Daisy Kent “Wouldn’t Change A Thing” About The Bachelor Finale

Daisy Kent is not the next Bachelorette — surprising everyone, especially her critics. Throughout Season 28 of The Bachelor, Kent was a clear frontrunner: She had chemistry with the lead, Joey Graziadei, and a backstory that hinted at her resilience. In 2022, she got a cochlear implant to treat her hearing loss, which was a result of Ménière’s disease. At the time, the 25-year-old had to relearn how to speak and hear with the aid of the implant.

But Kent’s past wasn’t the only thing propelling her toward the role of Bachelorette. When it came down to the last two contestants (Kent and Kelsey Anderson), Kent had a feeling she wasn’t going to be given the final rose. So, she opted to take matters into her own hands — visiting Anderson that morning, riding with her to the proposal, and giving both Anderson and Graziadei her support.

As her haters pointed out, it was the perfect Bachelorette audition. It would have been... if Kent had wanted to be the Bachelorette. Instead, the Minnesota native has spent the months after filming focusing on rebuilding her normal, non-reality TV life: She’s moved to LA with her best friend, spent time bonding with her fellow contestants, and even started dating again. “I'm just living my life,” she tells Elite Daily.

Here, she opens up about her time on The Bachelor, her iconic line in the finale, and how it felt when spoilers claimed she was the one to get the final rose.

Elite Daily: I know casting recruited you to come on the show. What was your mindset going into the experience?

Daisy Kent: I didn't really have any expectations going in. I was at a really unique point in my life where I was still completely learning speech and how to hear with my cochlear implant. I just was trying to go on with an open mind and see if there was something there.

ED: How did that shift once you started filming?

DK: It shifted when I started talking to him and when I realized that there was a connection there. Then, that just kept evolving... until it didn't. I didn't expect the experience to go the way it did, but I'm very happy with how everything happened, and I’m glad that I allowed myself to open up and feel everything.

ED: On the Viall Files, you said that you considered leaving Night 1 because it was so overwhelming. What convinced you to stay?

DK: Night 1 was just so loud. I didn't know if it was right for me at that moment. I was thinking, “OK, I think I did this too early. I think I need more time just to focus on my hearing.”

I talked to the producers, and they were very comforting. They told me they would do anything to make me feel comfortable and make me feel OK.

There's going to be some little girl watching this who might need to see me on the show.

Also, in the back of my mind, I thought, “There's going to be some little girl watching this who might need to see me on the show, and it might change her perspective on herself and her confidence." So I was like, "I can't leave right now." I knew I needed to at least stay that first night and push through it.

ED: I’ve always wondered what it’s like for contestants to post photos on Instagram with the lead as the season is airing, no matter how their journey ends. Was that ever weird for you, knowing what you knew?

DK: Honestly, I remember at the beginning, thinking, “Is this weird?” But everyone knows it’s going to be one girl at the end, and everyone on the show knows the ending. We all know what the show is. In real life, it’d be pretty weird.

But I was there up until the very end, so the photos were also part of my story. That's why it didn’t feel wrong to be posting pictures with him. It was my journey, too.

ED: This season of The Bachelor was the first time in a while where it felt like everyone was talking about the show. Why do you think this season resonated so much with people?

DK: It was a really unique season with a really unique group of girls. There were so many girls on the show who had very compelling stories, and they were vulnerable enough to share them.

I'd never been in a room with so many young women who had been through so much and came out on top. Joey also did a great job of making everyone feel like they could open up and share who they are completely.

ED: Did you have a favorite moment while filming?

DK: When there were six of us left in Jasper, we just sat around the campfire one night, laughing. It was a really fun moment between all of us girls. I think part of it was in the bloopers.

ED: Coming off of a reality show, everyone has opinions about how you acted. How do you approach the comments and discourse?

DK: Of course, there are always going to be people who don't like you. I did a reality TV show — I know people are going to have opinions. There are people who say mean things online because they're hiding behind a screen. But most people that do that have a fake username and a fake profile picture, so it's easier for me to dismiss them.

At the end of the day, it’s important to surround yourself with the people who love you, especially when the show is airing. I know a lot of girls got hate this season. It was really sad to see, but I think we all did a good job of lifting each other up.

I was in the airport flying to San Diego at 5 a.m., and I got a screenshot from one of my friends saying that I was engaged.

ED: Reality Steve spoiled the show, but he got it wrong at first. What was it like, seeing rumors that you had gotten the final rose?

DK: I was in the airport flying to San Diego at 5 a.m., and I got a screenshot from one of my friends saying that I was engaged. I almost dropped my phone and fell over. I was in shock.

It was interesting because everyone was telling me, "Congratulations." Everyone was so happy for me, and you just can't say anything. I was like, "I can either be upset about this — it's sad — or I can find a way to look past it.” So that's what I did, but it was interesting, for sure.

ED: On that note, what’s your best piece of breakup advice?

DK: Put time into something you love. It's really beautiful to see that you can do things on your own and create something beautiful. Also, keep in mind that if they're not the right person, there's someone out there who’s so much better for you.

ED: The finale episode got so much attention, especially the way you handled things. If you could go back, would you do anything differently?

DK: I'd do everything the same. I did what was best for me and what I felt was best for everyone involved. I’m really proud of my decision and how I handled it, so I wouldn't change a thing.

ED: Did you expect your actions to resonate so much with people?

DK: When it was happening? No, I was just doing what I felt was best.

Shortly after, I was sitting with one of the therapists on the show. She asked me, “Do you realize what you just did?” And I was like, “What do you mean?” She was like, “This is going to be a really huge and beautiful moment.” When she said that, I realized it might be a bigger moment than I thought.

ED: Has the show changed your perception on what you want in a relationship?

DK: Yeah, it made me realize what I want out of life and the type of relationship I want to be in. I want to be with someone that, at the end of the day, is only going to choose me.

ED: You mentioned on the Viall Files that you were ready to date. What has it been like re-entering that world after having such a unique dating experience on reality TV?

DK: It's always going to be tricky to navigate, especially right after the show. People don't realize that filming ended a while ago. I'm not with him, so I'm free to date whoever I want and do whatever I want. But people are always going to say things.

It's also hard because people are watching me now and seeing what I do.

ED: Do you have a policy with dates about whether they're allowed to watch you on the show?

DK: No, I don't. If anyone wants to watch me on the show, they can. If they're rude about it, then bye. I wouldn't want them anyway.

ED: What's a fear you used to have about dating or relationships that you've overcome since being on The Bachelor?

DK: Talking about my health and my hearing loss was always something I was really nervous about. I would be stressed going on dates, going into an environment where I didn’t know if I’d be able to hear them. It created anxiety for me, but the show really helped me be more confident about it.

ED: You had one line in particular that resonated so much with people: “If I can love the wrong person that much, imagine how much I can love the right person." What did you mean by that in the moment? Does it have the same meaning for you now?

DK: It definitely does. I have so much love in me and so much love to give other people. Honestly, it just came out. But I do think it is a very powerful thing, especially for anyone going through a breakup. It does hurt, but that just means there's someone better for you out there. Someone you'll love more, and they'll love you more.

ED: In the moment, it was just so poetic.

DK: Yeah, when I was watching it back, I was like, "Ohhh.”

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.