Even if you’ve spent the last decade firmly ignoring The Bachelor franchise, you’ve surely still heard of Kaitlyn Bristowe. The Canadian reality star turned podcast and TV host may have gotten her start in the industry as a contestant on The Bachelor season 19, but after leading a season of her own with The Bachelorette season 11, it was clear Bristowe was a force to be reckoned with.
Though she’s put her roots down in Nashville, Bristowe is unabashedly Canadian, which meant partnering with Zumba to celebrate its 20th anniversary in her homeland was a no-brainer. Drawing from her background in dance to her mirrorball winning season on Dancing With The Stars, Bristowe’s a born performer, so helping Zumba celebrate their milestone in Canada felt natural.
Although Bristowe’s time as a reality TV contestant appears to be in the past, she’s become a fixture in the hosting world. From sharing her thoughts and feelings on her long-running podcast, Off The Vine, to hosting Hulu’s new series, Are You My First?, she’s continued to tackle big projects. Bristowe shared her thoughts on the current state of reality TV and much more with Screen Rant.
Kaitlyn Helped Surprise Zumba Teachers At A 20th Anniversary Meetup
Screen Rant: Kaitlyn, I start with Zumba – you have a dance background. How did it feel getting the chance to lead here with Zumba? Have you done Zumba before?
Kaitlyn Bristowe: I love Zumba because my grandpa went viral on YouTube once for doing Zumba. Oh my God. And I was like, I am obsessed. And I actually, when I came off The Bachelorette, the guy that I got engaged to, his sister was super into Zumba, so that’s how we bonded. We would take Zumba classes together.
It’s just such a, I was saying before we started recording, but it’s just such a fun, in the moment, like movement that makes you feel good. And you look around and you’re like, everyone is just, they just gotta be brave.
You gotta put your fears aside because once you do it, you’re like, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. Absolutely, the endorphins are running. The endorphins are, it is like a little dose of serotonin. You’re moving your body and you’re getting your steps in. I was saying earlier also, I’m like a hamster on a wheel trying to get my steps in, but in Zumba you could get your 10K steps in in a class. Absolutely.
Screen Rant: You’ve got the dance background, you’ve won a mirrorball trophy. In comparison, what kind of workout is Zumba to even like just regular dance training?
Kaitlyn Bristowe: Well, that’s what I think is so cool also about Zumba is it’s so many cultures and backgrounds and different styles and Dancing With The Stars was like that too. I grew up dancing, but it was very humbling to be on Dancing With The Stars because I’m like moving your body like salsa or a samba or something is so different. I had to almost unlearn everything I knew about dance to learn that style.
So I feel like Zumba is kind of the same. It’s like humbling, but in the best way possible because you’re surrounded by people that are also like trying it and maybe you don’t have to be a dancer to be Zumba. [laughs] To be Zumba? To be Zumba. I am Zumba. That’s an affirmation. That is an affirmation, I am Zumba. I wake up every morning and I say that with my coffee.
But you don’t have to be a dancer. It’s just like all backgrounds, all different types of people, all different types of dance. And yeah, it’s kind of similar to Dancing With The Stars actually. Because if you think about it, you’re learning so many different styles that you’ve never done before. And that’s what I was doing on Dancing With The Stars. And that’s what makes it so fun and exciting.
And also with Dancing With The Stars, I found that we were all rooting for each other where you would think it’d be a little more competitive, but we were all rooting for each other. Big sense of community. And that’s what I feel in Zumba. Everybody’s rooting for each other. And yeah, it’s a big sense of community.
Screen Rant: Absolutely, I love that. One of the things that I love about just a fitness class in general, but something like this is genuinely everyone is like, okay, here’s the step you missed. We can all do it together.
Kaitlyn Bristowe: Did you see us [out there]? We restarted like two times up there because it’s so relatable. We’re all doing the same thing. And all the teachers, I was thinking everyone’s gonna give a handshake. No, they give hugs around here. Everybody’s so warm and friendly and sweet. It’s amazing.
Screen Rant: I love that. In terms of your performing arts background, how does that inform your take on hosting?
Kaitlyn Bristowe: Oh my gosh. Well, I feel like I was born to host. I’m like, I never toot my own horn, but if I’m going to, it’ll be about hosting. I like hosting dinner parties. I like hosting a podcast. I like hosting dance classes. I like hosting anything. So I feel like you put me on a stage and with a crowd, I feel like the energy is so electric.
And yeah, I feel like I’ve done so much hosting in my past. And then to incorporate in with dance, I’m like, hi, did I just die and go to heaven? This is my dream. I just sent my team a text. I said, how did I get here? And how do I never leave again?
Screen Rant: Oh my God. That’s so fun. I’ve listened to you host for a very long time, but like seeing something like this, I feel like it would be right up your alley.
Kaitlyn Bristowe: Did I not say those exact words? I said, this is right up my alley.
Screen Rant: We’re on the same page today. In terms of hosting, there’s this of layer of tension between how much you want to reveal, how much you want to be vulnerable. How do you toe that line?
Kaitlyn Bristowe: I don’t. I definitely don’t toe the line. I think it’s actually important for me not to toe the line because that would be out of character. You know, I really respect people who are the professional hosts. And you know, some people are just born to do that. It’s very business to them, but everyone can have their own version of what hosting means to them. And to me, I can do both.
