Carol’s Home Run with Mel! | Happy Hour

Summary

Bachelor Happy Hour – “Carol’s Home Run with Mel!” | Detailed Episode Summary

Podcast: Bachelor Happy Hour
Hosts: Joe Amabile & Serena Pitt
Guest: Carol (Golden Bachelor contestant)
Release Date: October 10, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode welcomes Carol, a vibrant and outspoken contestant from The Golden Bachelor, to chat about her journey into Bachelor Nation, her family, and her experiences both on and off the show. Hosts Joe and Serena dig deep into Carol’s backstory, her life as a dedicated tennis mom, and the nuances of romance and competition in her Golden Bachelor journey—plus, plenty of fun sports talk. The vibe is casual, insightful, and often laugh-out-loud funny, making it a must-listen for fans eager for behind-the-scenes insights.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Carol’s Canadian Roots & Family Life

• Background:
  • Born in Windsor, Ontario, right across from Detroit (01:12).
  • Now based in California, with strong familial ties to Canada (01:27).
  • Holds dual citizenship; her kids are dual citizens too (01:53).
• Children:
  • Carol’s three daughters are high-level tennis players; the youngest turned pro last year (06:41).
  • Shared stories of homeschooling and the sacrifices made for their tennis careers.
  • “Raising tennis players is like a golfer or gymnast... I homeschooled and I was actually feeding them balls, doing drills, whatever.” (07:03, Carol)

2. Journey to the Golden Bachelor (05:42)

• How She Was Cast:
  • Carol’s oldest daughter, Cassidy, submitted her application.
  • Initially heard nothing, then was suddenly contacted by the show.
  • “My daughter wrote in and I ended up getting on the show. So that was fun.” (06:24, Carol)
• Relationship Status:
  • Divorced since 2020; hasn’t dated seriously since (06:33).
  • Focused on her daughters’ careers and her own personal growth.

3. Initial Impressions & Reactions to the Show

• Expectations vs. Reality:
  • Nervous, especially about wardrobe (“I was more nervous about the clothes, to tell you the truth,” 13:57).
  • Found the process exciting and gratifying; “It exceeded my expectations. Let’s just put it that way. I’m having a ball.” (27:00, Carol)
• First Encounter With Mel (“the Golden Bachelor”):
  • Immediate attraction: “When I saw him, like, okay, okay, game on.” (08:51, Carol)
  • Mel is Carol’s type: “Totally. He is.” (08:57)

4. Life in the Bachelor Mansion

• Connections with Housemates:

  • Close with Jerry (“She was like my best bud”) and Cindy; friendship rooted in shared faith and life experiences (14:57–16:11).
  • Noted unanimous shock when contestant Maya was sent home early: “She’s a catch. So I was shocked that she went.” (15:33, Carol)

• Family Reactions to Carol Going on the Show:

  • Two daughters were supportive, the youngest (the pro tennis player) was apprehensive and hasn’t watched yet: “She probably didn’t want to see me hurt… she hasn’t even watched the show.” (10:47)

5. Show Dynamics, Competition, and Romance

• Age and Romance Dynamics:

  • Reflected on Mel’s preference for younger women (“At first it kind of… did sting a little,” 09:18, Carol), then laughed it off: “Wouldn’t you want to date someone younger? Be good.” (09:23)

• The “Influencer” and “Kissing” Talk:

  • Some contestants were frustrated with Nicole for being open about possibly wanting to be an influencer (16:39).
  • Carol emphasized most women were more bothered by Nicole’s frequent kissing with Mel: “The kissing was… a lot of people were rubbed the wrong way…” (16:53)

• Personal Comfort & Group Date Antics:

  • Carol on her “towel moment” during a group date:

    “Probably my youngest daughter’s biggest fear, right? See me in a towel on the beach. But guess what? By the end of it, I was like, this is the best thing ever.” (20:27)

  • “The towel covers more than most everyone’s bathing suit!” (20:52)

6. One-on-One With Mel and the Group Date Rose

• Opening Up & Kissing:

  • Carol is old-school, prefers to be pursued: “I want a guy to kiss me… I’m very traditional, so it was kind of a conflict in my head.” (22:14–22:49)
  • Ultimately took the initiative: “I just, I went in and went… he’s a very good kisser, by the way.” (23:33)

• Winning the Group Date Rose:

  • “I was on cloud nine… we got back in the van, I’m like, woo, got my little Bad Bunny on… it was fun.” (24:03, Carol)
  • Felt validated for stepping outside her comfort zone.

7. Connections & Predictions in the House

• Strongest Connections With Mel:

  • Carol singles out Cindy (and maybe Nicole) as having the strongest bonds with Mel at this stage (28:34–28:50).

• House Dynamics:

  • No real surprises at rose ceremonies; Mel’s preferences were pretty clear to everyone (29:00–29:23).

8. Carol’s Ideal Partner & Life Lessons

• What She Wants:
  • Athletic, Christian, sporty, family-oriented (“I could not date someone who doesn’t know about sports… it wouldn’t even fit my family.” 29:56–30:42).
  • Mel checks all those boxes: “Looks wise and everything, Mel is like fantastic.” (29:54)
• Would She Do ‘Bachelor in Paradise’?
  • Playful maybe: “I just need a towel, that would be easy packing… just have different towels for each day.” (31:17, Carol)

9. Reflections & Advice for Future Contestants

• Advice:
  • “To really embrace every day and to relax and just to be yourself. And I know everyone says that, but once those cameras are on you… it’s kind of hard to be yourself… you’re always kind of overthinking it.” (32:43–33:04)
  • The experience was life-changing and highly recommended for single women of any age.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On watching Mel hit a huge home run:

  “I'm like, that is so fun… all of a sudden… when he hit it and he held up his bat, the ball wasn't out yet. So I knew right then if he did that, that thing's going out, I was like, oh, my gosh.”
  —Carol (04:03)

• On being a “tennis mom” and sacrifices:

  “Raising tennis players is like a golfer or gymnast. I homeschooled, and I'm the worst student ever… I was always in this… I didn’t have a lot of time. I was focused on my girls.”
  —Carol (07:03)

• On dating as a single mom:

  “I date to get married. I guess that's what…”
  —Carol (07:56)

• On the Kiss & Relationship Expectations:

  “I'm very traditional. Like, the man comes to you. Well, I'm on the show, so obviously I gotta rewire my brain…”
  —Carol (22:51)

• On Embracing Uncomfortable Moments:

  “The show really pushes you… at my age it’s great. I like learning every day, and I like being uncomfortable.”
  —Carol (24:32)

• On Advice for Future Contestants:

  “Just be yourself and… I think you'll have a great time. I loved it… it changed my life.”
  —Carol (32:56–33:04)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction (Host/Guest chatter): 00:48–01:27
• Carol’s Canadian background + family: 01:09–02:26
• Golden Bachelor casting & process: 05:42–06:24
• Divorce and parenting: 06:33–07:57
• Impressions of Mel & first meeting: 08:36–08:59
• Family reactions to the show: 10:47–11:42
• Bachelor Mansion friendships: 14:57–16:11
• Nicole “influencer” drama & house dynamics: 16:39–17:55
• Towel group date & stepping out of comfort zone: 20:22–21:14
• Thoughts on dating dynamics, being pursued: 22:14–23:40
• Group date rose celebration: 24:03–24:14
• Carol’s ideal partner: 29:44–30:42
• Would she do Bachelor in Paradise?: 31:02–31:24
• Advice to new contestants: 32:43–33:04

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Overall Tone & Listener Takeaways

The episode is lively and open, with Carol bringing warmth, humility, and plenty of humor to her stories. She values family, tradition, and staying true to oneself—both on TV and off. For Bachelor Nation fans, this is a rich, absorbing look into the life of a contestant who’s truly “playing for keeps,” not just in romance, but in personal growth.

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For the full experience—including moments of playful teasing between Joe and Serena, and more sports stories—listen to the episode on your favorite podcast platform!

Transcript

[Carol]

This is an iheart podcast.

[Maggie Freeling]

The murder of an 18 year old girl in Graves County, Kentucky, went unsolved for years until a local housewife, a journalist, and a handful of girls came forward with a story.

[Joe]

America, y' all better wake the hell up. Bad things happens to good people in small towns.

[Maggie Freeling]

Listen to Graves county on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and to binge the entire season ad free. Subscribe to Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcasts.

[Joe]

Hey, everyone. Welcome back to Bachelor Happy Hour. I'm Joe.

[Serena]

And I'm Serena.

[Joe]

And we are here today with Carol. Carol, welcome to Betcher Happy Hour.

[Maggie Freeling]

Thank you.

[Carol]

Thanks for having me.

[Joe]

Okay, so we have a lot to cover because as soon as you came on this podcast, we started talking and we're going to. We're going to talk about all that on air right now. So you are born in Ontario, like Serena?

[Carol]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Joe]

What part of Ontario?

[Carol]

Okay, so not the pretty part. I shouldn't say this, but I was born in Windsor, right across the bridge from Detroit, where Mel is.

[Serena]

Okay, yes, we know exactly where that is. My sister has some friends in Kingsville, we. Which I believe is out that way. So she goes out there a lot.

[Carol]

Yeah. And I still have a lot of family in Toronto as well.

[Serena]

Do you really? Do you go back often?

[Carol]

I haven't been back. Well, so my daughter plays for Tennis Canada. The one who's a professional tennis player.

[Serena]

Okay.

[Carol]

So she trained in Montreal, so I would go back and forth in Montreal quite a bit. She, I, she left the house when she was 15, 16 to go train for Tennis Canada. So anyway, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, so that's last time I was there.

[Joe]

Do you have dual citizenship?

[Carol]

I do.

[Joe]

Nice.

[Serena]

Okay, I'm gonna have to reach out to you because I just got my green card in the spring and I believe it's like two or three years, and then I can apply for citizenship. And I want dual. I want to keep my Canadian citizenship, which is important to me.

