Kaitlyn Wanted to Pull a Colton and Not Get Engaged on ‘The Bachelorette’

If only Kaitlyn Bristowe had a fence to jump over back in 2015. The former Bachelorette didn’t want to follow “the format” when she was down to her final three on season 11 of the ABC dating series: Shawn Booth, Nick Viall and Ben Higgins.

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“Now it’s usually the format of the show to get engaged, but let me tell you, I was so annoyed on my season,” the 33-year-old told Colton Underwood and Cassie Randolph on a live episode of her “Off the Vine” podcast, released on Tuesday, April 23. “I wanted to do what you did and be like, ’Screw it, I know who I’m picking.’”

She continued: “On my season I was like, ‘Can I just send the other guy home?’ Oh, I think Ben’s [in the audience] … No offense, Ben!”

Kaitlyn ultimately decided to send Ben home before having hometown dates with Nick and Shawn. (While the Bachelorettes typically meet the finalist’s families before the fantasy suite dates, Kaitlyn’s season switched up the date order.)

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Both Nick and Shawn then got down on one knee during the season finale, but the former dance instructor accepted a proposal from the personal traine, 31. Colton, 27, meanwhile, left the set of The Bachelor during season 23 after Cassie, 23, attempted to leave. After the former football player returned, he sent home the remaining two contestants and chased down the speech pathologist. Instead of a proposal, the couple simply decided to date.

While Kaitlyn may have hinted on Monday that she didn’t want to get engaged, she and Shawn didn’t split into three years after the finale aired. The duo hit a rough patch during the summer of 2018 before officially calling it quits that November.

“After three incredible years, we have decided to go our separate ways. This difficult decision comes after thoughtful, respectful consideration,” the pair said in a joint statement at the time. “We have both evolved as people, which is taking us in different directions, but with the hope that we will continue to support each other in new ways.”

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Kaitlyn has since started seeing another member of Bachelor Nation: Jason Tartick, who competed for Becca Kufrin’s affection on The Bachelorette in 2018. The couple revealed earlier this month that they have already exchanged “I love yous.”

“We hadn’t been hanging out very long … but it was long enough to know how we felt,” Kaitlyn explained earlier this month. “[The moment] was romantic because it was raw and real.”