Jasmine Lorimer admits she’s not good at casually dating in the digital age.

Dating apps like Tinder didn’t work out for the 27-year-old hairstylist and when she moved to the small town of Pemberton, B.C., she wasn’t sure how or if she would find love.

Then “The Bachelorette Canada” came along.

“Doing it this way, even though it seems kind of crazy, is a little closer to traditional dating than online dating, in my opinion,” says Lorimer, star of the inaugural Canadian version of the series, which premieres Tuesday on W Network.

“At least it’s all face-to-face and you’re not texting…. You only have your face-to-face moments to connect.”

Twenty men from across Canada will be vying for Lorimer’s affection in the series, including an aviation engineer, a welder, a firefighter/paramedic and a Butler in the Buff.

 

http://brandedyyc.com/bachelorette-canadas-contestants-revealed/

The bachelors exceeded her expectations, she says, noting they’re “all very, very different.”

“I know (viewers) are going to love all of the guys. I’m more excited almost to see them all getting released to the public because I love them all.”

The Kenora, Ont., native says when she first met with the production team about doing the show, it just felt right: “I didn’t even question it for a second.”

She considers herself an adventurous type of person who takes risks, so signing on to the show wasn’t a “huge shocker for a lot of people.”

Her sister was “a little bit more skeptical” but her mom became emotionally invested.

“My mom is getting a T-shirt made,” she says. “She wants it to say, ‘Bachelorette Canada’s mom’ and I’m so embarrassed.”

Lorimer had to put her career on hold for a bit to shoot the show, but notes her clients are used to her disappearing for a while as she’s an avid traveller.

“Actually my friends and family too, I had to tell them that my phone broke and that I just wasn’t going to get a new phone and everyone was like, ‘OK, typical Jasmine, just falling off the grid for a little while,'” she says. “So it was easy to sneak away.”

When cameras started rolling, she had a “completely open” mind and wasn’t looking for anyone specific.

“I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t allowing myself to follow any past dating patterns,” she says. “I was almost taking this as a lesson to myself, too, and a growing experience as well.”

The production followed the same formula as the U.S. version, which she’s watched on and off over the years, but there was one distinctly Canuck difference.

“The guys said please and thank you a little more often,” says Lorimer. “They were very polite Canadian boys.”

Lorimer says doing the show taught her a lot about herself and made her realize how much she wants a stable and healthy relationship.

Of course she can’t say what the outcome of the show was, but she does note: “I’m very happy.”

Jasmine Lorimer
via the W Network

Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press

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