TRANSCRIPT FROM THE JANUARY 31 "THE BACHELOR" TELECONFERENCE WITH SELMA "The Bachelor" airs MONDAYS (8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
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Operator: Welcome to ABC's "The Bachelor" call with Cathy Rehl as the leader. This call is being recorded. By staying on this call you are confirming that you consent to this recording. If you do not wish to be recorded please disconnect from the call at this time. Thank you. Ms. Rehl you may begin your call.
Cathy Rehl: Welcome everybody today we have someone who is still in the running to be with Sean at the end and it's Selma. Her last name is pronounced Alameri and it's spelled A-L-A-M-E-R-I and she is on the phone with us from San Fran -- I'm sorry from San Diego. And I just want to remind you that we have a two night event coming up next week.
So on Monday we will be on our regular time at 8 p.m. but on Tuesday we have a brand new episode and it will be on at 9 pm. So just to make sure I think you all know about this, but if you don't there is lots of drama, lots of shocking eliminations. We're not just saying that like as we normally might do. But there really are some big fireworks.
So with that we'll take again our usual question and a follow up and we can start with that right now.
Operator: And ladies and gentlemen if you would like to ask a question please press star then the number one on your telephone key pad. Your first question comes from Gina Scarpa from RealityWanted.com.
Gina Scarpa: Hey good morning Selma.
Selma Alameri: Hi good morning how are you doing?
Gina Scarpa: Good thanks so I kind of have a two part question. First I was wondering if you felt like the fact that your family is strict values, you know the fact that they didn't want you kissing someone on TV, if that put you at a disadvantage, but also if it did put you at a disadvantage then does that mean Sean wouldn't be the guy for you?
Selma Alameri: See now I -- I did feel like it did put me at a disadvantage. I was afraid of that coming into it and I explained that to my family also. I was like you know I'm going there to win someone's heart so all these other woman can show their affection and I can't. You know I'm afraid that he's going to take it as I don't really like him. But at the end of the day Sean is just such an amazing man that he totally understood and it really didn't matter. So, you know, I did feel it would put me at a disadvantage but end of the day no I don't think it did.
Gina Scarpa: Great and then also there's been a lot of talk about Tierra this season and a lot of the women have strong opinions about her. I was wondering how you felt dealing with the drama in the house and she seems to be the center of pretty much all of it.
Selma Alameri: You know I honestly being there -- I kind of kept myself out of the drama because I was just trying to stay focused on one thing and one thing only, but there was so much drama with her and now looking back at it I'm like oh my God, this girl is just so much drama, like how did I even tolerate this so much but you know for the most part I kept myself out of it, but I did feel bad for all of us, to be honest, because it was a daily dramatic episode. It was like it was so crazy.
Gina Scarpa: Well thank you so much, good luck to you.
Selma Alameri: Thank you.
Operator: Your next question comes from Beth Kwiatkowski from Reality TV World.
Beth Kwiatkowski: Hi Selma how are you?
Selma Alameri: I am doing good how are you doing?
Beth Kwiatkowski: I'm doing great. So you told the cameras during Monday night's episode that you weren't planning on kissing Sean until you were the last woman standing. Were you kind of joking about that or completely serious and if you made it all the way to the end would you literally hold out on kissing Sean until that final moment of the season?
Selma Alameri: Well, you know, I honestly, at that moment, I was kind of saying what I thought I was going to do -- like I want to hold out and I was just rolling with the punches. I didn't know what was going to happen. I didn't know if I was going to end up kissing him or if I wasn't, because things change. Life happens, you know?
You don't know -- you act on emotion. You don't know what is going to happen. So, for that moment, yeah, I really did mean it saying it. But you'll have to wait and see, you know, what ended up happening. But honestly I did -- I really did feel that way, and you know (inaudible).
Beth Kwiatkowski: Okay and -- I'm sorry what was that?
Selma Alameri: No go ahead I'm sorry.
Beth Kwiatkowski: Oh OK. In his blog Chris Harrison said you wanted to kiss Sean and really didn't necessarily seem to believe that dating publicly is wrong nor is kissing, but you felt compelled just out of respect for your parents and their believes to refrain from kissing Sean. You know he then wondered whether that would be something you'd ultimately regret.
