SPOILER ALERT: If you don’t want to know the fate of the Chicago-area contestants on this season of “The Bachelorette,” which premieres 8 p.m. Monday on ABC, stop reading now.
Three Chicagoland contestants are among the 25 men initially vying for the heart of this year’s two, yes, two bachelorettes. In one of the first twists of the season, Britt Nilsson and Kaitlyn Bristowe, both finalists on last season’s “Bachelor,” will compete to be Season 11’s bachelorette.
But the twist is short-lived. Bristowe is quickly voted to be the bachelorette by the male contestants, said Stephen Carbone, 39, who has long posted “Bachelorette” and “Bachelor” spoilers on his site, realitysteve.com.
Carbone, who lives in Dallas, detailed for the Tribune how the Chicago-area contestants fared on the show, as well as one other twist that involves a former “Bachelorette” contender from Chicago. Carbone has a nearly perfect record in predicting the outcome of the show and said he has watched Monday’s season opener.
“There definitely will be drama this season,” Carbone said.
The contestants:
Clint Arlis, 27, architectural engineer: The Batavia native, who wrestled for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, lists “Gladiator” and “Good Will Hunting” as his favorite movies in his “Bachelorette” profile, posted on ABC’s website. His biggest date fear? “Saying too much or coming on strong.”
It seems that Arlis’ biggest fear came too true. He is the villain of the house, Carbone said.
After he meets Bristowe, Arlis gives her a picture he drew of “Bachelorette” host Chris Harrison riding a triceratops, Carbone said. “It was very professionally done. You could tell he’s a good artist,” Carbone said.
Arlis also got the first one-on-one date, which involved underwater photography, Carbone said. But the goodwill is short-lived.
Arlis doesn’t make it to the following week’s rose ceremony, an unusual occurrence for someone who gets the first one-on-one date, Carbone said. “He makes an ass of himself and (Bristowe) pulls him aside at the cocktail party … It’s the first time I can ever remember that happening,” Carbone said. “He really rubbed some people the wrong way, including Kaitlyn.”
Justin Reich, 28, fitness trainer: Reich, of Naperville, goes the farthest of the original Chicago-area contestants, Carbone said.
In his “Bachelorette” profile, Reich said he considers himself a romantic, and “romance has many vehicles to express how special someone is.”
He shows off one special talent quickly. After he gets out of the limousine, Reich sucks helium from balloons and introduces himself to the two bachelorettes, Carbone said. In an early episode, Reich is also shown discussing his son, Aurelius, Carbone said.
Josh Seiter, 27, recent Chicago-Kent College of Law graduate: Seiter, who has also gone by the name Andrew Dean, last year appeared on the reality show “Escape Club,” which followed 12 20-somethings who left their lives to live in the Dominican Republic.
For “The Bachelorette,” Seiter says in his profile that his biggest fear is that his date will have bad breath, and if he could have lunch with one person it would be himself, 20 years from now. Seiter also lists “exotic dancer” as his occupation.
Monday’s episode will show Seiter stripping off a fireman’s uniform in his introduction video, which was filmed at Club Allure in Stone Park, Carbone said. “You can tell it was done after-hours and not when he was on shift,” Carbone said.
When Seiter meets Nilsson and Bristowe, he does a strip-tease for the women by taking the tie he is wearing and seductively placing it around their necks, Carbone said. “I think they were just laughing at him because it was pretty risqué, but they didn’t seem to hate it,” Carbone said. Seiter does not stay on the show long, Carbone said.
Surprise twist: Nick Viall, who did not win Andi Dorfman’s heart on Season 10 of “The Bachelorette” and who lists Chicago as his hometown on his Twitter profile (he grew up in Waukesha, Wis.), joins the cast mid-season. “He’s there awhile,” Carbone said about Viall’s time on the show.
