By Lori Bizzoco and Whitney Baker Johnson
If you’ve been watching NBC’s dating reality competition show Ready for Love, you may have been disappointed to hear that it was cancelled by the network after only two low-rated episodes. Many viewers felt like the new series presented a false reality when it came to dating and relationships, reinforcing the belief that you have to be perfect to find real love.
For those of you who are fans of the show, don’t fret! NBC.com is airing the remaining episodes, so you’ll still be able to follow the journey of Ernesto Arguello, Tim Lopez and Ben Patton as they search for their soul mates. Filming wrapped last August, so we can’t imagine what it’s been like for the bachelors to keep their final picks a secret — something that they must continue to do until the finale airs on Tuesday, June 4th. To tide us over, we caught up with Patton, who we interviewed prior to the premiere, and chatted about his current relationship, his take on the other two bachelors and his past love with one of the contestants.
Related Link: Ben Patton Tells Us Why He’s ‘Ready for Love’
Since the show is still officially airing on NBC.com, the Texas businessman can’t reveal his final choice. However, he did mention that it’s been a pretty challenging time since the show finished filming, particularly given the constraints that the new couple has faced (they haven’t been allowed to be seen together in public for almost nine months). Even so, he says that he’s “still going through it” with his significant other. “After the finale airs, that’s when we can see if it’s the real thing. Right now, we can’t even go through the real experience of dating.”
Given their busy schedules, the twosome’s time together varies. Sometimes, they see each other every two weeks, but other times, they’re apart for over a month. They last saw each other about three weeks ago, and Patton says their relationship has become “more stress than fun. She’s really stressed. I’m really stressed. I’m not going to lie, it’s very hard.” For now, they’re learning to balance their individual lives and trying to make it work.
As for the future, the hospital CEO says he can’t leave Dallas and hopes that his pick will relocate. However, he does admit that he’s a rationale person when it comes to love. “I keep telling her that we shouldn’t force the relationship for the sake of the show or to prove America wrong. If it’s not working, then it’s not working. At the end of the day, we need to think in terms of what’s best for us.”
He adds, “These challenges make it kind of impossible for people to be happy in a relationship. But that doesn’t mean we won’t be happy when we can be together.”
So did the other men find love? “Yeah, I know that they did. All of us found love, and at the end of filming, we were very happy. We came off the show saying what an amazing experience it was.” As for their favorite matchmaker, Patton explains that the guys bonded most with Matthew Hussey. “He knew what was going on in our heads. We could really relate to the advice that he gave the women.”
Until the winners are disclosed, there’s one woman who’s stealing the spotlight on the show, something that Patton calls “The Kari Situation.” He first dated contestant Kari Krakowski in 2006 and describes their relationship as “on-again, off-again for about two years.” Of their past, he shares, “When I date someone, it’s monogamous. Kari, though, was still emotionally involved with her ex and not quite over him. To be fair, when I wasn’t available to hang out because I was busy working, she assumed I wasn’t into her. There was just a lot of miscommunication.” Patton admits that he really cared about her and was hurt.
Related Link: Cancelled: Why NBC’s ‘Ready for Love’ Fueled America’s Hatred
Although they tried to rekindle things when he returned to the states after spending time in Dubai, they eventually called things off for good. Viewers saw how shocked he was to see Krakowski on the Ready for Love stage. On the most recent episode, the pair spent some one-on-one time together and gave fans a glimpse of their chemistry. “I was smitten with her. I remember all of the good parts of being with her, and it’s really hard to let go. Plus, it’s a lot easier to kiss someone you were once romantically involved with than it is to kiss strangers. There’s more history.”
Another lady who has captured our attention is Angela Zatopek, who is writing a weekly column for CupidsPulse.com about her experience on Ready for Love. Patton describes her as “an amazing girl.” The bachelor shares that he never makes the first move, so it was fitting that Zatopek went in for their first kiss on their vineyard date. Only time will tell if that kiss leads to more!
It’s no surprise that the most difficult part of the experience for Patton was sending the girls home in The Garden. Since these women were emotionally-invested in him from the start, he felt like he was really letting them down. “They watched videos of me, built this idea in their minds and thought I was ‘the one’ before the show even started filming. It was really hard to let them go.”
Be sure to watch ‘Ready for Love’ on NBC.com. For more information about Ben follow him on Twitter @Ben_Patton.
