older brother is as he took over father duties when their dad died. Once again the vibes between Gerry and the family is positive. Her brother says that Gerry is so out of the box from what she is used to, and her likes that for her.

It’s a tough decision to see where all of this would shake out as only 2 women will be going forward with him. All 3 women have let him know that they are in love with him. Now that everyone is back at the mansion in LA, Jesse Palmer greets each of the women to see how everything is going with them and what Hometowns is like. Gerry decides that he will continue on this journey with Leslie and he gets overcome and needs a moment to himself as we’ll have to wait until next week to see whether Faith or Theresa will stay.

Gerry Gave Roses To | Leslie

Gerry Sent Home |

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

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WHO’S GOING TO HOMETOWNS

FAITH

LESLIE

THERESA

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THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ANNA - Summit, NJ; 61

APRIL - Port St. Lucie, FL; 65

CHRISTINA - Sierra Madre, CA; 73

EDITH - Downey, CA; 60

ELLEN - Delray Beach, FL; 71

FAITH - Benton City; WA; 61

JEANIE - Estill Springs, TN; 65

JOAN- Rockland, MD; 60

KATHY - Austin, TX; 70

LESLIE - Minneapolis, MN; 64

MARIA - Teaneck, NJ; 60

MARINA - LA, CA; 60

NANCY - Alexandria, VA 60

NATASCHA - NY, NY; 60

PAMELA - Aurora, IL; 75

PATTY - Durham, NC; 70

PEGGY - East Haven, CT; 69

RENEE - Chicago, IL; 67

SANDRA - Doraville, GA; 75

SUSAN - Aston, PA; 67

SYLVIA - LA, CA; 64

THERESA - Shrewsburry, NJ; 70

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S.1 E.5 | THE GAMES CONTINUE

PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Golden Bachelor

It definitely feels like the lines are drawn with some of the ladies of the The Golden Bachelor and last week, we were bummed to see that Joan chose her family’s needs over continuing her journey. As sad as he was to see her go, he knows he must continue his journey as well.

Jesse Palmer lets them know that there will be a group date and one 1-on-1 date and although hometowns is next week, only 3 women will have the opportunity for their family’s to meet Gerry! That’s a twist and shock for everyone - us included! Faith will be on the 1-on-1 date so the remaining ladies will be on the group date. Gerry knows that next week will be important as he will be meeting families which can include children and grandchildren. Although the women are supportive, we see Leslie being bummed that the once in a lifetime date went to Faith. They enjoy a helicopter ride and they land on a yacht to enjoy the day together. Of course, they also had a hot tub moment as well. Faith and Gerry talk a bit and he learns more about who she is as a person. She receives a rose and we’ll be seeing her at Hometowns next week.

Back at the house, the women are getting excited for their group date and they see Faith arrive with our rose. They hear about Faith’s date and you can tell that everyone is a bit nervous. The group date is at the Santa Monica pier so there are a number of games to be enjoyed as they allow their inner child to come out! Who doesn’t love a bit of Whack-a-Mole session? Sandra, Susan, Ellen, Leslie, and Theresa are vying for the remaining 2 roses as they head into Hometowns. Theresa takes the moment to tell him that she doesn’t want to go about her days without him. He spends time with each of the women during the group date and it’s nice to see that he makes every effort to make everyone feel like they are getting quality time.

As much as we’re loving this show, different episodes makes us wonder why they can’t have 4 people go forward to Hometowns? Couldn’t they have a 2 hour episode so that we could see all 4? Clearly this season has been moving quickly. This episode is #5 and we only have 6 people. It’ll be interesting to see if there is a second season, what tweaks will they make that will have the same format of The Bachelor/Bachelorette?

Gerry lets them know that he feels the weight of having to choose two women. He said that he’d rather take one more day and pick 2 women at the rose ceremony. The women assemble and he reiterates the importance of the rose. The first rose goes to Leslie. The final rose goes to Theresa. Sadly, Ellen, Sandra, and Susan will not be moving on!

