Catherine Giudici may have found her forever love on “The Bachelor” in husband Sean Lowe, but she didn’t initially expect her reality TV journey to turn out that way.
Ahead of the premiere of “The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons Ever,” which will feature a condensed version her and Sean‘s season, the mom of three revealed that her expectations for snagging his final rose were low from the beginning, as she felt she was chosen by producers to up the diversity of the largely white cast.
“When I was originally cast, I was very flattered but somewhat grounded by the fact that I would be one of the faces that represented people of color,” she wrote in part. “I knew that one of the reasons I was probably chosen was because I was Filipino. I counted myself out to be his fiancée because of what I assumed Sean liked.”
Despite her initial doubts, Catherine gave the show her all – and she was surprised by what she got back.
“I thought I was there just to check a box, but I ended up with so much more,” she wrote. “I became present with the process and as he started noticing me for who I really was, I allowed this experience to open myself up to the possibility of being fully loved and appreciated for all that I was. I ended up getting to represent a mixed-race community, I found Christ (I LOVE my testimony!) and marrying the most amazing man I’ve ever known. I’d say doing this show was one of the best things that ever happened to me.”
She concluded her message with these words of wisdom: “Don’t count yourself out. You are destined to do bigger things than just check a box.”
After riding off into the sunset on Season 17 of “The Bachelor,” Catherine and Sean said “I do” in 2014, making him the only “Bachelor” to have married the recipient of his final rose. The two share three children: Samuel, who turns 4 in July; Isaiah, 2; and Mia, 5 months.
“The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons Ever” premieres June 8 at 8/7c on ABC.