The self-proclaimed "bullsh*t-detector" of this season on The Bachelorette, lovable lawyer Craig Robinson made it all the way to Turkey before Ali regrettably let him go for their lack of romantic chemistry.
He may have ultimately gone home roseless, but Craig got one gratifying gift before he left the show: He got to watch as Ali finally kicked out the guy he'd pinned as a bad egg from night one--Justin 'Rated R' Rego, the two-timing entertainment wrestler, and the hot topic of the week in Bachelor-land.
Craig answered plenty of questions about Justin in his conference call with the media this morning, as well as about his own Bachelorette experience: Was he expecting his elimination? How does he feel about Ali now? And is he set to give up his day job for a career as an olive oil wrestler? Here's what he had to say:
How did you feel when you heard Ali say she didn't need any time at the cocktail party?
I really respected that decision because if she had her mind made up, I wouldn't want any more time with her. I trusted her decision, and I didn't want to sit there with her and try to convince her to keep me if she wanted to send me home.
Did it ever go through your mind that you were the only guy without a one-one because Ali wasn't that interested in you?
Part of me thought that, but at the same time I kept getting a rose, so it was kind of confusing to me. I didn't know what to think. Had she had not been that into me, I wouldn't have gotten as many roses as I did. Maybe she saw me as a really good friend and that's why she kept me there. I have to agree with her that the romance just wasn't really there.
Does it frustrate you that you were sent home and perhaps not given a fair chance, when other guys were either not here for the right reasons or weren't planning on something long term with Ali?
For me Justin was gone before I got eliminated, so I was more worried for the guys who got eliminated before him. Like Kasey, for instance. In my mind, Justin cost Kasey a trip to Turkey. At the time it really did frustrate me, but looking back today, I look back with nothing but positive memories and no regrets or bad feelings. I feel blessed, I really do.
Did you know it would be you [who would be eliminated]?
Not at all! Now I'm getting to see her dates with the other guys, which I didn't get to see before. I had to base it on my interactions with the guys. ... So I had no idea who was going home.
Thoughts on Justin 'Rated R' Rego?
My thoughts are that he's an entertainer. Obviously his main purpose, I believe, was getting himself some publicity and help himself out in the entertainment industry. I think anything he is saying now about not having a girlfriend is a continuation of that. If he has controversy around him then he keeps the publicity around him.
The latest promo showed Frank doing what Ali did last season -- take me now or don't. What do you think about that?
After I left, I don't know what happened. But I can tell you this about Frank: Frank is a great guy. The first night I met Frank, he came into the mansion, and he's got kind of a wild and crazy personality, and I remember thinking, "Who is this guy? He's not making it past the first night." But he became one of my best friends. He's a good guy with good intentions. He came on the show with good intentions.
How do you feel about the credibility of the show now?
I would not have done the show if I didn't think there was a chance for me to find love on the show. Obviously it's pretty evident that two people have gotten married and that proves that it worked. It's definitely not your typical run of the mill way to find love, but listen, it's proven that it can work. As far as people thinking about going on it in the future for the reason of finding love, I think the credibility is still there.
Justin has said that he feels like he bonded with the guys on the show. Do you feel the same that Justin is a friend after the show?
Best friends. BFFs for life. (Laughs) It's been some time now since the show ended for me, and I have had some time to think about it. Here is what I'll say: I understand why he came on the show and why he did what he did. I don't have any real problem with the fact that that's what he wanted to do. Justin calling me a friend or any of us a friend is a misstatement. He never interacted with us much off camera, or on camera. When we lived in the mansion, he would be in his bedroom until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. We would all be out by the pool and he wouldn't really talk to us. He never really interacted with any of us. I will say this: I feel a bond with every one of those guys because of what we went through together, even Justin.
Justin has gone on record he felt he was mistreated by ABC. From your point of view, did you see any of this going on?
Absolutely 100 percent not. Not a chance. Other than the fact that I got to see it with my own eyes, I understand that maybe certain things may be tweaked here or there, but I never saw that with Justin.
You never saw any of the phone calls or thought something was up?
No. He was always kind of an outcast because he never really interacted with us so much. There was a night in Iceland when Kirk came to us and said, guys, the wrestler went into the bathroom, turned on the water and he was talking to himself in the bathroom. I think he's going crazy or something. So we had no idea. There happened to be a phone in the bathroom. We thought that he was just going a bit insane.
How do you think Ali handled the Justin situation?
Perfectly. She handled it perfectly. She could have gotten upset at it, she could have been more sad than anything, but the fact that she got angry and stood up for herself and defended herself ... to me, he deserved even more than what she gave him in that sense. That's something I'm looking for in a girl, too, someone who stands up for herself.
How do you feel about Ali now, after watching the show?
I have not one negative thing to say about her. I have all of the respect in the world for her. People don't realize what a hard position that is to be in. She barely sleeps. I hear so much criticism of her, which I think is really unfair. I don't think anybody will know until they're in her shoes how hard that can be.
Who was the oddest oddball in the house?
I think Shooter would win that title. Anytime you talk about premature ejaculation the first time you meet a girl, that's not going to bode well for you. As we got down to lower numbers, I'll tell you what, the one who appeared to be the biggest oddball is Chris N. Because you never hear anything from him. He's quiet. He's a quiet guy. But he obviously made an impression on Ali to keep him around as long as she did.
How has the response been since you got home?
It's funny. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. I actually got roses delivered to my work from six random fans in Missouri. The card said, "Ali made a mistake, and we're getting tattoos to prove it." I haven't really been able to date until this week. What I'm looking for in a girl is someone who is funny, who can make me laugh, who challenges me intellectually. Someone I just feel at home with.
Would you be the next Bachelor?
It's something I would consider. That would be something that I would have to think about if they offer me the opportunity. I look at myself as a lawyer first. I never did this to spin this as any type of career in the entertainment industry or get into further reality shows on top of this.
How did you find the olive oil experience?
Have you been reading the Turkish newspaper? You gotta read the Turkish sports section. I've been on the cover every week now. I've been dominating the Turkish wrestling. I don't practice law anymore!
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