Gerry Gave Roses To | Faith, Leslie, and Theresa

Gerry sent home | Ellen, Sandra, and Susan

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

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WHO’S GOING TO HOMETOWNS

FAITH

LESLIE

THERESA

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THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ANNA - Summit, NJ; 61

APRIL - Port St. Lucie, FL; 65

CHRISTINA - Sierra Madre, CA; 73

EDITH - Downey, CA; 60

ELLEN - Delray Beach, FL; 71

FAITH - Benton City; WA; 61

JEANIE - Estill Springs, TN; 65

JOAN- Rockland, MD; 60

KATHY - Austin, TX; 70

LESLIE - Minneapolis, MN; 64

MARIA - Teaneck, NJ; 60

MARINA - LA, CA; 60

NANCY - Alexandria, VA 60

NATASCHA - NY, NY; 60

PAMELA - Aurora, IL; 75

PATTY - Durham, NC; 70

PEGGY - East Haven, CT; 69

RENEE - Chicago, IL; 67

SANDRA - Doraville, GA; 75

SUSAN - Aston, PA; 67

SYLVIA - LA, CA; 64

THERESA - Shrewsburry, NJ; 70

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S.1 E.4 | LET'S PLAY BALL

PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Golden Bachelor

Last week was a bit of drama for the ladies of the The Golden Bachelor and we’re definitely keeping an eye on Theresa and Kathy! Trista joins the women and she introduces herself to them letting them know that she was on the first season of The Bachelor and she was the first The Bachelorette. She lets them know that she will be there on the Group Date. Ellen, Sandra, Susan, Nancy, April, Theresa, Kathy, and Faith will be on the date. Leslie will be on the 1-on-1 with Gerry Turner. The group date includes pickleball! Joey who will be on The Bachelor season 28 joins them and Trista! We know that Joey loves playing tennis so we can see why he’d be part of this. The women get into pairs so they can play against one another and the winner will be in In Pickleball Magazine. We did like when April acted like she broke her ankle so she could have a little cuddle time with Gerry. of course with this tournament, Jesse Palmer lets everyone know what’s going on on the court. It’s fun to see them play and Gerry also let them know that he enjoys this sport and his partner needs to be his partner to play this after the show - so they will get a taste of what it’s like to be with him.

After the game, he sits down with the women to see how the game went. He sits with Sandra and talks about the fact that she is missing her daughter’s wedding to be there. He suggests that they FaceTime her which touches Sandra. Of course Theresa and Kathy are still talking about last week. Once again, Theresa doesn’t really understand that people have boundaries and that while she is being honest and super transparent, others aren’t taking it in the same way.

Of course Theresa talks about the exchange between her and Kathy with Gerry. He didn’t like the way Kathy reacted to her. This clearly isn’t going away anytime soon as the pot continues to be stirred between the two of them. Gerry gives the rose to Sandra which is sweet as she has been one of our faves since the beginning!

The 1-on-1 date with Leslie involves an ATV which is definitely an activity that we can see them doing. She shares how she doesn’t have the best picker and that she was divorced twice and that she really enjoys being with Gerry. She tells him that she has been single for 22 years. They end their date with a hot tub and of course, he gives her the date rose.

Back at the house, the women play Never Have I Ever with ice cream. We love hearing about April’s experiences as they continue the game.

Sandra is under the weather and another one of the ladies has a stress fracture from pickleball. Gerry is looking for clarity during the cocktail party so that will assist him in the rose ceremony. He wants to see Susan and beings her a gift - rose quartz. He lets her know that empathy and strength is what the stone is known for and that it’s those qualities that make him feel that he reminds her of his wife. Kathy sees him kissing Susan and she feels unsettled. He even visits Sandra who is laying down in her bed. Kathy feels that she needs to make that vital connection so that she can continue as they are half way through the process. Ellen tells him that she is falling in love with him and it makes Gerry realize how he really needs to make the best decisions.

When he takes some time with Nancy, she says that she sees he has relationships that have progressed and that she doesn’t think that she is one of them. He agrees and she goes home!

Gerry Gave Roses To | Ellen, Faith, Leslie, Sandra, Susan, and Theresa

Gerry sent home | April, Kathy, Nancy,

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

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WHO WE THINK SHOULD GO TO HOMETOWNS

ELLEN

LESLIE

SANDRA

SUSAN

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THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ANNA - Summit, NJ; 61

APRIL - Port St. Lucie, FL; 65

CHRISTINA - Sierra Madre, CA; 73

EDITH - Downey, CA; 60

ELLEN - Delray Beach, FL; 71

FAITH - Benton City; WA; 61

JEANIE - Estill Springs, TN; 65

JOAN- Rockland, MD; 60

KATHY - Austin, TX; 70

LESLIE - Minneapolis, MN; 64

MARIA - Teaneck, NJ; 60

MARINA - LA, CA; 60

NANCY - Alexandria, VA 60

NATASCHA - NY, NY; 60

PAMELA - Aurora, IL; 75

PATTY - Durham, NC; 70

PEGGY - East Haven, CT; 69

RENEE - Chicago, IL; 67

SANDRA - Doraville, GA; 75

SUSAN - Aston, PA; 67

SYLVIA - LA, CA; 64

THERESA - Shrewsburry, NJ; 70

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

THE GOLDEN BACHELOR S.1 E.3 | THE JOURNEY CONTINUES

PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Golden Bachelor

We’re back for another week of The Golden Bachelor and emotions are high as we see that Gerry Turner is visibly upset and the women back at the house are all talking about their feelings as they get into week 3! They also want to make sure that they get a 1-on-1 date as Theresa has been the only one that has had one. Jesse Palmer lets them know that that there will be a 1-on-1 date and a group date - which they will all be on! It’s a talent show, so we know what we can expect for this date.

