For the first time in the history of 'The Bachelorette', the new season of the show will start off with two women going head to head as they compete for the affections of the contestants. Many fans thought that this a poor decision on the part of the show and immediately incited backlash from the Internet, and even former Bachelor Sean Lowe called the decision "degrading", saying that the move "transfers the power back to the men on the show specifically designed for the women."
On a conference call with members of the press, Kaitlyn Bristowe and Britt Nelson finally gave their take on how they felt about facing off against each other on the first night of "The Bachelorette".
"It just felt a little awkward to think of having another person there," Bristowe said to Us Weekly. "This competitive-feeling nature, it's not something I usually put myself through to find a guy."
"It was definitely unexpected, and I was shocked," she continued. "Yes—I was kind of just beside myself, because I didn't know what to think. I wasn't excited about it."
Bristowe was the clear front-runner for the Bachelorette slot after season 19 Bachelor Chris Soules ultimately chose Whitney Bischoff.
Meanwhile, Nilsson said that she didn't have a hard time deciding whether she was going to do the show or not.
"I never had a moment where I thought I wasn't going to do it, no," said Nilsson. "But of course, it was a consideration. I was like, 'How is this going to work? And, you know, this is my friend. How is it going to work being in the competition?' But I never felt like I shouldn't do it."
'The Bachelorette' premieres on Monday, May 18 at 8pm on ABC.
