Loyalty, honesty and being real are three qualities I own. Make up: NANCY EDMUNDS, 072 425 2764, Facebook: Beauty by Nancy Edmunds, Dressed by: KATHRIN KIDGER DESIGNS, www.kathrinkidger.co.za 12 Get It <strong>Highway</strong> • Berea • Durban North <strong>July</strong> <strong>2020</strong>
Going into the final ring ceremony, Bridget says she thought she and Marc had had a solid, stable connection, but she also knew there was a 50/50 chance he might choose her rival, Marisia van Wyk. ‘The day was packed with interviews, photoshoots and preparing for the finale. insecurity is something I have battled with all my life, so I was exceptionally anxious and by the time I walked up to Marc, in that gorgeous gown by Just Tonight Josephine (and no, she didn’t get to keep it), I was exhausted and emotionally drained. I tried to prepare myself for how I wanted to exit the show if the worst happened, but we are never prepared enough in reality.’ ‘While he was talking to me, there was a baby hippo in the background making a noise. I was trying not to be distracted. He talked, I listened, and everything was going okay until he uttered that one little word, ‘but...’ - I was like a meercat in bright lights. Mentally, I blacked out.’ Bridget doesn’t agree with Marc’s explanation, saying she felt he didn’t want to be honest with her in order to avoid hurting her. ‘We had such a great relationship and then he broke my heart and it sucked even more because it was on national TV. Sometimes, in the long run, it’s just better to tell the truth from the start than prolong the agony. I had to remind myself that there was nothing wrong with me. That I just wasn’t his person. I couldn’t be angry with him and I couldn’t blame Marisia – I’m genuinely very fond of her, but it still hurt. In spite of this, I knew I had to walk away dignified, which I think I did pretty well. It was the moment of which I was most proud.’ Leaving the set after her exit interview however, Bridget says was done a little less gracefully. ‘I won’t lie, I fell apart. What also made it harder, was the overwhelming affection I was shown by the crew who seemed to share my heartache. There was little that could comfort me at the time though, not even the room service, chocolate or crying out loud while watching my favourite movie, Bridget Jones’s Diary.’ When asked how the whole experience affected, influenced or changed her life, Bridget’s responds, “How has it not?” ‘We spent the better part of two months cut off from the outside world - no access to phones (something most of us rely on heavily) except for a few hours on Sundays, and we were all competing for the affection of one man. There were serious personalities to contend with, not only in the mansion, but in the public eye, which are the hardest to handle. But, we had a great support system through M-Net and the crew who went out of their way to ensure that mentally we were able to cope.’ Even though the contestants are warned about the harsh realities of social media haters, and offered counselling and coping skills to deal with negative publicity and social media slandering, Bridget says the first three weeks the show aired were her worst. ‘I’ve never been in the public eye, so being scrutinised and picked on by public haters was probably soul-destroying. I cried buckets because of what people were saying about me. Yes, I tripped on the first episode when I arrived to introduce myself to Marc, but in my defence I was wearing shoes that I didn’t own; even though I jumped in the end, the bungee jumping was still an awful, cowardly moment for me, and the fishing episode and wearing that rod holder was just… urgh! but I was being myself.’ I like to think that some hearts are just too big to break... By far the most embarrassing moment for Bridget when she looks back was when she packed her bags and threatened to leave the mansion. At that stage most of the women who made it through the original selection had either shared a passionate kiss or had a one-on-one date with Marc. All Bridget had under her stylish belt was a handful of stolen moments at the cocktail parties. ‘It got to the point where I wanted to leave because I was convinced he didn’t want to be with me. But what I felt inside, and what the viewers saw probably wasn’t the same thing. It didn’t matter to outsiders that I had come from a place of huge insecurity and that I just wanted to be loved genuinely. I was called fat; told I was the most disgusting person ever, people posted memes and screenshots with nasty comments to my social media pages. It hurt. When the cameras are rolling, you don’t realise what you are saying and when you do, you can’t take it back. But, I have no regrets. Loyalty, honesty and being real are three qualities I own. I don’t always land myself in good favour for being dead honest and real, but that is me.’ Would she do it all again? ‘In a heartbeat! If not for the possibility of a lifelong romance, then for the joy of finding self-love. We can all afford to grow more within ourselves, and I certainly did. The most important lesson I learned was that I am human. We all are. We all make mistakes; we are born to be real, not perfect. It is completely okay to be vulnerable and feel happy, sad, anger, fear, regret, love and loss. It makes us who we are. ‘I am grateful for the opportunity. I am grateful to the people who hated me for forcing me to believe in myself and stand by my convictions, and I have been made stronger by the support of those who saw me as I was and cheered for me until the very end. I like to think that some hearts are just too big to break, because I still believe in that breath-taking, passionate, fairy-tale love and that my Prince Charming is out there, somewhere.’ <strong>July</strong> <strong>2020</strong> Get It <strong>Highway</strong> • Berea • Durban North 13
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