So I guess my question is could you talk a little bit about your thoughts on that like did you develop a slight feeling of resentment or regret as the season progressed.
Selma Alameri: No, no I 'm the type of person who never regrets anything I do. Honestly I feel like everything is meant to happen. But I -- I really don't believe that showing affection in public is a bad thing like my mom does. But you know at the end of the day she is my mother and she had one simple request. She didn't mind that I was going to do the show, which is huge in our culture. You know, it's big enough to just be going on a dating show but her one request just please just don't make out with him on television, don't be that girl, you know. So to me it was honestly a simple request and I needed to test Sean to see if he would respect my family and my culture as well, you know.
Because we do have just strong culture, you know, and my family is so big in my life so it was sort of a test for him as well and you know it was a huge test for me to see if I could resist even, you know.
Beth Kwiatkowski: Absolutely, OK thanks so much Selma.
Selma Alameri: No problem.
Operator: You next question comes from (Carry Bell) from People Magazine.
(Carry Bell): Good morning I ...
Selma Alameri: Good morning.
(Carry Bell): I am wondering -- a lot has been said about whether or not someone with the values that you obviously exhibited on Monday night that this is the right place for you. That maybe, you know, I don't know the fact that you didn't want to kiss on television or slut it up or whatever makes this kind of a weird spot to put yourself in. Did you ever regret going on the show? I mean did you kind of ever feel like oh yeah maybe this is it. If I shouldn't be kissing in public or I shouldn't be, you know, showing a national audience, or an international audience for that matter, that you know I don't want to be kissing this is not the right place for me.
Selma Alameri: Well my thoughts on that was my family didn't say don't show emotion and don't fall in love. They simply said do not make out with somebody on television. You know, so to me I don't need to make out with a man to know whether I like him or to know whether our lives are going in the same path and whether I can see a future with him. It's more so, you know, his touch his -- his caring, the way he looks at me, that's really what matters at the end of the day not making out with him. So no, I was like I can easily fall in love with him and without having to make out with him, you know.
Really I feel like he thought yes I could tell whether I could be with this girl for the rest of my life or not without having to make out with her either because I saw it in his eyes, you know. He could easily see himself falling in love with somebody without having to physically, you know, do it.
(Carry Bell): OK. And then my other question is if say you do end up with Sean in the end and you can fall in love without kissing and all of that stuff, I mean is he someone that could even fit in with your family? I mean is this something that he would be accepted because he's obviously grown up fairly differently than you.
Selma Alameri: Yeah, you know what it's funny because yeah my brother-in-law is actually blonde hair, blue eyes, a catholic, very American and our family is American. We do live the American culture, you know, we do date. It's not like we don't. My mom clearly knows we do. My mom knows I've kissed a boy before, but and she's very goofy and loving and we do very normal things.
But it was more so just for the people that, you know, that is in our (inaudible) circle. She was like, you know, I just don't want them to have to talk about us, I don't want, you know, I don't want to give them ammo and, you know, for them to think that you guys are bad girls like. But in our family, clearly we date, my sister is married to an American boy and it's not -- it's not he would have fit right in. And all my other sisters, you know, they have boyfriends, they're all American.
Every guy I've ever dated is American, so he would have definitely fit right in. You know he just had to stand the test of time for that moment.
(Carry Bell): Right. Did you know it was Sean going in?
Selma Alameri: Did I know it was Sean?
(Carry Bell): Yeah, I mean did you -- I mean did you kind of go with the hopes it was Sean or know that it was Sean?
Selma Alameri: Yeah I went in with the hopes that it was Sean but we didn't find out until the night before that it was and I was definitely happy about it because he is at the end of the day just such a perfect human being, you know.
(Carry Bell): Okay great -- have fun.
Operator: Your next question comes from Caryn Robbins from Broadway World TV.
Caryn Robbins: Hi Selma how are you?
Selma Alameri: Oh I'm good how are you doing?
Caryn Robbins: I'm good thanks. I wanted to ask you about another aspect of your date with Sean this week. I was so impressed how you scrambled up that steep cliff. It appeared at the beginning that you had a fear of heights and that it wasn't going to happen and then you got right up there. I was just wondering what that experience was like.