I always, sometimes I call myself contradicting, like a walking contradiction, but other times I’m like, no, I’m just the proof of two things can be true at the same time. I can host and be extremely professional and also be extremely vulnerable and hopefully relatable to people. Cause I don’t ever want to be the host that feels above anyone. I want to feel like I’m on the same page with them.
Kaitlyn Weighed In On Vince & Morgan’s Big Brother Cheatmance
Screen Rant: And you do a great job with that. Okay, moving into reality TV. Are you caught up on the Big Brother live feeds?
Kaitlyn Bristowe: Yes. Lord almighty, what is happening this season?
Screen Rant: [laughs] Seriously. I would love to know your takes on, number one, are you mourning Rachel Riley the way that I am?
Kaitlyn Bristowe: I am absolutely mourning her. And I like, [gestures to red outfit] I wanted to wear red in her honor today. It’s tragic.
Screen Rant: Next, how do you feel about Vince [Panaro] and Morgan [Pope]?
Kaitlyn Bristowe: The cheatmance! I’m just like, yeah, I’m so frustrated because I was really rooting for Vince at the beginning. I was like, I really want him to go all the way. He seemed so cool and normal and sweet and cute. And now I’m like, damn you Vinny.
Screen Rant: He’s slimy.
Kaitlyn Bristowe: He’s so slimy. And I can’t believe what Morgan’s going to see when she gets out of the house. Because of his final two with Lauren [Domingue], and that’s so messy. I mean, I’m here for messy, but I feel bad for her. This mess is a little interesting. His girlfriend at home, though. I’m like, I want to interview her on my podcast.
Screen Rant: Oh my gosh, please do it. Did you hear about the Kelly with the dead bug situation?
Kaitlyn Bristowe: Yes.
Screen Rant: [laughs] How do you feel about that?
Kaitlyn Bristowe: I feel terrible about it. I mean, I don’t want to yuck somebody’s yum, but that’s a weird one for me to get past.
Kaitlyn’s Excited For Taylor Frankie Paul’s Turn As The Bachelorette
Screen Rant: Now that we’ve covered Big Brother, the most important show on television, [laughs] we can move to Bachelor Nation. How do you feel about Taylor Frankie Paul [becoming the next Bachelorette]? Is her reality TV background going to help her as someone who’s been in those shoes?
Kaitlyn Bristowe: Oh gosh, I’ve thought about this so many times because I have 8 million opinions on it. One, everybody deserves love. So I’ll be rooting for her first and foremost. I think her, okay, the reality TV background is going to help the Bachelor franchise, but it’s going to hurt her because that, The Bachelor franchise is so all about format and like doing it a certain way. Now they’re obviously changing it up, which I love to see because we needed some sort of change.
And this is like a, whoa, okay, big gear shift, but here we go. I just think like, I hope they allow her to be truly who she is, because what I like about her is how authentic and messy she is because she doesn’t hide it. And that’s just truly who she is. I hope they just allow her because I really want whoever she finds to accept all parts of her and kind of like her to find her rock. So I don’t know. I’m like proud of Bachelor World for making a change.
Screen Rant: I’m shocked that they did it.
Kaitlyn Bristowe: I’m not. I think they needed to, but – well, no, I am shocked. I’m definitely shocked. It’s more of everybody was needing a change and like this definitely got everybody talking about that show again.
Screen Rant: It definitely worked. As for your podcast, Off The Vine, Do you have a dream guest that you haven’t had yet?
Kaitlyn Bristowe: Oh my gosh, I have 8 million dream guests. I feel like I’ve said 8 million like three times in this interview, which is a very specific number [laughs]. I mean, there’s a dream guest that like I’ll never get, which would be Britney Spears, but like an achievable dream guest…I really want to interview like Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.
Screen Rant: Ooh, I feel like that’s definitely achievable. I will be manifesting this for you. You’ll also be attending and performing soon at Lady World. Can you tease anything about your music and what’s going on at Lady World?
Kaitlyn Bristowe: I can’t believe I’m doing a performance. Like, I regret it. I am so scared. [laughs] No, I don’t regret going to Lady World. I am so scared that I, I said yes to singing on stage because I’m so scared. And I was like, that means I need to do it. So I’m going to do it scared. And if I mess up, that’s fine. I’m going to bring it back to Zumba where I’m like, we’re all just here having a moment together.
And I’m just going to be very honest with the audience and say like, this is my first time performing with like a guitar and a singer with me with an in-ear. Like, I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m not a professional. So if I screw up, like, please take over the words. Actually, if they know the words, that will be the most like, yeah, I would fall off my chair because I remember when I was little, I was like, imagine singing in front of a crowd and a crowd is singing your lyrics back to you. Like, that’s bucket list for me. So if that happens, okay. I’m actually so nervous, but so excited. But Lady World is going to be like the most epic girls weekend ever. Oh my gosh.
Screen Rant: It’s going to be great. In terms of next chapter, like obviously music has been something you’ve been doing and keep coming back to, is that what we can look forward to? Or is there something exciting cooking?
Kaitlyn Bristowe: I mean, I used to be able to not talk about it, but now that it’s out the show, Are You My First? was really exciting to host and so fun to watch. I feel like the show is just incredible and so cute and awkward and sweet and dramatic and all the things you’d want in reality TV. So I’m so hyped that that’s out on Hulu.
But yes, I feel like I’ll always dabble in music just because it really does fill my cup. Like dancing and singing is what I grew up loving to do. And now as an adult, I’m like, why are we all not doing the things that we loved as kids? [We should all] do that.