The Bachelorette star Ben Smith is winning everyone’s heart.
He is clearly one of the most vulnerable, honest, and brave contestants on the show.
Up until last week, viewers had seen Ben as the nerdy and insecure contestant who wasn’t really winning any time with Tayshia Adams.
But that’s when he dropped a bomb – he was actually rather strong. He had overcome an eating disorder he had battled for 15 years.
Tayshia was stunned at his admission. Now, she’s sharing what she really felt when he came clean on The Bachelorette.
Ben Smith surprised Tayshia Adams in a positive way
It has been months since Tayshia and Ben filmed their one-on-one date, where he came clean about his secret. Now, she’s sharing that she saw tremendous growth in Ben. He was the one who really surprised her.
“I think there were a lot of men that grew before my eyes and grew before their own,” Tayshia told Insider about filming The Bachelorette. “But Ben was someone that really surprised me.”
“The things he was trying to not bring to the surface, they were big conversations, and I think that’s why he was holding back so much,” she shared.
Even though Ben was slow in opening up to Tayshia, she was happy that she kept him around. He simply needed more time than the other guys to open up.
“I think once he finally opened up, it was just a completely different person. It was like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. It did take us a hot minute to get there. I knew there was so much more to him.”
On The Bachelorette, Tayshia revealed that she had liked Ben since day one. Ben shared that he had really looked forward to their time alone.
Ben Smith revealed he had struggled with an eating disorder
It was last week when Ben decided to open up to Tayshia about his past. He revealed he had been overweight and he revealed that girls didn’t like him because of his weight. He stopped eating and started working out.
He ended up losing 70 pounds, but he also had bulimia for 10 years. He credits his sister for helping him get back on track and making a career of his life-changing journey. He’s now a personal trainer.
“She saved my life,” he told Tayshia on The Bachelorette. “I’m finally at a place now where I feel safe and comfortable with the people that I live and work with. I care a great deal about this. It’s just hard for me to let it out.”
We know that Ben will make it far on The Bachelorette, but he won’t end up winning. He is sent home prior to the finale.
The Bachelorette airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC.