Lieutenant Andy Baldwin M.D. US Navy Undersea Medical Officer, Ironman competitor and the guy getting all the attention in the tenth season of The Bachelor
KEY POINTS:
Hey Andy, how's it going? Whereabouts are you?
I'm good. I'm in Washington DC, whereabouts are you?
Auckland, New Zealand.
Oh I love Auckland. I was there in 2003 for the America's Cup and Ironman, down in Lake Taupo. It was wonderful. We were there, unfortunately, when we lost to the Swiss. But we travelled all around and went to Christchurch and Queenstown. We even went to the Hokitika Wild Foods Festival [and] got caught, on our way to the Milford Sound, in a sea of sheep on the road.
Fantastic. So you've had the full New Zealand experience.
Yeah, I loved it. I'm going to put a photo gallery on my website - www.andybaldwin.com - of my time in New Zealand so if any of the Kiwis want to go to that and see it, they can.
Er, righto. So what was the strangest thing you ate at the Wild Foods Fest?
They said they were chocolate covered possum droppings. I don't know if they were actual droppings. We had some cow tongue and the salivary glands of some sort of poultry, whether it was a duck or something, it was very chewy, I remember that. The more beer we drank, the better it went down.
You're obviously game for anything then, which perhaps explains how you came to be on The Bachelor?
I know. It was a zany, unique experience. It was an incredible experience and I met a lot of amazing women, one who I fell in love with greatly. We look back at it and chuckle over the trials and tribulations we went through.
So what was it that made you first decide to go on the show?
Well, they came after me. The ABC network. I had been with this wonderful woman for quite some time and then she had a change of heart. I was suddenly single and when people found that out, they came after me pretty hard.
How did they hear about you?
The way it works here is they have these casting people and they get finder's fees. They're always looking to refer people. This bloke, he was a triathlete friend of mine, he sold me out and gave over my number. I'm glad he did. But that's how they got my info and discovered my story. It was a good thing though because I came to the ABC executives and I had my demands. I wanted a show that really demonstrated things I was passionate about.
When you went into the show, were you sceptical about whether you would actually meet someone you really cared for? Were you just going in for the experience?
You never know what's going to happen in life. The first time that I met all those women, I didn't know what to expect. I just knew I was going to go in there and be myself, be a gentleman and stay true to what my beliefs are. I didn't have any expectations that it was going to work or wasn't going to work. I don't think you ever know what's going to happen tomorrow or the next day and that is what's so cool about life. You just have to live it.
Were you impressed by the calibre of the ladies when you first met them?
There were definitely some crazy ones in there. I don't know if you've seen the previews, you gotta email me after you've seen the first episodes and let me know what you think. That first night, it took 15 hours to film. They had a lot to drink and they do some, er, zany things. To answer your question though, I was very impressed by the majority of the women that came out to meet me.
As you were going through the show, was there just one girl you were focused on or did you find yourself struggling each week to choose who stayed?
I got torn back and forth. There's the girl who made a certain first impression, then the girl who kind of grows on you, and the girl who's kind of steady throughout. That's what was so hard about the show, emotionally, for me.
Obviously the women were putting their best face forward when they were with you, were you surprised to see what they were like behind-the-scenes when the show aired?
There were times when I was watching, I'd be like 'oh my goodness ... I didn't know that girl did that or did this'. I'd be on the phone with my girl and be like, 'How come you didn't tell me that happened!?' It was very telling to watch some of the things and they definitely edited a lot of it out too.
So if one of your other friends was considering going into The Bachelor, would you recommend it or ward them off?
I think everybody's experience is unique. Somebody else's experience on the show is not going to be anywhere near close to mine. That's what makes it so special. Only you really know what it was like. I would definitely say go for it.
Without giving too much away, what was the most surprising thing you discovered being on the show?
I was shocked that it was so emotionally difficult. I didn't realise I was going to become so close with a number of women in such a short period of time.
