Chat Transcript with MSN 4/24/02 Digital Dish Diva says: Welcome to MSN Live! This afternoon we are pleased to welcome Alex Michel of "The Bachelor" to MSN Live. Alex, great to see you! Thanks for being here! We have thousands of questions here for you so let's get started! Alex Michel says: Thanks everybody for joining this chat! Hope you enjoyed the show last night. Don't miss the big finale next Thursday and a special reunion of the 23 women who didn't get picked while they see never before seen footage and dish about the Bachelor. fultsndfan in Onstage9 asks: Who was the best kisser out of all the women? Alex Michel says: Every woman I kissed was damn good at it. I have no complaints or further comments. latinalm in Onstage6 asks: Why would you use this try of avenue to find a wife? Alex Michel says: When I first heard about this, I honestly felt like it was the right thing for me. This is the ultimate dating service. The network went out and found 25 very cool women with my interests in mind and the ratio didn't hurt either. I also think that women who have enough self-confidence to be on a show like this have some qualities I'm looking for. widgetmom in Onstage1 asks: Hi Alex. Has it been hard to "keep the secret" and are you glad it's almost over? Thanks for great entertainment and for FINALLY getting rid of Shannon. Good luck to you. Alex Michel says: Thanks for the good luck wishes. It's been torture keeping the secret. I do look forward to having it be over so I can finally talk about it. twotweetie in Onstage4 asks: Did you have trouble separating the women in your mind? Alex Michel says: No. I worried about that. My greatest fear was calling someone by the wrong name, but I got to know these women so well that it wasn't a problem because these women were all so unique. valentine853 in Onstage5 asks: Was the attention that Shannon gave her dog a big red flag for you? Also I could tell by the look on your face that you couldn't believe she left you with her parents and ran to her dog and you had just met her parents! Alex Michel says: It wasn't a red flag but I found myself a little jealous of the dog and knew I'd be competing with the dog for her affections. PRINCESS4ALEX in Onstage4 asks: Alex, I was wondering if you believe in love at first sight, I wonder that sometimes. Alex Michel says: Yes, I do believe in love at first sight, but I also believe you can't always trust first impressions and love grows the more you get to know someone. aimpla in Onstage4 asks: Alex, did you get any interaction with the ladies outside of the set up dates? Alex Michel says: Yes. There were some opportunities for us to talk off camera. They were few and far between, but they were actually important. I think it was a dilemma for the producers because they knew that giving us some alone time would help the romance but they were scared to miss anything good with the camera. beachluvr_3 in Onstage7 asks: Alex, without revealing who you picked, what would you say was your best date and with who? Alex Michel says: All the dates were wonderful and they were all very different. One highlight was taking Shannon to Escada to try on dresses. Another was seeing New York City through Amanda's eyes. Another was being nursed back to health by Trista in Hawaii. foxtvbride in Onstage1 asks: Are you happy with the way you were portrayed? Do you feel it was accurate? What about the ladies? Were they portrayed correctly? Alex Michel says: I think the editors did a good job. I think they included a lot of the most important moments. But the show is short and is only the tip of the iceberg of what happened. There's not enough time for all the conversations to play all the way out, so it looks like all we talked about was who liked who, but we actually got to know each other well. dmillefo in Onstage1 asks: What difference did it make for you that Amanda's marriage had been annulled (as opposed to her being a divorcee)? Alex Michel says: It's really just a technicality which really doesn't mean anything. But I got a kick out of the fact that Amanda worked the system to get it annulled. VaryingDaisy7 in Onstage1 asks: I could see in your expression that your heart was sinking when Shannon left in the limo. Do you regret seeing her go? Alex Michel says: My relationships with the three final women were all very real and even though I don't think Shannon and I are destined to spend our whole lives together, it was hard to say goodbye to her. I have a lot of respect for her and think she's a wonderful person and saying goodbye to her was painful. planetsusie in Onstage11 asks: Do you feel any of the final women are truly intellectually compatible for you? Alex Michel says: Yes, they are all very intelligent. lill_honeybee in Onstage3 asks: Obviously you are now with the girl of your choice. Do you think she is hurt watching all that happened with the other girls? Alex Michel says: Let's just say we've had long discussions about what I said and did on my other dates. pinitachiquita in Onstage3 asks: Alex, do you regret any of the decisions you made on the show? Alex Michel says: I had a few mornings when I feared that I had made a mistake, but I think that I have the right people for me in the end. brite_eyes24 in Onstage8 asks: Is there any hints you could give about who you will choose? Alex Michel says: No hints. You've got to tune in to find out this Thursday for the finale. AmbrosiaDancing in Onstage11 asks: If someone had rejected a rose before you had passed them all out, would you have been able to give it to another woman? Alex Michel says: Yes. velmasaire in Onstage6 asks: What was been the best part of this whole experience Alex Michel says: Meeting the women and in particular, The Woman, was the best part. BLS581 in Onstage8 asks: Alex, did your family and friends have a big role/influence in your final decision? Alex Michel says: No. candybabe_116 in Onstage4 asks: Alex, if you could do this all over again, what would you do differently and why? Alex Michel says: If I could go back in time I would definitely do it again. The only thing I would change would be to let my sense of humor shine through a bit more. OpenIntro in Onstage8 asks: In the teaser for the finale, they made it look like Trista's mouth was saying yes. What was that about? Alex Michel says: Good eye. The big question is, what is she saying yes to? sculli55 in Onstage6 asks: I guess a helicopter ride won't be included in your honeymoon? Alex Michel says: Definitely not. At the end of the helicopter ride, the pilot said, "Remember Maui Helicopters!" and I said, "I'll never forget!" christinebryson in Onstage4 asks: Do you have your own website? Alex Michel says: I have www.AlexMichel.com but right now it points to The Bachelor website. ArguingPuppet in Onstage8 asks: Which of the women were you most sexually attracted to? Alex Michel says: These women were beautiful and sexy. In terms of who I was most attracted to, you'll have to stay tuned to find out. beitsinger in Onstage11 asks: Now that you can get to know the last two a little better, what kind of tests will they have to pass? Alex Michel says: In the final episode, I can't wait to see how they interact with my parents and I look forward to one last intimate date with each of them. slykatjohn in Onstage4 asks: Has your life changed since you did the show (besides having a new woman)? Do people recognize you? Alex Michel says: Yes. People come up to me on the street all the time. Just yesterday a car came to a screeching halt and someone jumped out to take a picture. I am also hearing from a lot of old friends that watch the show. nancadella in Onstage3 asks: It seemed like your mother did not like the entire idea of you being on the show and choosing a bride that way? Alex Michel says: She definitely had some concerns. It's too fast, too public, and too weird. innocentsweetnplentyone in Onstage10 asks: What is the most important quality your woman must have for you to really "feel" the connection with her? Alex Michel says: She has to be someone who can be my best friend. She has to be smart, she has to have a good sense of humor and she has to be cool. CombatSalmon in Onstage6 asks: Alex, when was the show filmed, and how have you and your final woman been able to stay out of the public eye since then? Alex Michel says: We have had to carry on a secret long distance relationship, mostly by phone. Vicki_765 in Onstage8 asks: Alex, were you at all uncomfortable with the offers of one hotel room versus the original set up of separate rooms? Alex Michel says: Yes. It did make a little uncomfortable, but I saw it as an opportunity to spend time talking away from the cameras, not necessarily as an indecent proposal. FLgatorgirl_1 in Onstage6 asks: Alex, did you think that having the camera on you at all times made it incredibly hard to get to know the "real" person? Alex Michel says: Actually no. The women and are were so intent on getting to know each other, we didn't have time to worry about the cameras. princessbebe_0 in Onstage8 asks: Would you ever like to be a father? Alex Michel says: Absolutely! babalume in Onstage7 asks: I'm curious, when the last show occurs, are you required to "pop the question"? Alex Michel says: I'm not REQUIRED to do anything. This show is based on reality. jess77707207 in Onstage4 asks: What did you think about Rhonda having an attack when you didn't pick her? Alex Michel says: I was concerned for her. I wanted to make sure she was ok which she was. I don't think her attack just had to do with me. I think it was a combination of the cameras, the stress, and the whole experience. nomiko1 in Onstage4 asks: When is the final episode of the show? Alex Michel says: Thursday night at 9pm Eastern 8pm Central. The finale is preceded by a one hour special where the 23 women that are not in the finale have a reunion and see never before seen footage and DISH. Goup_4 in Onstage11 asks: When was the finale episode taped? How long ago was it? Alex Michel says: In late February. We finished in late February but now I'm reliving the whole experience while I watch it on TV. It's been a mixture of laughing, cringing, and reliving the romantic moments. wingslk in Onstage3 asks: Have you seen the footage of the women talking about the experience? Alex Michel says: One thing that has been interesting (and eye opening) about watching the show is seeing what the women said about me in interviews and to each other in the Ladies Villa. I've definitely learned some new things. Dudecat_007 in Onstage6 asks: Regarding the 25 women the show picked for you, are they truly better suited for you than those your friends have set you up with in the past? Alex Michel says: Obviously not all of the 25 women were right for me though I think they were all great. The thing that made it so great for me is that the 25 women were selected after me. The women and I all took psychological compatibility test and drug tests. This was the sanest and the cleanest dating pool ever. ltraintobali in Onstage4 asks: What sort of new things have you learned? Not sexually speaking, but in terms of priorities, trust, those sort of issues that you did not already know. Alex Michel says: I learned a lot from this experience. I feel like I aged two years during the process. I have a better sense of what's important to me in a partner. I've also learned about how to be more sensitive to other people's feelings. And I understand that not everyone sees things the way I do. Digital Dish Diva says: Alex, thanks for joining us this afternoon for this exclusive event on MSN Live! From all of us here, best of luck with The One! Alex Michel says: Thanks! Tune in Thursday night for the pre-show at 8pm ET followed by the finale! Special thanks to chat provider MSN.com.