[Carol]

Keep the dual. I, in fact, because I, I went to. I'll talk to you later. Because I went to the whole process with my younger daughter, the one. Okay, Canada.

[Serena]

Were your kids born in the U.S. yes. Okay. And then you got them dual citizenship as well?

[Carol]

I did.

[Serena]

Okay. How did you.

[Carol]

We like those two passports.

[Serena]

Yes, we do. How did you make your way over to the States?

[Carol]

Okay, well, my dad actually worked for a company in Detroit and so he got transferred. So he always worked in the United States. So then he got transferred to California. And so we all moved, you know, to California.

[Joe]

So I went to Windsor when I turned 17 because everyone says that. Because it was likely. Because it was legal to Gamble.

[Serena]

When you're 18, it's legal to gamble.

[Carol]

No, I think, oh, I've been to Windsor. I'm like, yeah, I know what you went there for. Okay.

[Serena]

Yeah, it's the same as Torontonians. When they're like 17 going to Montreal, you're like, I know why you're going to Montreal, Carol.

[Joe]

When you came, when, when I found out you are a guest on, on this podcast, I went back on my, my Twitter or my ex. And where did I, where did I save that tweet? Where's that tweet? Oh, here it is. 10, 29, 24. Freddie Freeman is just unreal. It was, it was, it was one of the playoff games when he hit, I think when he hit that game winning home run.

[Carol]

Oh.

[Joe]

Oh, man, that night. So awesome.

[Carol]

Tell us that night was okay. So he wasn't having the best game that day.

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Carol]

So we were in the seats right there. You know, we're like practically touching him, right? And we decided, let's just go up to the suite because it was too stressful. We're like, right. So he gets up to bat and if you remember, two weeks before him, they're playing the Mets. The same scenario.

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Carol]

Okay. And the game was over. So I was just praying. I was like, lord, just get him a hit. Just get him. I don't want him to make the last out. Just get that right? So, so we're up there watching him, blah, blah, blah. And all of a sudden, because if you know my nephew, he's not a showboater guy at all, right? When he hit it and he held up his bat, the, the ball wasn't out yet. So I knew right then if he did that, that thing's going out, I was like, oh, my gosh.

[Joe]

Oh, my gosh.

[Carol]

Oh, my God. It was like. It was so incredible. It was. I was so proud of him.

[Joe]

So goosebumps. Just listening. Well, you know what I mean. Playoffs start today.

[Carol]

I know we're going tonight. In fact, I'm at his house right now.

[Serena]

Really nice.

[Carol]

He's in the room eating breakfast.

[Joe]

I'm, I'm a Cubs fan.

[Carol]

I, I knew you were from Chicago.

[Serena]

He has.

[Joe]

We're in the playoffs.

[Serena]

The game.

[Joe]

Game starts in an hour.

[Serena]

Playoffs.

[Joe]

The Blue Jays are in the playoffs too.

[Serena]

Okay. All of our teams.

[Carol]

You know what? So we're really good friends. Dansby, Swanson, Is a great friend of mine. I love him and his Mel. Yeah. So I want him to do well. I always root for Dansby, so.

[Joe]

Yeah, well, we'll see. Did they. Did they play together in Atlanta? Right. Would they have played together Freddy Freeman and Swanson?

[Carol]

Yeah, they did. Yeah. That's how we got to know him. Yeah.

[Joe]

Okay. Yeah, that makes sense.

[Serena]

You should really have a sports podcast, you know, more about sports.

[Carol]

I know, Joe, you're really good at this.

[Joe]

Yeah, I mean. I mean, if we start, if we keep going, I'll probably just blow that off. Okay, let's. Yeah, let's get a little bit into why you're here. How did you. How did you wind up on the Golden Bachelor?

[Carol]

Well, we watched the first couple seasons and I thought was great. I'm like, that is so fun. Gosh, everyone looks, you know, know, because it's a little. Golden's a little different than the regular, you know, it's a little more tame, which is good for me. Anyway, my daughter wrote in for me. My daughter Cassidy, my oldest daughter wrote in for me. And I didn't hear back, so I thought, oh, well, I guess I didn't get on the show. And all of a sudden I got a text when I leaving my dad's house and said, are you still interested?

[Serena]

They're not like. And this is the whole process. They're just like, let's have a chat. And then you. You don't hear anything.

[Joe]

I mean, when I. When I got approached to do the show, I thought they were asking me to be the Bachelor. I didn't know if, you know, how it worked. I was like, oh, maybe I was so clueless. I was really.

[Carol]

I guess. I guess ignorance is bliss. I don't know. But anyway, so, yeah, so my daughter wrote in and I ended up getting on the show. So that was fun.

[Serena]

Are you divorced?

[Carol]

I am.

[Serena]

How long have you been single or have you dated since your divorce? What has that been like?