The women enter a studio that has a live audience and they see Jesse and Gerry waiting for them. Kaitlyn Bristowe is along for the date as she will be one of the judges. The winner of the talent show will get a 1-on-1 dinner with Gerry that night - so the stakes are high! The women bring their talents and personalities to the table and everyone has a great night! We love Leslie’s dance, interaction with Gerry, and giving baked goods - it’s a trifecta! Poor Joan is concerned as she feels that she has nothing to offer during this date. She makes a cute poem about her experience upon her first meeting with him and it’s a really genuine moment that everyone can enjoy. The winner of the Group Date is Joan! They sit down to their dinner and get to know each other a bit better. They both talked about how it was after their spouses died they had to navigate claiming their own lives. We can see Joan being a top pick for Jerry as their is an ease between one another. She also receives the Group Date Rose.

The next morning, Joan talks with her daughter and hears that she’s needed at home as her daughter just had a baby and needs her mother. Of course Gerry is excited for his 1-on-1 date not knowing about what he is about to walk into. Joan greets him and tells him what’s going on. Both are visibly upset and Gerry understands while also being upset that she has to make that choice. Every episode has been a tearjerker for one reason or another, we were hoping to see more of Joan and how their relationship would progress. Can we hold out hope that maybe she will come back in future weeks as that has happened before!

One of our favorite designers, Michael Costello met the women to let them know that someone was going to have a big night. He’s there for Ellen and he brings her to a dress paradise for her date. One of the favorite things that we love about this designer is how he creates looks for all body types - so it’s nice to see him on this episode. She emerges in a hot pink dress to go on her date. They talk to get to know more about one another. Ellen wants to know how his wedding was and Gerry admits that although he looks at the pictures, the day is a blur but he sweetly shares how him and his wife didn’t have a lot of money when they started and they would invite their parents over because they would bring groceries! Ellen shares how her marriage which lasted for 25 years was good until she divorced her husband. They also enjoy a hot air balloon and she receives a rose on their date.

Going into the cocktail party and the rose ceremony, the women understand that they need to dig deeper. Watching the dynamics of the women with one another is also interesting as you can see the jealous vibes popping up every now and then between them. Kathy doesn’t like how Theresa continues to overshare and she let Gerry know that there are some people that aren’t kind. She doesn’t throw Theresa under the bus, but she does get a rose! Theresa asks to speak to Kathy to find out if there us a rift. She lets Theresa know that when you’re speaking about your relationship, you need to be mindful of how others feel and that some things should be more discreet. Of course Theresa is upset and cries to Faith about it and Gerry happens to walk into the room and hears about the drama. He’s surprised that Theresa is the one that has been the source of pain.

The rose ceremony begins

Gerry Gave Roses To | April, Ellen, Faith, Joan (but due to a family issue, she has to go home and leave the mansion), Kathy, Leslie, Nancy, Sandra, Susan, and Theresa

Gerry sent home | Edith and Christina

Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelor and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!

Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.

We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!

---

WHO WE THINK SHOULD GO TO HOMETOWNS

APRIL

ELLEN

LESLIE

SANDRA

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THE GOLDEN BACHELOR CONTESTANTS

ANNA - Summit, NJ; 61

APRIL - Port St. Lucie, FL; 65

CHRISTINA - Sierra Madre, CA; 73

EDITH - Downey, CA; 60

ELLEN - Delray Beach, FL; 71

FAITH - Benton City; WA; 61

JEANIE - Estill Springs, TN; 65

JOAN- Rockland, MD; 60

KATHY - Austin, TX; 70

LESLIE - Minneapolis, MN; 64

MARIA - Teaneck, NJ; 60

MARINA - LA, CA; 60

NANCY - Alexandria, VA 60

NATASCHA - NY, NY; 60

PAMELA - Aurora, IL; 75

PATTY - Durham, NC; 70

PEGGY - East Haven, CT; 69

RENEE - Chicago, IL; 67

SANDRA - Doraville, GA; 75

SUSAN - Aston, PA; 67

SYLVIA - LA, CA; 64

THERESA - Shrewsburry, NJ; 70

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.