July 2020 Highway DBN

t suddenly stopped. All the
butterflies, fireworks, my heart
and my words froze. I didn’t know
what to say. How do you put into
words how you’re feeling when
everything just comes to a grinding
halt?’ These words are just the start
of the emotional message Bridget
posted to her Instagram account
after walking away from Marc Buckner
when he gave her the boot in an intense
60-miute finale The Bachelor South Africa.
Bridget’s superpower is without a doubt
her ability to light up any room. When
we meet her at the fabulous Valdior
Guest House, she’s barefoot in black
three-quarter jeans and a comfy Tee she’s
dubbed her lockdown gear. She’s already
done 22 media interviews, but nothing like
the dress-up-and-play date we’ve arranged
with her and a few show-stopping Kathrin
Kidger designs.
Although it’s been more than six months
since she walked off the set of the finale
held in the picturesque Kapama Game
Reserve, and she laughs and jokes and
has lots of naughty stories to tell, there is
a subtle sadness that surfaces when she
relives those final moments on the set of
The Bachelor like they occurred yesterday.
‘Being in that moment was tough, but
watching it playback was even harder. It
took a lot of courage and strength to put
my heart on the line and risk it all for the
chance to have it all.’
A self-dubbed travel queen made in
Durbs and living in Cape Town, Bridget is
excitable and real. She’s an expert in the
travel industry, a straight-shooter who
tackles problems head-on (something
she was often called out for on the show),
she’s game for anything (except for eating
peppadews because she’s allergic,) and
wants a partner in life (or crime) who is
loyal, loving and into the great outdoors.
‘I’m vulnerable but guarded, moody
but dependable, and terrified of change
but extremely adaptable. I’ve got layers...
and though you may not guess it when
you first meet me, I love hard. My parents
have been married for 45 years - they
have the kind of love everybody wants at
the end of the day. It’s powerful. They’ve
been through everything and come out
stronger. When I marry someone one day,
I want that to be it for me – a match made
in heaven.’
About her journey on The Bachelor,
Bridget says it was a wild one. From most
hated to season favourite, nothing could
have prepared her for the ride.
‘When I signed up for The Bachelor, I’d been through the
ringer. I’d just moved to Cape Town for a fresh start after
being broken up with on Valentine’s Day, and was trying
to find my feet, let alone myself. I joined Tinder in search of
love, but it just wasn’t working out for me, and then a friend
suggested I sign up for The Bachelor. It was the last day for
applications. I didn’t know who he was and I didn’t believe
that it was possible to find love on a reality show - how
wrong was I?’
Bridget submitted her application and never gave it
another thought until she received a call to say she’d made
it onto the show.
‘I was so unprepared. There were girls who had dresses
made in anticipation of the rose ceremonies, and then
there was me - one suitcase with the basics and very little
faith that Marc would even hand me a rose on the first
night. By the time of the hometown visit, it suddenly hit
me hard that I really liked Marc, that I’d fallen for him and
there was a chance I could be the one he chose in the end.’
It took a lot of courage and
strength to put my heart on
the line and risk it all...
Bridget’s Durban upbringing, like Marc’s, also meant
they had something special in common. Following in the
footsteps of her entire female bloodline, Bridget attended
Durban Girls College, and enjoyed a happy life as a
tenacious teen, filled with great gatherings in their Currie
Road home.
‘Never mind the people, we had dogs, hamsters, a pig
named Rodney, a guinea pig named Fenwick (don’t ask me
why), chickens named Ned and Meg and rabbits – mine
was called Amos. I’m an animal lover, so it was a lot of fun
living in that house, I won’t lie.’
After school Bridget packed her bags – leaving all of her
beloved pets behind – and moved to the UK to travel and
experience the world. She’s always on the go, whether
it’s going to gym, to the beach, hiking, walking on the
promenade or shopping with her friends. She lists these
activities as some of her favourite, and includes amongst
her top Durban haunts the Oyster Box Hotel - she is
obsessed with the Lighthouse Bar; The George Bar And
Restaurant; The beach – a must-do for any sunny day
in Durbs and Circus Circus Beach Café because it’s her
favourite place to have breakfast with her parents on a
beautiful morning.
‘I love Durban - the vibe, the people, the weather, this is
home. My fondest memories of this city - apart from my
home and many years spent swimming and as a lifeguard
on the beach – involve my granny. She was 98 when she
died in July last year, but she’s always been there for me -
every gala or event I participated in, she was there! She was
my world, and I wish she could have been here to see me
brave reality TV.’
July 2020 Get It Highway • Berea • Durban North 11