[Carol]

You know, I really haven't. Did I. Okay, so I got divorced in 2020 and I lost. It's like, Mel, I lost my mom the same year who was my best friend. It was the worst year ever. The whole Covid. Blah, blah, blah. You know, it's just. It was a. It was a year anyway and I. I really haven't dated. Remember, I had a daughter that was still in high school and raising an athlete like we were raising her to be a pro athlete. All three of my daughters played tennis. Collegiate D1. My oldest played at UC Irvine here in California. And then my middle one played at University of southern cott.usc. and then my youngest one played college tennis, too, so she turned pro last year. So. But I'm just saying I had young kids still, and tennis. Raising tennis players is like a golfer or gymnast. I homeschooled, and I'm the worst student ever. People are like, you're a homeschooler. Yeah, Sorry. So I homeschooled my girls. I had them on the court. I was actually feeding them balls, you know, doing drills, whatever. So I was always in this, you know, I. I didn't have a lot of time. I was focused on my girls. And so I really didn't date. And, you know, I could date, but I don't want to just date anyone either. So, you know, I don't want to waste my time if it's not someone I think could be a potential. I date to get married. I guess that's what.

[Joe]

Yeah, that's fair.

[Carol]

That's why the show is great and he's vetted, so why not go?

[Serena]

Yeah, it's true. Did you play tennis growing up or do you play any sports?

[Carol]

I did. I played tennis, but not my daughter's level. I never got to what they were. Okay, you know what they say. Here's a good tip for you two young, beautiful married people. They say, don't live through your children. I did. Okay, the memo.

[Serena]

All right.

[Carol]

Gosh darn it, they're going to be fresh, professional tennis players.

[Serena]

Hey, but you know what? It worked out. And I'm sure they're. They're thanking you for it.

[Joe]

What, what was your thoughts when Mel was announced as the lead?

[Carol]

I was very happy about. Because when I saw this picture, I was like, okay, good, because you don't know. We did. I didn't know when I, When I was going for the. Through this process, I didn't know who it was. I mean, it could have been someone, you know, you're not really attracted to, Right?

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Carol]

And when I saw him, like, okay, okay, game on.

[Serena]

Is he your type?

[Carol]

Totally.

[Serena]

Okay.

[Carol]

He is.

[Joe]

I love. I loved your, like, when you did the stand up bit and you joked about Mel's like, 40 year old comment. You're like, me too. That was great. So funny. I thought it really stood out. But when he did say that, did you have an issue with that?

[Carol]

At first it kind of. I kind of. I did kind of sting a little.

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Carol]

And then I thought to myself, wait, Carol, wouldn't you want to date someone younger? Be good.

[Joe]

Not fair.

[Carol]

Yeah, right. Why are you such a hard time. Okay. If some 45 year old guy wants to take me out, Come on. Right? Yeah. Who cares? It's fine. It didn't really at first it was because like, oh, gosh. And I was thinking, okay, does he not know what the show is about? Like the age limit. That kind of threw me off too, because I'm thinking he got the job. Did he not know the whole job? I don't know though.

[Serena]

I know. We were like, no one told him. He's the Golden Bachelor.

[Joe]

Well, but this season also has, it's definitely skewed on the younger side.

[Serena]

Younger than the first season of the Golden Bachelor for sure.

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Carol]

Yeah.

[Joe]

Gary was, Gary was 71. Oh, that's. I thought Gary was like 75. Yeah, it might be 75 now.

[Carol]

Could be, yeah.

[Joe]

Okay. So you go through the process once you get the call and they're like, okay, Carol, you are cast it on the show. What do you, what do your daughters say?

[Carol]

Okay. Cassidy and Constance, my oldest two. Great mom. Fantastic. My daughter Carson, the one who's a pro tennis player, not so happy.

[Serena]

Really?

[Carol]

Yeah.

[Serena]

Why not?

[Carol]

Yeah. Well, you know, she's in line. She's an athlete too. And in fact she, so she, I don't know. I don't know if she thought it'd be like seeing her mom as she kisses on camera or she didn't want to see, you know, you know, certain things probably. And I, I think she probably didn't want to see me hurt or, you know, whatever, but she, she, she did. She hasn't. I don't know. We'll see. We'll see. I, I mean, I think it's still waiting for developments for her because she hasn't even watched the show.

[Joe]

Okay.

[Serena]

Okay. Do you think she's going to.

[Carol]

I think so. I think so. I hope so because I think she'd be really proud of it. It's a great show and the women are incredible. And it's, it's, it's a, it's a good family show, actually. I mean, it's a show about new beginnings and so I hope she does. I think she'll come around. I think she will.

[Serena]

I think she will. If she's. If you're listening to this, you should watch your mom. You will be so proud of her.

[Joe]

Yeah. You really are coming on the show right now. You are coming across great. And we're episode four. Four. Yeah. So you don't have anything to worry about.

[Carol]

Okay, good, good.

[Joe]

All I know is what I've been told and That's a half truth is a whole lie.

[Maggie Freeling]

For almost a decade, the murder of an 18 year old girl from a small town in Graves County, Kentucky went unsolved until a local homemaker, a journalist and a handful of came forward with a story.

[Carol]

I'm telling you, we know Quincy killed her.

[Maggie Freeling]

We know a story that law enforcement used to convict six people and that got the citizen investigator on national tv.