Selma Alameri: You know it's so funny because they don't show a whole lot of how scared I really was. I was like freaking out I was so nervous because I really do have a fear of heights and I'd never been rock climbing before and I mean I do love adventure and I hike all the time but to go climb a vertical hundred foot rock, I was at the bottom of that thing staring at it like I don't even know where you want me to start.
And I'm looking at him like if I survive this you would be lucky if I still like you after this. But at the end of the day it was like survival mode and I literally just hauled ass up that rock. I was like I can't even think about anything, I can't think about where I am, what I'm doing. I just blocked it out of my mind and just started crawling like go team go.
And when I got up there I never loved Sean so much because he really did at that moment everyone is like oh he should have given you the glamour date and I'm like no way. He really gave me a chance to prove to the world that like you know I'm more than just a glamour girl, because I am. I actually -- I'm in gym clothes my whole life, you know.
So I was really really happy and I really did love him so much for giving me the opportunity to prove myself that way.
Caryn Robbins: OK and you sort of answered my next question which is it seems kind of unfair that some girls get the glamour dates as you called it and others have to jump off the top of a skyscraper or do what you did and I was just wondering if you thought that that was fair.
Selma Alameri: You know I think that -- I think it's totally fair. I didn't mind it one bit. I loved it as a matter of fact because for him to have taken me on a glamour date it would have so clichŽ. Oh take the glamour girl on a glamour date, please. You know like think of something like exciting, be a little more clever than that. But I mean taking an Iraqi to the desert, I don't know. I was like OK.
But I mean I honestly I do think it's fair, I think that he does it -- he picks certain girls for certain things just to kind of test them and that's the whole point of the dates. You want to test the person you're with you want to see if this is going to work for them because these are probably things that he would do on a daily basis and he wants to see can this girl handle that.
OK let's take this (inaudible) girl to a glamour date and see if she could handle that you know, if this is something she would like doing. So honestly I think it's very smart that he takes them out of their element and kind of tests them a little bit.
Caryn Robbins: Okay thanks so much.
Selma Alameri: ... two colors.
Caryn Robbins: Oh you're welcome.
Operator: Your next question comes from Lauren Wang from KITV.
Lauren Wang: Hey Selma how are you?
Selma Alameri: Hi Lauren good, how you doing?
Lauren Wang: Good. So who did you get along with best at the house you said you kind of kept to yourself but was there one particular girl that you got along with well?
Selma Alameri: You know I didn't like keep to myself I just kept away from the drama. I actually got along with all the girls. I -- I really did but I would have to say I was closest with AshLee. You know her and I were sort of the oldest ones in the house. She might kill me for saying that, but we were so we -- we got a long best but I really did enjoy all the girls that lived in the house. They were all amazing. Well, with the exception of one.
Lauren Wang: We won't mention any names.
Selma Alameri: Yes, we won't mention any names.
Lauren Wang: Did you think everyone including yourself has been portrayed pretty accurately?
Selma Alameri: Actually yes. It's funny because I was so afraid that they were going to make me out to be something I wasn't. I was like oh my God, you know, like you know like you never know with reality television what's going to happen but I mean honestly they can't -- they really can't make you someone you're not. So yes I think everyone has been portrayed like very accurately.
Lauren Wang: OK great Selma thanks so much, good luck.
Selma Alameri: Thank you.
Operator: Your next question comes from Rebecca Fontana from In Touch Weekly.
Rebecca Fontana: HI Selma.
Selma Alameri: Hi Rebecca.
Rebecca Fontana: So my question is I know you just mentioned that you were closest with AshLee but who would you say was the nicest and most trusted girl in the house. Would you say that was her also? And then also who was the least genuine house besides Tierra. Obviously we've heard about her already.
Selma Alameri: Honestly I felt like the most I don't know about the most trusted, I felt like the girls came to me the most because I was sort of like mother hen for some reason. I loved AshLee but you know she did keep to herself a little bit and I mean I felt like the girls came to me more than anything but as far as being the most untrustworthy I honestly couldn't tell you anybody else but Tierra.
