He came in to find love, but Jamie Doran found friendship more than anything else on Bachelor in Paradise.
The 40-year-old was left without a rose in episode eight despite his efforts to continue his streak of friendship roses.
Of course, there were plenty of twists and turns for Jamie – but several striking moments stood out beyond any others.
You’d be hard pressed not to have noticed the emotional scenes to ensue when his close friend Timm threatened to leave Paradise after being called out a Bula Banquet.
And we won’t be forgetting his emotional, yet unprecedented speech after his elimination at the rose ceremony anytime soon.
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“Over the last 10 years I’ve build some walls around myself. I thought I came on Paradise and I let those walls down and opened myself up,” he told his fellow contestants.
“I had feelings for Helena that I’ve actually never felt for anyone in my life. She gave me butterflies every morning when I saw her.”
“I’m going to go out there and find my own version of Helena, and that’s what I’m going to take from this experience.”
Speechless was the only way to describe how he left his fellow contestants.
So how is Jamie doing now? WHO spoke to the Bachie star as his elimination aired on Aussie screens to hear how his experience on the show really went down.
Jamie Doran opens up about his experience on Bachelor in Paradise.
(Network Ten)Jamie, your time in Paradise is now over – did you feel like you had unfinished business with any of the guys or girls in Fiji?
Jamie: I feel that when I left Paradise the time was right for me to return home. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with anyone on a level that I wanted to pursue romantically. However, I have made lifelong friends through the experience.
How did you feel about leaving?
At the time I was pretty upset about leaving. I went into Paradise with the best intentions, and that was to meet a partner.
Now watching back the season on television I have realised that it was time for me to leave and to give someone else the opportunity of finding love.
Jamie formed close connections with his fellow contestants on Paradise – but not in the romantic sense.
(Network Ten)We saw you get very emotional when your friend Timm was going to leave –why did you have such an intense reaction to that moment and how have you felt about how that has been received by the audience? Are you and Timm still friends – what was the last thing you talked or texted about if so?
The scenes with Timm were difficult for me to watch. I agree that I was overreacting, but at the time I was hurting.
Timm was there for me after The Bachelorette. I was receiving a lot of negative criticism, and I went to Melbourne to spend a lot of time with him.
The Bula Banquet that night was quite heated for everyone, so when I walked in the room and he was packing his bags to leave, I was upset.
In the moment, I felt like I wouldn’t have that same support network in Paradise if he left. There’s heightened emotions in Paradise, and I displayed that (in all of its glory).
The audience has the right to their opinions. I just want everyone to know that my reaction to Timm leaving came from a good place. In that moment I just felt that I couldn’t continue in Paradise without him.
Timm and I are as close as ever. We will be friends for the rest of our lives. We speak every day.
‘I’ve never met anyone like her” – Brittney and Tim have a friendship rose pact during filming.
(Network Ten)You’re sometimes described as ‘intense’ or even a clinger – do you think that’s fair and if not, why not?
I don’t feel I’m as intense as I come off on screen. When people meet me in real life they are surprised how relaxed I am.
However, I’ll own everything that you see on screen. Just remember, it’s only a few minutes each day that you are seeing.
You clearly have a lot of love to give – why do you think you haven’t found the one for you yet?
As much as it may seem like on screen, I am quite fussy when it comes to a partner. I still haven’t found that person who ticks all my boxes.
Which girl on Paradise were you most drawn to and why?
Brittney for her energy, Helena for her beauty, Brittany Hockley for her intelligence, Renee for her compassion, Alisha for her honesty, Mary for her love and kind spirit, Cass for her humour, Jessica for her loyalty.. I could go on, but I know people are going to attempt to parallel this response to when I was unsure which direction my rose was going.
I feel blessed to meet a bunch of wonderful people. However, I’ll cherish my time with Brittney Weldon above anything else.
I’ve never met anyone like her. She just beams this beautiful positive energy which is impossible to not channel off.
Would you consider another stint on Paradise next year if asked?
Of course the old boy would go back, I really enjoyed my time in Paradise. Maybe it could be third time lucky? However, I may have to bring my walking cane next time, to keep up with all of these 20 and 30 somethings.
What have you learned about yourself in your Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise experiences?
Love can be found in the most unusual circumstances. I’m excited to watch the rest of the season and see who ends up together.
This article originally appeared on our sister site Who.