[Joe]

Through sheer persistence and nerve, this Kentucky housewife helped give justice to Jessica Curran.

[Maggie Freeling]

My name is Maggie Freeling. I'm a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist producer, and I wouldn't be here if the truth were that easy to find.

[Joe]

I did not know her and I did not kill her or rape or burn or any of that other stuff that y' all said.

[Serena]

They literally made me say that I.

[Carol]

Took a match and struck and threw it on her.

[Serena]

They made me say that I poured gas on her.

[Maggie Freeling]

From Lava for good. This is Graves County, a show about just how far our legal system will go in order to find someone to blame.

[Carol]

America, y' all better wake the hell up.

[Joe]

Bad things happens to good people and small towns.

[Maggie Freeling]

Listen to Graves county in the Bone Valley feed on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to binge the entire season ad free, subscribe to Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcasts.

[Serena]

What were you feeling when you went on the show? Were you nervous, excited? Both.

[Carol]

Okay, I was. I was nervous. I was more nervous about the clothes, to tell you the truth, because, you know, they give you that list of everything and I'm like, oh my gosh, what am I gonna do? So. But I was a little nervous because other women, of course, I'm like, I'm. That's tough right there. Going on a show and the whole premise of it. But I. You know what you're getting into, right? But I was a little nervous, actually.

[Joe]

I think that's fair.

[Serena]

How do you feel stepping out of the limo?

[Carol]

A little anxious, but I was excited because I just want to see him in person. So definitely nervous, excited. I just wanted to see him in person. And when I did, I was like, okay, this guy, he looks even better in person.

[Joe]

Was there a connection? Did you feel a connection?

[Carol]

I did.

[Joe]

Okay.

[Carol]

Yeah, I did at first. Yeah.

[Joe]

And then how about who, like that first couple days, out of the women did you connect with? Like who?

[Carol]

So my crew. Okay. Was I connected with Jerry? She was like my best bud. And. And Cindy. But the very first night, who I sat next to was Nicole. I just, I. Nicole And Maya were next to me and. But Maya obviously didn't get through the first night, which I was, like, dying. I was like, okay, if she doesn't get through, what is this guy looking for? I mean, she's like, Cindy Crawford. I'm like, oh, my gosh.

[Joe]

That's what everyone said. Like, we were shocked, too, that she went home. But, like, everyone has compared her to Sidney Crawford that we've talked to.

[Serena]

Yeah. And everyone that comes on is like, we couldn't believe that Maya went home.

[Carol]

She was beautiful and smart, and her kids are successful, mean. They went to Stanford and played sport. I mean, she's like, she's, she's a catch. So I was like, I was shocked that she went and. But yes, it was Nicole. I, we kind of just would. Always were sitting next to each other, and then. And then the rose ceremony. We're standing next, next to each other, and then. Yeah, so just. She's probably my first friend. And then, then Jerry. The first night I was sitting next to Jerry, and we just hit it off. I, I, I. We're both believers, and I really think that God brought us together. I'm not kidding. She's just amazing.

[Serena]

She's amazing.

[Carol]

Yeah, she's. We'll be friends for life. For sure.

[Serena]

Yep.

[Joe]

So we see on this episode. I just want to get your thoughts on this. We see on this episode, Nicole kind of, you know, she's. She's at the table. I'm pretty. I'm pretty sure you were there talking about, like, she's not just dating mellow, she's dating America. And, like, she kind of, like, wants to be an influencer and all that kind of happens.

[Serena]

Do you remember what the women were saying and feeling about Nicole?

[Joe]

Because there's definitely women in the house that at this point, and you're not one of them, but there's definitely women that are frustrated by. Frustrated with Nicole.

[Carol]

Yes. So the influencer thing, not as much for me that I heard about as the kissing. Like, the kissing was. A lot of people were rubbed the wrong way about the kissing. All my jobs beforehand before I do right now and all that kind of stuff. I worked with all women, so I kind of take it with a grain of salt.

[Serena]

Right. So how did you feel about the kissing? Because we do see that she feels very comfortable being affectionate with Mel in front of the other women.

[Carol]

It was a little. It was a little uncomfortable, I have to say. Yeah, I think.

[Joe]

I think it would be uncomfortable kind of for anyone, you know?

[Carol]

Right.

[Joe]

I mean, I think it's uncomfortable just watching. Yeah, just random people kiss, right?

[Carol]

I bet I'm doing. Right, Joe?

[Serena]

Yeah, no, just make out.

[Carol]

We didn't want to see that.

[Joe]

But, yeah, like, I would be. I would be uncomfortable too, if I was. If I was on the show. And like, yeah, the. The person that I'm going for is just, like, making out with one person in the middle.

[Carol]

Okay, look. And can you imagine if the re. The roles were re. Reversed? Okay. Can you imagine being the woman bachelor and a guy coming up all the time? How would you feel, you know, just making out all the time and like, let's say you're going on. On a date, and all a sudden he comes and makes out with her before you go on your date.

