Lauren B returns to the TV spotlight

Published 12:00 am Monday, November 14, 2016

Saying that Lauren Bushnell’s life has been a blur since getting engaged to Ben Higgins on “The Bachelor” last March is kind of like saying that recent “The Bachelorette” contestant Chad Johnson enjoys deli meat.

It’s a bit of an understatement.

America, and in particular West Linn, watched in suspense as the polarizing television show unfolded last spring. While season 20 of “The Bachelor” finished filming months before the show actually aired on ABC, viewers didn’t know whether Bushnell (a 2008 West Linn High School graduate) would outlast the other 20-odd contestants and earn the “final rose” until Higgins finally got down on one knee in the season’s finale.

Now, more than six months since the spotlight on the couple dimmed, the cameras have turned back on, as the couple just finished filming for their television spinoff “Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After?” Five episodes have already aired, depicting the couple’s new life after “The Bachelor.” The Freeform channel (formally ABC Family) reality series follows Bushnell and Higgins as they navigate life’s everyday obstacles and plan for a possible future wedding that remains clouded in mystery.

Bushnell said the decision to embark on a second television series wasn’t easy considering the emotional roller coaster “The Bachelor” proved to be, but that ultimately the couple wanted to share their story with fans and address some of the obstacles all couples go through in relationships.

“I don’t think I necessarily wanted to go back on TV, but the show came about and it was a good opportunity,” Bushnell said. “We had to weigh the pros and cons because we’re not motivated by fame. We’re not motivated by getting ahead financially. That sort of thing doesn’t motivate us. We were both concerned about doing a second show but we were assured it wouldn’t change our lives dramatically, so we decided to do it.”

“From the viewer’s standpoint everyone seems thrilled and is happy with the show,” Higgins added. “The response has been exactly what I think the show is portraying. At times we have disagreements and it shows us vulnerable in intimate settings but ones people can relate to. Putting your life on television isn’t easy, because the judgments people make on the internet aren’t always fun to read, but I think it’s made us stronger as a couple.”

Bushnell said toeing the line that separates what’s appropriate to share on camera and what should be kept private has been difficult at times, but that sharing intimate moments is important to her and her fiancé.

“We never want to come off as perfect couple and ‘life is rainbows and butterflies,’ because it’s not how our life is,” she said. “We want to show people we’re real, but some things need to be private at the same time. It’s that constant battle of what’s oversharing, and what are we comfortable with? Ultimately, our priority is our relationship first and what’s good for each other. Private conversations about wedding planning or financials, they’re very personal and very real, and putting some of that out there is good, but you open yourself up to all the critics in the world.”

The biggest storyline in the new show is the couple’s upcoming wedding — specifically when, where and how the wedding will take place. “The Bachelor” host Chris Harrison offered to televise their wedding on ABC early on in the show, but previews for coming episodes lead viewers to wonder whether or not the couple will get married at all. Bushnell said the pair are definitely still together, but that fans will have to tune in to find out their true plans for the wedding.

In the meantime, Bushnell has had to quit her previous job as a flight attendant because of a particularly busy schedule and the nature of the job that meant she would see very little of Higgins. She spent a portion of the first few episodes looking for a new career, and after a brief stint working at a zoo, Bushnell discovered writing her own fashion blog suited her much better. She said the new work has taken some getting used to, and that she hopes to more fully dive into the passion project now that filming of the new show is complete.

“I miss flying, but it got to the point where it was overwhelming,” she said. “The blog was thought up and came about pretty organically, and is going really well. It’s been a good outlet creatively and something I’m passionate about.”

Bushnell also looks forward to continuing her new life with Higgins away from the constant obligations and interruptions that come with filming a television show. They currently live in Denver, and when they’re not busy with work or various media requirements, they enjoy downtime like anyone else. Higgins, a diehard Chicago Cubs fan, said watching sports is something they both enjoy, especially recently with a historic World Series. He’s even been converted into something of a Portland Trail Blazers fan thanks to Bushnell’s fandom and a family connection to Blazers center Mason Plumlee.

“I’ve become a Cubs fan and he totally roots for the Blazers and likes watching them. He’s always updating me as to what’s happening,” Bushnell said. “It also helps that he is good friends with the Plumlees, because they’re actually from his hometown (of Warsaw, Ind.).”

Despite all the craziness of the past several months, Bushnell and Higgins have been back to West Linn a few times since the pair first visited during the “hometown dates” episode of “The Bachelor” to visit Bushnell’s family. Higgins, who had never been to the Portland area prior to meeting Bushnell, said it’s a place he always looks forward to visiting. He cites Oregon’s natural beauty and the Oswego Lake Country Club as a couple of things he enjoys about the area in particular.

“We try to get there as much as possible, maybe six times since (‘The Bachelor’), but unfortunately we haven’t been back in a while,” Higgins said. “Everyone there is so supportive and kind. When we go into town or to (Oswego Lake Country Club) I feel like I know people, which is a lot like my hometown and something I appreciate.”

While reviews have been mixed, ratings for “Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After?” have been strong, as the show is currently the network’s No. 1 unscripted series of the past two years. Bushnell and Higgins said they’re not sure if they would film a second season should Freeform approach them, but they aren’t worried about it, either. Television or not, Bushnell said she’s happier than she’s ever been.

“It’s a surreal world we’re living in right now because of the show,” Higgins said. “But it’s kind of odd sitting back and thinking how easy it’s been with Lauren. It’s a new normal, and I don’t think life has lost itself. The things we cared about before are still the things we care about now. We still go out to dinner, go to church, go out with friends, so life is still normal for us.”

“Living in the spotlight or going on ‘The Bachelor,’ and all the things that come along with fame, if you want to call it that, hasn’t changed me,” Bushnell said. “It’s stressed me out, if anything. I don’t know why I’m in this position, but the biggest thing that has changed in my life is Ben. He challenges me in ways I never thought a person could and pushes me to be the best person I can be. I just want to spend the rest of my life with him.”