Southern boy and country crooner Ty Brown learned that he wasn’t Bachelorette Ali’s prince in Portugal, leaving the show before he could take her home to meet his family in Nashville, TN.

'Bachelorette' Reject Ty Brown: Chris is the Best Fit for Ali

Ty spoke to the media on Thursday about his time on this scandalous season of The Bachelorette, from the infamous wrestler drama to his awkward two-on-one date with fellow love-seeker Frank. Here’s what Ty had to say about Ali, the other guys, and his “traditional” background that so interested The Bachelorette:

Were you more shocked than sad [to be let go]?

That was part of it. Nobody, of course, wants to get let go, especially at that stage in the show. I guess you’re right, I was shocked. At the same time, if I was gonna be going home before being the last person there, it was almost relieving because I didn’t have to get my family involved. At the same time, it was disappointing to be sent home. It wasn’t as emotional as some people are, but I guess it was a little overwhelming at the time. But, you know, she made the decision she made.

Do you think the feelings she had for you were real?

It’s funny to watch the show now and see, not only how I acted and how everybody else acted on the show, and see those feelings come back. It’s very interesting to see, and I think it would have been great to have an opportunity to keep on dating her and see what happened. She is a fun girl and maybe if we had a little more time something might’ve happened. Being let go when I did, I didn’t get to know Ali as well.

What was it like having a 2-on-1 date at this stage in the competition?

It was very uncomfortable and it even looked more uncomfortable after watching it. You never want to go on a 2-on-1 date but since we did, we tried to make the best of it. It was not as awkward as I saw it on TV, but it definitely was not a place I wanted to be, but we had to make the best of it. We did have a good time, and for Frank and I, that was probably the worst two people to go on a 2-on-1 date with, but Frank and I get along, and we tried to make the best of that situation.

Did you feel like they had a better connection?

I knew she had a strong connection with Frank the whole time, but Frank and I would talk at the house and he told me, “I know you and Ali have a strong connection. … You’re one of my strongest competitors in the house.”

Do you think your [traditional upbringing] affected Ali’s decision to let you go?

I think it did raise a lot of questions for her and I wanted to address that with her. I did grow up in a traditional lifestyle, my mom was a schoolteacher but she waited for the kids to grow up before she went back to work. My mom cooked dinner every night. But necessarily am I looking for that? No. I love to see somebody who has goals for herself. That’s very attractive to me.

Who do you think will win Ali’s heart if anybody, and why?

There are things that I like about every one of those guys. If I had to pick one, I think that Chris L. is one of the better fits for Ali. He’s a good guy. It took them a while to hit it off and get into good conversations, but after watching the show I think they had a really good chemistry and they had a good time together. They have a lot in common. I think his family is a little bit different that most everybody else’s.

Do you think she’ll actually picking someone?

I don’t know. I hope she does. I hope she picks someone and she’s very happy.

Give us your rundown on the wrestler and the tattoo boy.

Justin, I don’t really know a lot about Justin. Justin kind of stayed away from everybody. He didn’t hang out with the guys when we had time to ourselves. I hate the way he came across and the way he came about things and the reason that he did this. I don’t agree with that. We were cordial, I guess you would say. As far as Kasey goes, Kasey’s a great guy. He wore his heart on his sleeve, obviously. He got the tattoo to remember this moment, and I make myself believe that that’s why.

People have been going on The Bachelor/ette to further their career. What can you say to convince us that that’s not your ulterior motive?

As far as the music goes, I’ve been doing music for a long time. It was really a tough decision for me to give up my job to go on the show. Music has been a big part of my life. Just a few days before I was supposed to be in L.A. for the show, I went into my boss’s office and he said, “You’ve always tried to do the right thing. You need to do something for yourself. Take this experience and go out there and have a good time, see what it’s about and enjoy it.”

What was your highest moment and your lowest moment [on the show], other than being eliminated?

My lowest moment was probably the week in New York when they were announcing the dates. I really wanted a one-on-one. The highest was when she announced that I was going to have the one-on-one with her and she told me she was saving the date specifically for me and that made me feel good.

Would you take the opportunity to be the next Bachelor?

If they asked me to be the next Bachelor, I would definitely consider it. I’m ready to move on with my life.

Meghan Carlson

Senior Writer, BuddyTV

Meghan hails from Walla Walla, WA, the proud home of the world’s best sweet onions and Adam West, the original Batman. An avid grammarian and over-analyzer, you can usually find her thinking too hard about plot devices in favorites like The OfficeIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and How I Met Your Mother. In her spare time, Meghan enjoys drawing, shopping, trying to be funny (and often failing), and not understanding the whole Twilight thing. She’s got a BA in English and Studio Art from Whitman College, which makes her a professional arguer, daydreamer, and doodler.