[Joe]

The thing is, the. The. A woman would have said no, but a guy's just like, all right. Yeah, like.

[Serena]

Well, I also think if it was a bunch of male contestants, there's a. There's a potential fight happening.

[Joe]

Oh, yeah.

[Serena]

You know, if a guy keeps doing that, one of the other guy contestants is eventually going to go, hey, man, enough is enough.

[Carol]

Like, yeah, right.

[Serena]

Yeah.

[Carol]

So it was. It was definitely uncomfortable. That was definitely. But then you got to say, well, you have limited time, right. On the show to get to stand out, so I don't know, maybe I should have been doing that. We'll see. I don't know.

[Serena]

We see in the first episode and kind of throughout the season so far that something that you and Mal obviously have in common is your love for sports. What else did you guys kind of bond over when you were getting to know each other?

[Carol]

Well, that we both kind of made more sacrifices than normal with our children. I think that was a common denominator. Can I even talk? No, I can't.

[Joe]

Sorry. I can't.

[Carol]

See. I need more of this this morning.

[Serena]

Okay.

[Carol]

So. So I think we had that in common because, you know, it is a lot of sacrifice to raise an athlete, and it takes. If you're still working like I am and he was, you have limited time, so the time. Your free time is with your kids. So I think we kind of connected on that, for sure.

[Joe]

And you guys both live in la, right?

[Carol]

We both are in la. Yeah.

[Joe]

I think that's. I think that's pretty important because, especially, you know, when you go on this show, when you live in different cities, it. It does make it more difficult to make it work after.

[Carol]

It does. It does. And we actually live really close. We live 12 miles from each other.

[Joe]

Oh, wow.

[Carol]

Yeah, it's. It's really it's really close, so it's great.

[Serena]

Yeah, that is nice.

[Joe]

Okay, so we see on this episode you're on a group date. You've just got to go out there on a towel. You're uncomfortable.

[Serena]

Yeah, we see you're really uncomfortable with that. Which fair. Because everyone else is fully clothed and then they threw you in a towel.

[Joe]

Carol, here's the towel. We ran out of clothes. Yeah, beach towel.

[Carol]

I get the towel. Okay. And this is probably my youngest daughter's biggest fear, right? See me in a. See some. Her mom, like, in a towel on the beach. But guess what? So I was freaking out about it. And you know what? By the end of it, I was like, this is the best thing ever.

[Joe]

I mean, it looked like you were having.

[Serena]

You looked great. It didn't look scandalous, but anything. It was like you were in a strapless dress.

[Carol]

I had a ball. And guess what? The towel covers more than most everyone's bathing suit. I'm like, what did I. What did I freak out for? The stupidest thing ever. But I had. I had the best time that day. I had a really good time, so.

[Serena]

Oh, good. Yeah, it did the towel end up. Once you were in the towel and doing the photos, you did seem to become more comfortable, more confident. And you're so right. You're covering more than if you were in a bikini or bathing suit.

[Carol]

Right.

[Serena]

But I think just thinking, like, I would be the same. I'd be like, oh, my God, I'm in a towel.

[Carol]

Yeah. And I think that's what it was. It was just the. The representation that it's a towel and everyone's in these cute bathing suits and really sexy. La la la. And I come in this white towel.

[Joe]

I mean, I personally, like, I would rather wear a towel than like a Speedo on the show. Like, I would be. I would, I would, I would. I'm not wearing a Speedo.

[Serena]

Yeah.

[Joe]

You know, a towel. I'd be like, okay.

[Carol]

Yeah. No, the towel ended up being really fun. So it actually was. I had a ball. It was really fun. It was one of the best days. Yeah. We had a good time.

[Joe]

Okay, so we see you get some one on one time with male. You're an interview and you're kind of like, I don't kiss guys. I want a guy to kiss me. Which is fair. And then, yeah, kind of walk us through that moment because Mel is being a little more relaxed. He's kind of like leaning back.

[Carol]

Yeah. Hey, baby.

[Joe]

Yeah. And you're like, you're like. You're like, I want to be pursued a little bit, which is fair. And he's kind of like, I'm the bachelor.

[Serena]

Like, it feels like you want Mel to give you a little more. Yes, like a little more something, something. And he is kind of looking for you to give him a little more because he keeps saying, I want you to open up. I want to see more sides of you. So, yeah, tell us about this conversation.

[Carol]

Well, so you know what this whole show is, right, Go get the guy. He's got all these women after him. Right?

[Joe]

Okay, so unfair advantage, like I said.

[Carol]

In our unfair advantage for sure.

[Serena]

Right.

[Carol]

And I'm very traditional. Like, the man comes to you, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Well, I'm on the show, so obviously I gotta. I gotta rewire my brain. Right? But it's hard to rewire your brain. I mean, I'm. I'm very traditional. So it was. It was kind of a conflict in my head because I'm waiting for him to do a little bit more and whatever. And so I said to him that night, I said, look, weren't you a football player? Isn't that kind of an aggressive sport? I mean, come on, you can give me a little more as well, right?

[Serena]

Yeah.

