Chris Leroux, former Major League Baseball player and the third Canadian Bachelor, seems happy.
The 33-year-old star of Bachelor Canada put it all on the line — his dignity, his privacy, his heart — to find his true love among 20 women. Now retired from baseball, Leroux wanted to find someone to settle down with and start a life together.
WATCH BELOW: The latest on Bachelor Canada
Starting Wednesday night, Canadians will have the chance to watch Leroux navigate his way through the oft-choppy waters of reality TV in order to find that special woman.
Global News sat down with Leroux and Bachelor Canada host Noah Cappe to discover what the 12-episode Season 3 has on offer.
This is the best season of Bachelor, period
At least, according to Cappe, who says he’s watched every season of both the U.S. and Canadian Bachelor and Bachelorette shows.
“It’s a long ride, but it’s jam-packed,” said Cappe. “Right out of the gate, it’s a blockbuster. You really have to watch it. I’ve seen every episode of this show, I’ve been watching before I ever became a part of it. This is a good one, man. If you’re a fan of the franchise, it has all those elements and moments that you hope and wait to see. If you’ve never seen it before, I’m telling you, this is a great show to ease into. I’m excited for the whole country to see it.”
The show is not rigged, nor is there overt producer influence
Many people claim that reality shows, especially romantic/dating ones, are rigged by producers and showrunners who want to make the most of the outcome. Both Cappe and Leroux insist there was no influence by the powers-that-be.
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“I was given free rein to make any decision I wanted,” said Leroux. “I kept people based on our connection. I’m sure I sent home some beautiful people who I just didn’t have a connection with.”
“This show will always struggle in the sense that it’s a TV show,” said Cappe. “There are going to be parts that are edited. They’re going to be made to be beautiful visually. This is real life with real emotions, but at the same time, there is a polished product that gets served at the end of it.”
Leroux is anti-drama
The former major leaguer prides himself on his aversion to drama, which, as any Bachelor fan knows, is a hallmark of the series. Leroux says if there is any drama, it’ll be among the women. He did his best to avoid it.
It was easy for Leroux to find “the one” among these women
In a short period of time, Leroux claims he was able to whittle down the women to those he felt a genuine chemistry with. To him, it was obvious who he’d end up with. (We have yet to see if it’ll be obvious to the viewers.)
READ MORE: ‘The Bachelor Canada’ contestants revealed: Meet the final 10 women
“I could definitely tell… the cream rises to the top,” said Leroux. “Being a professional baseball player, I’m good at weeding out who likes me for me and who likes me for my potential earnings. I think I did a good job, and to me, it’s obvious. I don’t think it was that hard, but I’ll let the viewing public make their own decisions.”
Leroux’s parents play a big part
Some of Leroux’s friends weren’t onboard with the idea of finding love on a reality show, for understandable reasons. Even Leroux’s parents had a tough time accepting it, but apparently, they played a big role in helping him make his decision. Again, Cappe and Leroux were mum about the details.
“My parents were like ‘What?’ at first,” said Leroux. “They were a little bit hesitant, and just like any parent out there, they want the best for their child. If I was going after this with 100 per cent of my energy, then they were totally OK with it. They were a bit nervous that they’d have to be on TV…”
“They ended up playing a big role!” interjected Cappe.
“My dad was surprisingly chill,” laughed Leroux. “And I definitely had a lot of amazing talks with my mom.”
Don’t expect to see much of Leroux on social media
This Bachelor is a private kind of guy, and thinks staying off social media during the season’s airing is the best call for everyone. Since the show has already been shot, Leroux doesn’t see the point of reading people’s opinions on women he did or didn’t choose, since ultimately he’s already chosen.
READ MORE: New ‘Bachelor Canada’ Chris Leroux teases new season: ‘I’m not good at handling drama’
“I do have social media, but I’m not active,” said Leroux. “I’m a private person. If you want to follow the show, I get that you want to follow me, but you can follow The Bachelor Canada, Noah, W Network… just because you don’t see me walking my dog in Toronto videotaping myself, doesn’t mean I’m not alive. I just like my privacy. You can just watch the show. That’s me.”
There will be international travel
The days of zero budget for Canadian reality shows are long gone. Cappe confirmed that the show will be jet-setting this season. There will be travelling, starting with the final minutes of Episode 1. (Unfortunately, Cappe couldn’t reveal where they’re headed — only that yes, there are tropical, exotic locales.)
There will be baseball puns
Despite Cappe’s insistence that the writers didn’t go too far with the baseball puns, the look on his face seemed to indicate the opposite. Would this season really be a home run without them? Batter up!
‘The Bachelor Canada’ premieres on Wed., Oct. 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on W Network.
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