We're only a couple short weeks away from the premiere of The Bachelor season 16, and the pre-season promotional blitz is in full swing. Today, the show's latest star, wine-maker Ben Flajnik, joined reporters on a conference call to discuss his experience of trying to find a wife on television. Again.

While he alluded to all the romance and drama to come this season and said that he's "happy" with his final decision, in typical Bachelor fashion, Ben stayed tight-lipped about the journey's juiciest details. For those, we'll just have to watch.

Reporters also made sure to ask about all those rumors swirling around this summer about his relationship (or lack thereof) with actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, who professed her love for Ben after watching him on The Bachelorette, and even flew out to his winery for a special visit. But that was the end of that, it seems. Ben clearly wasn't too impressed by the famous actress, as he started his answer about their encounter with, "She's a nice girl, but..." As anyone who's ever been on a first date knows, nothing good ever came after that phrase.

Read on for the highlights from Ben's Bachelor conference call:

On whether he "found love" on the show (which it sounds like he did ... at least with himself):

"I obviously can't tell you that, but I'm happy with my decision in doing the show -- another good experience, another cathartic, therapeutic adventure for me."

On if he's happy with the outcome:

"I can't tell you that. I'm happy with the experience. I'm happy that I decided to become The Bachelor again -- to  make it more personal."

On his favorite date of the season:

"They're all kind of over the top and outlandish, but I kind of found the ones to be the most normal to be my favorite -- the ones that were closest to everyday life."

On how he felt when the first limo pulled up on the first night:

"Normally I'm very cool, calm and collected, but when that first limo pulled up, sheer panic and terror kind of set in. (Laughs) It took the first few ladies and meeting them for me to really kind of settle it, but your heart's racing. It's nerve-wracking on both sides."

On what he thought when he saw Sheryl, the spunky senior citizen, get out of the limo:

"I wasn't sure what to make of it. She was there the first night and I won't go into too much detail, but she is there for a specific reason."


On how he felt about being in control this time around:

"The control thing is interesting because I liked -- what I tried to do from the first night was just be an equal and be on that level and not be on a high horse and pretend like I was in control. I wanted to stress to the women that I was going to be open and honest and if they had questions to come to me, because I was in their shoes before, and that hopefully, we could all get through this together."

On whether he thinks it's possible to fall in love with more than just one person:

"Yeah I do! I mean, you're obviously trying to figure out a lot of things along the way and it's a difficult situation. It was easily the hardest thing that I have had to do in my entire life. The hours are long and you're always thinking about the relationships that you have -- each individual relationship, where it's going, where it's not going, and I don't know. It's difficult."

On what he was looking for in a woman:

"I asked for a professional woman -- a working woman that was experienced and worldly. Those are things I find very valuable in a woman and in a relationship. So, they did a really good job in selecting the women this time. [...] It's important for me to be with someone who's well-rounded, cultured and flexible -- not someone that is so used to routine, because my life is very sporadic. Being in the wine industry, no two days are ever the same. So, those are the rather hard qualities that I look for."

On proposing at the end of the show:

"I don't know if I was hesitant. I said to production before I went on, "I'm not going on this show to propose. If it just so happens that I meet someone that strikes that chord and I can see myself with, then there's a strong possibility." But I was still open to it going into the experience."

On whether he "sugarcoated" his rejections after asking Bachelorette Ashley Hebert not to do that to him:

"I do a little bit more sugarcoating. I mean, obviously it's a different position, you know? Like someone asked earlier, there's this stigma of being in a power position, so you have to be sweet about it and it's difficult. No one wants to be sent home or not be given the chance to spend anymore time with you. So, I was on the other side, so my heart goes out to the women that I had to say goodbye to."

On whether the women got really upset when he dumped them (well, of course they did):

"I don't remember anyone getting all that -- I don't remember anyone getting that upset.  Obviously there's plenty of crying, and a lot of it I, unfortunately, don't see. They're kind of out of there pretty quick and I'm -- I guess I'll find out when you guys do too while watching them after the fact."

On that whole Jennifer Love Hewitt thing:

"Yeah, she reached out and wanted to come up to the winery with some of her friends, which she did. So, my business partner and I showed her around the winery and they tasted some wines and we went out to dinner and just kind of chatted about life and the experience and all that kind of stuff.

She's a nice girl, but it was right in the middle of the time where I was deciding whether I was doing The Bachelor or not, and I don't really -- After all this is said and done, I just want to go back to my life in northern California. Most people don't really know who I am and I prefer it that way. So, ending up with a Hollywood celebrity is not something that I ever imagined doing."

On whether he felt uncomfortable stripping in front of TV cameras:

"No, I mean, here's the thing, my friend. When a beautiful woman asks you to go skinny dipping on a beach, (laughs) you don't say no, and that's kind of -- I think any guy would be crazy not to. Granted there were cameras around and I realize that, but it's not the end of the world. It's not that big of a deal to me."

On what he makes of The Bachelor's bad track record (and its most recent failed relationship):

"I don't know Roberto and Ali personally. It's hard because relationships end whether you're on a TV show or not, and so, it's tough to say. It's really hard to say because you look at the pool of people and it's a very small, small number, and unfortunately, some haven't worked out and some have. There are some celebrated relationships that end up from the show. And for me, I'm an opportunist and optimist, and I feel like you really can find someone in any way, shape or form. It doesn't matter if it's on a TV show or on an airplane or at a restaurant. It comes in many forms."

On what makes him different from past Bachelor and Bachelorette stars:

"What makes me different? I don't know, I keep it pretty real. I'm pretty honest and open and at times, maybe a bit too open I suppose, but yeah. I had a good time with this too. I take it seriously, but in the moment, I'm having fun. I'm having fun and I'm goofing around. I'm kind of a jokester."

Tune in to watch jokester Ben meet his 25 eligible bachelorettes when The Bachelor premieres Monday, January 2 at 8pm on ABC.


(Image courtesy of ABC)