[Carol]

You know, and I thought, what do.

[Joe]

You say to that?

[Serena]

And he's like.

[Carol]

He kind of said, well, I'm like, come on.

[Serena]

Right?

[Carol]

So. And then I thought, whatever. I. So I just, I went in and went, he's a very good kisser, by the way.

[Serena]

Do you feel like. Where do you feel like your connection with Mel is at, at this point?

[Carol]

Pretty good. We had a really good time. I was really bummed that we had to go back to the house. I wanted to, like, just have everyone leave and just us hang out for the rest of the night, watch the sunset. But, you know, that's not the way.

[Joe]

The show works, Carolina.

[Serena]

That's not the way the show works. Anyway, how did you feel getting the group date, Rose?

[Carol]

I loved it. It was so much fun. It made me feel so great. I was on cloud nine. Ask girls. We got back in the van, I'm like, woo, got my little bad bunny on. And like, dance. And I was happy. It was fun. That was a great day.

[Serena]

It's gotta feel good too, because you kind of put yourself out there. You went out of your comfort zone. You, like, kissed him. It was a good moment. And then to be rewarded for that with the are validated. It's got to feel good.

[Carol]

Yeah, yeah. Because can you imagine if I put myself out there and like.

[Joe]

That'S horrible.

[Carol]

Gosh. You know, so it was, it was fun. I had a great day that day. I'm glad. You know, the thing about this show is it really pushes you to be, to do things that are very uncomfortable. And at my age, it's great. I like it. I like learning every day and I like, I like being uncomfortable. It's kind of fun. You just don't know what's, and you don't know what's going to happen each day. So.

[Joe]

All I know is what I've.

[Carol]

Been told and that to half truth.

[Joe]

Is a whole lie.

[Maggie Freeling]

For almost a decade, the murder of an 18 year old girl from a small town in Graves County, Kentucky went unsolved until a local homemaker, a journalist and a handful of girls came forward with a story.

[Carol]

I'm telling you, we know Quincy killed her.

[Maggie Freeling]

We know a story that law enforcement used to convict six people and that got the citizen investigator on national tv.

[Joe]

Through sheer persistence and nerve, this Kentucky housewife helped give justice to Jessica Curran.

[Maggie Freeling]

My name is Maggie Freeling. I'm a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist producer and I wouldn't be here if the truth were that easy to find.

[Joe]

I did not know her and I did not kill her or rape or burn or any of that other stuff that y' all said.

[Serena]

They literally made me say that I.

[Carol]

Took a match and struck and threw it on her. They made me say that I poured.

[Serena]

Gas on her.

[Maggie Freeling]

From Lava for good. This is Graves County, a show about just how far our legal system will go in order to find someone to blame.

[Joe]

America, y' all better wake the hell up. Bad things happens to good people and small towns.

[Maggie Freeling]

Listen to Graves county in the Bone Valley. Feed on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and to binge the entire season ad free. Subscribe to Lava for Good plus on Apple podcast.

[Joe]

What does it feel like being on the show now? You're, you're four or five. You're, you know, whatever. We're four episodes in, right? Are you having fun? Is it a pleasant surprise? Is it what you thought?

[Carol]

You know, I didn't have any expectations going into this, but I, it, it exceeded my expectations. Let's just put it that way. I'm having a ball. It's, it's better than I anticipated. Yeah, it's great. Great show. Wonderful people. The, the, the women on the show are incredible. They really are. I mean, professional, in incredible shape, smart, beautiful, and you. So in my group of. I have the same group of friends I've had since I was in fourth grade. And they're all at the first show in preview. Right. I'm, and, but they're all married and the two that aren't have long term boyfriends. I'm the only single person. So it's, it's really comforting to go into a place where there's 23 other women that have similar similarities to me. Like they're single and, and they're living life and they're still learning and they're active. And so for me it was, I was so grateful for it. It was, it was the greatest experience ever for sure.

[Joe]

Yeah, I could imagine that. That makes sense.

[Carol]

Yeah.

[Joe]

Out of, okay, so there's, there's six women left. You had the group date rose, so you don't have to worry at the rose ceremony. But out of all the women there, in your opinion, and maybe it's yourself, but who do you feel like has the strongest connection with Mel at this point?

[Carol]

I would say Cindy.

[Serena]

Okay, okay. That's kind of what it looks like.

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Serena]

That's watching the show at this point.

[Carol]

And you know, it could be Nicole too, because, you know, I was it. Both of them have pretty good connections for sure. Cindy and Nicole.

[Serena]

So was it surprising every week who went home? Or were you guys able to kind of get a gauge on who Mellow had stronger relationships with?

[Carol]

I, I kind of had a gauge on it. I, I, I kind of, it was.

[Serena]

He doesn't seem to have a great poker face.

[Carol]

No, no.

[Joe]

Yeah. I would say the women that he, he doesn't like, they know well. Doesn't like, he's like, I'm cut it.

[Carol]

You're not connecting to.

[Serena]

Yes.

[Carol]

Yeah.

[Serena]

Romantic connection.