Like all the girls got along so well and we've, you know, sort of confided in each other but definitely Tierra was the black sheep and I can honestly say that was the only person that no one really got a long with.
Rebecca Fontana: Oh OK would you say AshLee was like one of the most genuine people in the house?
Selma Alameri: She was, yes, definitely one of the most genuine people. I absolutely adored her. She was just to me she was just a little angel. You know she could do no harm. But that was just my opinion, I can't speak for the other girls. But I definitely thought she was one of the most genuine.
Rebecca Fontana: OH awesome. And what did you think about Leslie H? She just got eliminated?
Selma Alameri: Leslie H. You know I actually didn't get to know Leslie H too much because at that point there were so many girls and we were just barely, you know getting to know each other and she got eliminated so soon, so I didn't get to know too much about her but she was a sweetheart. You know she was a nice girl. I don't know that -- I never saw her and Sean together so I couldn't tell you what their love connection was or anything, but I -- now looking back on that I can't see any connection between them. You know, so --
Rebecca Fontana: All right, awesome. Thank you so much.
Selma Alameri: No problem.
Operator: Your next question comes from Stacey Becker from Radio Business and Television.
Stacey Becker: Hi Selma.
Selma Alameri: Hello Stacy.
Stacey Becker: Hello, I had a question about your parents and was curious about did your parents or your mom watch the show and has their opinion changed about your time on the show and what did they think of Sean?
Selma Alameri: Yes. Yes my mom is watching the show and you know all my sisters and they definitely did change their opinion because they were like -- they were like Sean actually is such a sweet guy, you know, he is a very innocent person. He's sweet and he seems like a very like down to earth and definitely did change their mind especially that I kept to, you know, I stayed and did what they asked me to do so they were like OK we're not living in fear right now, because they definitely were for a minute, you know. I think it changed their mind about it. Definitely.
Stacey Becker: And would you say that you were in love with Sean?003826
Selma Alameri: Definitely, definitely.
Cathy Rehl: excuse me you're using that in the past tense?
Stacey Becker: Oh well I meant at the time of the show --
Cathy Rehl: It may not be a past tense.
Stacey Becker: -- like what we saw like at that point was she in love with Sean.
Cathy Rehl: Okay.
Selma Alameri: Yes I was just going to say at this point in my date I was definitely very, very crazy about him. And I could definitely see a future with a man like him, absolutely.
Stacey Becker: Okay, thank you Selma.
Selma Alameri: No problem.
Operator: Your nest question comes from Ann Oldenberg from USA Today.
Ann Oldenberg: Hi Selma.
Selma Alameri: Hello.
Ann Oldenberg: I just want to clarify the kissing part. You said earlier that you didn't kiss him, we saw you not kiss him but that changed possibly later?
Selma Alameri: You'll have to wait and see I mean -- I can't give that away.
Ann Oldenberg: What about off camera would that have been okay?
Selma Alameri: I mean to my morals no it wouldn't have and honestly --
Ann Oldenberg: So it was kissing at all then was the objection or was it taboo?
Selma Alameri: Yeah, sort of, it was more so just being so public about it. I guess you can say what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. You know so if I was off camera like I don't -- I don't think they would have figured it out but, you know, I can't give that one away.
Ann Oldenberg: And it is -- you are a Muslim? That is accurate -- that's what you said the other day right?
Selma Alameri: No, my family -- I was born into a Muslim family so my mom is practicing but I don't practice a religion at all. I don't practice any certain religion. I'm spiritual and believe in God but I'm not a practicing Muslim...no.
Ann Oldenberg: All right, all right thank you.
Selma Alameri: No problem.
Operator: Once again to ask a question please press star then the number one. You have a follow up from Beth Kwiatkowski from Reality TV World.
Selma Alameri: Yes.
Operator: Beth please proceed with your question.
Beth Kwiatkowski: Hi Selma. In Sean's blog he said you fell asleep on his chest while flying to Joshua Tree, I think that's the first time I've heard in a while of a girl falling asleep during her one on one date that wasn't a fantasy suite date, obviously. So just curious like how long did you sleep for and when you woke up were you a little frustrated you slept during the small amount of time you could have spent talking to him or getting to know him better or did that just not cross your mind.
