Fans of ‘Provo’s Most Eligible’ lined up Monday, March 25 outside the Dry Bar Comedy Club on Center Street to watch a live streaming of the show’s final episode.
Guests enjoyed concessions and posed for pictures with the show’s bachelor, Colin Ross, prior to the live airing.
The lights dimmed as 300 guests cheered for the final episode to begin.
Guests cheered, laughed, gasped and whistled during the screening as they reacted to the show.
The event was hosted by the Beehive and there was a question and answer held with the audience following the airing.
The two final contestants left for Colin Ross to choose between were Annalee Ross and Elena Deighton. As the episode neared its end, it was revealed that Ross chose Annalee and Deighton was asked to leave.
Many audience members gasped at Ross’s choice. An Instagram poll posted the same day, asked fans who they wanted to win and Deighton had led by over 40 percent.
Deighton said she doesn’t normally get emotional, but when asked about her feelings regarding the end of the season she became emotional.
“We really have become like a family,” Deighton said. “Colin is a great guy even though it didn’t work out.”
Before the final scene between Deighton and Ross, she said she seemed confident he would choose her.
“There was a small part of me that was like, this could actually happen,” Deighton said. “It hurt honestly, it hurt more watching it than being in the moment.”
Deighton said it was hard to react to rejection on camera knowing so many people would see it. However, she said, in the end the whole experience has been worth it.
Deighton said things will be different moving forward in her dating life.
“A lot of the things that Colin and I were missing out on I think I value a lot more in a relationship,” Deighton said. “Good communication skills, honesty and friendship.”
After being announced as the first season’s winner, Annalee said she felt nervous because she was aware Deighton was a fan favorite on social media.
She said she thinks people might look down on her because she won over Deighton. However, Annalee said she is excited to date Ross and see how their relationship evolves.
At the end of the episode, Ross officially asked Annalee if she would be his girlfriend. However, Annalee said her relationship with Ross is best described as best friends.
“We have a really good basis,” Annalee said. “When it comes to what it means for us to be dating — we haven’t even figured out yet.”
Annalee said she and Ross are going to take things as they come and see how they work on a different level now that the show is finished. She said Ross is planning on going home to California for the summer.
“I don’t think me and him are going to be super exclusive,” Annalee said. “He is leaving in a couple weeks and for us to get super close before he leaves would suck.”
Annalee said she has learned to make the small moments with people count. She said she had to make sure every second counted on the show, and she wants to apply that in her future dating life.
Ross said he is happy with the way the show ended and said he feels he made the right decision. He said he was thankful for the live event and feels grateful for all the support viewers expressed.
Ross said although he asked Annalee to be his girlfriend on the show he wouldn’t introduce her that way to others quite yet.
“We have a really good foundation and we have a really good friendship,” Ross said. “I think things could progress easily.”
Ross said he and Annalee have talked off camera and discussed what their relationship means. He said they don’t want to define it because he plans to return home for the summer and Annalee has not had pleasant experiences with long-distance relationships in the past.
“We’ll just be friends and then see what happens in the future,” Ross said.
Ross said the experience of being on a dating show has had an effect on how he will approach dating in the future. He said he has experienced all dating in Provo has to offer. Ross said he is still dating for fun and is not set on finding a relationship.
“We’ll see,” Ross said. “It’s an adventure — dating is an adventure.”
During the question and answer portion of the evening, Remington Butler and Carson Bown, the show’s producers, said they are in the planning stages for season two. Butler said viewers can expect changes in the format of the show.
Bown said the crew realized they were not as organized as they would have liked to be throughout filming. However, he added, they plan to be more organized next season which will help things go smoother on the backend.
Butler said they have already had over 700 applicants fill out their online application to be a contestant on the second season.
“We’re going to try and go a new direction and make a new dating show,” Butler said. “We’re going to have three girls we’re going to help find love, so it’s going to be a bit different.”
Butler said the crew plans to film the second season in June and July with episodes released in September.