[Carol]

Yeah, yeah. No, he, he, he, Yeah, I don't think he hides it so well.

[Serena]

Yeah, I agree. So you're going on the Golden Bachelor. You're single. If you were to write out a list of what you're looking for in a man, what would be on that list?

[Joe]

Good question.

[Carol]

Okay. That's a great question, Sabrina. Okay, so looks wise and everything. Mel is like fantastic.

[Serena]

Okay. You like an athlete.

[Carol]

Athlete, Athlete for sure. I mean it doesn't have to be a professional athlete, but, you know, just someone, you know, athletic at least knows about sports. I could not date someone who doesn't know about sports. I, I just, they wouldn't even fit my family. I mean, that's all we do. Growing up, the TV was on. I was the youngest of three brothers, so I had three older brothers. I never had any of my shows On. Okay. In those days, you didn't have a TV in every room. We always had sports on. I mean, and I like. I'll put it on in the background just while I'm cleaning the house. Just because it's comforting me. Anyway, so he has had, like. He has, like, sports. Okay. I would like someone. Okay. I want someone who's a Christian. And. Yeah. Sport is that. That's not too many things. Words and Christian.

[Serena]

That's pretty, you know, I mean, that's very doable.

[Carol]

Not too hard.

[Serena]

No.

[Joe]

If Mel. If Mel doesn't choose you at the end, we obviously. We don't know. Yeah, he does. If he doesn't and they do Bachelor in Paradise again, would you do that show?

[Carol]

Maybe. Yeah, maybe. I'd have to, like, not eat hot dogs at the Dodger game for the next couple weeks.

[Joe]

You'll be fine.

[Serena]

Screw the beans. You just show up in a towel.

[Carol]

I just need a towel. That would be easy packing. I could have just a carry on.

[Serena]

Yep. Just beach towels.

[Carol]

Just have different towels for each day. That'd be okay. I am. I'm in. That would be good. If. You never know. I could, you know. Okay. Not this ring, but maybe, you know.

[Joe]

Wow, that's. That's cool.

[Serena]

Look at that.

[Joe]

Well, we were at. We were at. We were at the. The game where the Dodgers won the World Series against the Yankees.

[Serena]

We were.

[Carol]

You were.

[Joe]

Yeah, we went to that game.

[Carol]

Oh, my gosh.

[Joe]

That was a great World Series. I'm a little bummed because. Well, I shouldn't be a little. But we are going on vacation. But we're going to South Korea and Tokyo over the next two and a half weeks, so I'm going to miss a lot of MLB playoffs.

[Serena]

I know, but it's going to be okay.

[Joe]

But I won't cancel our going on.

[Serena]

A once in a lifetime trip. Oh, that's wonderful.

[Carol]

What a wonderful trip. That's so great.

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Serena]

Thank you. Yeah, we're excited.

[Carol]

Oh, my gosh. I love you as a couple, by the way.

[Serena]

Oh, you guys are perfect. Thank you.

[Carol]

You give up. You give everyone hope out there.

[Joe]

We work well together.

[Carol]

You really do.

[Serena]

So far, so good.

[Joe]

Even though I had a bad dream about Serena last night. But I'm not going to get into.

[Serena]

Joe always has dreams that I leave him, divorce him.

[Joe]

Last. Last but not least for women going on the next season of the Golden Bachelor. What advice would you give them?

[Carol]

To really embrace every day and to relax and just to be yourself. And I know everyone says that, but once those cameras are on you. It's kind of hard to be yourself. You're like, wait, should I say that?

[Serena]

I don't know.

[Carol]

I don't know. You're always like, kind of, you know, it's tough. Not sure.

[Serena]

Thinking.

[Carol]

Overthinking it. Definitely overthinking it. So just be yourself and. And I think you'd have a great time. I mean, I. I loved it. I'm so grateful for the experience. And I. And I hope more women do this going forward, because if you're single and you want to get on a show like this, it's. It's incredible. It really is. It's changed my life. And everyone says, oh, a show. Yeah, it did. It actually did. It changed my life. So, yeah. Very happy I did it.

[Joe]

It changed our lives, too.

[Carol]

Yeah.

[Joe]

Serena's for the better. Carol, thank you. Thank you so much for coming on Bachelor Happy Hour. It was great. It was great meeting you. And if the Cubs don't win the World Series, I hope the Dodgers do.

[Carol]

Thank you. Thank you. Yeah.

[Joe]

To all our listeners, thank you guys so much for tuning in to Bachelor Happy Hour. Make sure you download and subscribe to the podcast.

[Serena]

We will have new and exclusive interviews every single week. Thanks for listening. Bye.

[Maggie Freeling]

The murder of an 18 year old girl in Graves County, Kentucky, went unsolved for years until a local housewife, a journalist, and a handful of girls came forward with a story.

[Joe]

America, y' all better wake the hell up. Bad things happens to good people in small towns.

[Maggie Freeling]

Listen to Graves county on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And to binge the entire season ad free, subscribe to Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcasts.

[Carol]

This is an iHeart podcast.