Selma Alameri: You know it's funny because we were both -- we had the rose ceremony the night before so we were both very, very, very tired, you know, woke up very early that morning and it was literally like a ten minute nap, like not even you know like we didn't even fall asleep we just kind of closed our eyes like okay let's just be peaceful for a minute.
Like I've been living in the house with the girls for so long and it's been so rowdy and there was always cameras in my face and you know I was like -- I just want a moment of peace so I wanted to just lay there with him for a minute just to see if that felt, you know, just to lay on his chest like and see hey does this feel good like can I Just sit here in silence with him because it's easy to hold a conversation with somebody and be comfortable but in my world it's not as easy to just sit there with somebody in silence and be okay with it.
So I kind of wanted to test that a little bit and I was really tired and it just seemed like a good moment to just kind of close our eyes and just rest for a second. I didn't really fall asleep I just kind of closed my eyes.
Beth Kwiatkowski: Okay, awesome. And you've talked a little bit about, you know, the girls that are really genuine in the house and how you were pretty much friend with everyone but you know if it can't be you that ends up with Sean is there another girl in the house you think would be a really good match for him?
Selma Alameri: Well no I think I'm the best match for him. Genuine or not I don't care that was my man.
Beth Kwiatkowski: All right, fair enough all right thanks Selma.
Selma Alameri: No problem.
Operator: Your next question is a follow up from Carry Bell from People Magazine.
(Carry Bell): Can you -- I know you've like mentioned it through the call that Tierra was sort of the black sheep and it seems like you guys -- it seems like there was some cold -- I don't know exactly what happened and I know you can't obviously tell us but when it was happening, the drama of next week's episode, was this sort of something that everybody sort of said oh there goes Tierra again, this is just the next step in her evolution of drama or (inaudible) last moments where you were like I can't believe this is happen. I mean how did you feel in that moment?
Selma Alameri: I literally sat in silence and stared like duh, like didn't see that one coming. You know like it was just every time she did do something I was not surprised one bit like I was never surprised by what she did every and I would always say that like don't be surprised like she -- every time she comes out every time she's going to be around Sean there is going to be some kind of drama because that is how she gets attention.
End of story so don't be surprised when it happens. You know.
(Carry Bell): You think that -- are you seeing more now than as you watched it because obviously you weren't on the group date last week so you didn't see those sort of water works and everything but did everybody kind of talk about it when they came back from the date or are you seeing stuff now on TV that you're like oh my God she's even worse than I thought.
Selma Alameri: You know it's funny because they did when they came back that night it was so dramatic. Like I'm surprised that they didn't air all that because there was even more drama when you know they came home. I remember I was sleeping, I feel like I'm sleeping throughout this whole thing.
I don't know what's happening, but anyway I was sleeping and I just woke up to all this like arguing and back and forth hand I'm like what is going on and so I remember them telling me this story, what not and I kind of was like okay can we go back to bed it's not that serious, good night. You know but now that I'm watching it I'm like oh my God this girl, like I mean I -- I diagnose her bipolar for sure.
(Carry Bell): OK. Do you think that -- I mean everybody kind of talked like Sean does see it (inaudible) a different side and all this I mean do you - do you think that he can possibly I don't know that he could possibly continue to not see how crazy she is or do you think that maybe she is there for the right reasons because she wants Sean but she just doesn't get along with girls. I mean how do you think that works?
Selma Alameri: That's -- you know that's how I saw it when I was in the house. I was like and that's why I ignored it because I was like this girl just doesn't know how to get along with other people. Like with other girls especially and I thought about and I'm like not everybody is going to be comfortable in a situation like this. Not everybody can handle dating a man with 26 other women, as much as they come into it thinking maybe they can, no it's harder than your realize, you know. It sounds all easy in your head but then you start to gain feelings for this man and all of the sudden you go crazy.
But to me I'm still like lady hide your crazy for a little bit like you -- you know you signed up for this at the end of the day don't forget that and don't take it out on us like it's not our problem that you can't handle it. So I mean I don't know if she was there for the right reasons, I don't know what her deal is. Sean definitely did not see the like crazy side of her because she would literally be crazy with us and then I'd watch her with Sean and she'd be like batting her eyelashes and just like this sweet little puppy looking into his eyes.
