Break out the roses, because The Bachelorette is coming to this side of the border. In the fall of 2016, The Bachelorette Canada will air on W Network, with casting (for both girls and guys) set to begin soon. It’s the first Bachelorette Canada season ever, and it comes after two seasons of The Bachelor Canada.
The show will feature Alberta-born Jillian Harris, who currently hosts Love It or List It Vancouver. She has some U.S. Bachelor and Bachelorette experience, having appeared on both in the past. Harris, who now lives in Kelowna, B.C., says she’ll have a role on the show, but doesn’t know what it is yet.
ET Canada spoke exclusively to Harris to get the dirt on what to expect if you want to be the titular Bachelorette.
“I think the Canadian Bachelorette is in for a complete life change,” says Harris, who was second runner-up on the 13th season of The Bachelor, and was subsequently chosen as the first Canadian star of The Bachelorette.
WATCH: Kaitlyn Bristowe and Shawn Booth talk life post-Bachelorette
“On the good side of things, there are so many opportunities that came to me from being on the show,” she continued. “I think it has really made me into a more dynamic person…and the good parts about me came from taking that risk of being on the show.”
Still, Harris admits that the process is far from easy.
“Some of the happiest and coolest moments of my life happened because of that show, but I think also, some of the lowest parts of my life happened because of the show,” she says. “The breakup, and the attention, and the online bullying. There was a point in time where I was sick because I couldn’t deal with everything. People would say, ‘Well, that’s what she signed up for,’ but nothing can prepare you for being a ‘normal’ person, to all of a sudden being on the cover of all the magazines.”
As for the guys, her advice is simple: be yourself.
“I know it’s hard if all that free alcohol is there,” she admits, “but unless somebody has told you that you’re really a better person when you’re drunk, I would probably just stick to two or three drinks!”
-With files from ET Canada’s Will Reid