And I'm like oh my God this girl has just got him so fooled. So you know I don't know. I don't know what her deal is and still can't figure it out to this day.
(Carry Bell): It's so hard because when you watch it back on television it's very easy to be like dude like wake up and smell the coffee. Like how do you not see that this is so fake or this is so crazy, you know but I imagine in the situation it's probably a lot harder to, you know, and especially because he's not seeing everything.
Selma Alameri: Yes.
(Carry Bell): It's just seems like OK. At some point I think he's got to -- I mean he's a smart dude and a nice guy, you know I feel like he's got to like wake up and be like oh wait. You're not the one for me, you know.
Selma Alameri: That's what, you know we were thinking at the time we were left, Sean's not a stupid man like he's a smart guy, he's very sharp, he's very you know like I'm sure he has a very good judge of character but at the end of the day he wasn't living with us. You know, he didn't see her on a daily basis, he saw her for, you know, the date and he -- and she would pretend to get along with us on the date.
Like she would start acting all nice to us and you know whatever so she just was a completely different person like it was crazy how she could switch it on and off and he really just didn't see it. And I don't blame him for not being able to see it at all because she was so good at it and I'm like all right, you know either someone is going to have to tell him or he's never going to see it because she could play this off so well.
(Carry Bell): OK great thank you.
Cathy Rehl: One thing I will -- one thing I will tell you before we continue is the upcoming two episodes first of all she's involved in the two on one date and you will see some really amazing group dates with her involved so.
Selma Alameri: (Inaudible).
Cathy Rehl: So if you think you've seen drama, you haven't seen drama yet.
Selma Alameri: Oh, no you haven't it's crazy. It doesn't end.
Operator: Your next question is a follow up with Beth Kwiatkowski from reality TV world.
Beth Kwiatkowski: HI Selma;
Selma Alameri: Hi.
Beth Kwiatkowski: So Amanda was kind of portrayed this season as being very quiet and guarded around the girls and kind of similar like you've been talking about Tierra a different person in front of Sean. You know one bachelorette once said she was sneering all night and another of the girls said she was simply "weird' I guess what were your impressions of Amanda were you a fan of hers and were you surprised at all that Sean sent her home?
Selma Alameri: Honestly I wasn't surprised that he sent her home because I didn't see a connection between them but I didn't mind Amanda at all I liked her. I thought she was -- she was very different and quiet but she wasn't mean or crazy or conniving or anything by no means. She was just sort of quiet, you know.
I mean she talked to all the other girls but she wasn't as outgoing as some of the other girls in the house who were. So maybe she both took that the wrong way but she defiantly wasn't like a conniving person or anything like that. She sort of kept to herself.
Beth Kwiatkowski: Okay, and so far this season a lot of viewers keep saying that Sean seems to think that every girl is "the one" after he has a special one on one date with them or, you know, some private time alone with certain girls and stuff and I guess while you're watching the season unfold what are your thoughts on that do think that is a little surprising of Sean or you know understand are you understanding of that?
Selma Alameri: No. I -- I actually kept saying I don't envy Sean like -- I feel so bad for him because there really were a lot of good catches this season. You know, but there was a lot of good girls and I -- he was in a really tough position because each girl was so sweet and was so genuine and you know they picked good girls for a good guy and they did a good job at it. So, I did think he had a hard task and I do think that he really genuinely really liked each girl because if I can really genuinely like each girl then, you know, he definitely could too.
As a girl and living in the house with them and drama and this, if I could still like them at the end of the day you know they're good girls, you know? So I believe him when he says he really had connections with each of them.
Beth Kwiatkowski: Okay perfect, thank you Selma.
Selma Alameri: No problem.
Operator: And I show no further questions at this time.
Cathy Rehl: Well thank you everybody I appreciate you all being here today. The release for Monday's episode is out already. The release for Tuesdays will go out on Monday night after the show airs on the east coast, so you can be looking for that then as well as the photos for that episode. So thanks everybody if you have any question or problems please give me a call at 212-456-6749 otherwise we hope to hear from you and talk to you next week, thanks.
Operator: Ladies and gentlemen thank you for participating in today's conference you may now disconnect.
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