The new season of the dating show "The Bachelorette" starts on RTL today. Sharon Battiste is the focus this time. In the interview, she now speaks openly about love, men and their dreams, but also about the illness that is causing her to wear wigs today.
Will Sharon Battiste find her dream man? This question will be answered over the next few weeks in the ninth season of "The Bachelorette", which starts on June 15 on RTL (or online via RTL ). In an interview with spot on news, she revealed in advance why she is looking for love on TV and spoke openly about the moment she had her hair shaved off.
Why haven't you been lucky in love so far?
Sharon Battiste: My last happy relationship was eight years ago. I also got to know one or the other man afterwards, but it just didn't work out. Now I'm just ready. I'm 30 and I want to be in love again. For my future I would also like to have my own little family someday. That's why I took this great trip.
What's so special about The Bachelorette that makes you feel like you can find love that way?
I find it super exciting to meet 20 men who are all very different. Do they try? How do they try to be remembered? How are they fighting for me? In the past I have often experienced that I had to convince men of myself. This is different on this trip - and nice to see.
On the other hand, what is the biggest challenge in the role of "Bachelorette" for you?
The challenge is definitely that you get to know so many men at the same time and you have to be open to every man. It's not that easy when you've spent a certain amount of time together and shared experiences.
Is there a predecessor that you particularly liked and from which you copied something for the "Bachelorette" period?
I think each of my predecessors did well in their own way. As a "Bachelorette" I had the right to remain true to myself. I wanted to be just as fun and easygoing as I am in real life. I can be very loud and very direct, but sometimes very taciturn. I just gave myself as I am.
Some fans criticize that the "Bachelorette", in contrast to the "Bachelor", has always been a woman in recent years who was previously in the public eye. What do you think of this criticism?
I understand people's criticism and desire for an unknown person. But I also have to be very clear: If you don't have any experience in this industry, it's certainly not easy to stand in front of 20 men. But I also like to be convinced of the opposite.
You mentioned that you would like to have a little family of your own. How do you imagine your family planning?
My own family planning definitely has a few more years to go. I wish for a relatively normal life, maybe with my own house. Two kids would be nice. Otherwise I like to be surprised. I'm not stuck on where I live either. Who knows what the next few years will bring. A nice, down-to-earth family life - that would be my dream.
Would it be a no-go for you if a man didn't want to have children?
Yes. I'll be honest: that would be difficult for me.
They suffer from alopecia areata and ultimately had their heads shaved by "heart people". Why did you decide to take this step?
I have had this condition for many years. This first came up when I was eight years old and has permeated my life ever since. At times I had a few years of rest, then it fell out again, grew back... At some point I got to a point where I said: 'I fought so much and tried to heal myself medically and mentally . I just don't have the strength or desire to watch it all the time.'
To what extent did that affect you?
I'm actually a happy person, a sunshine, I'm motivated and like to be active. In the last few years I wasn't anymore. I realized that it can't go on like this because I lost myself in it and couldn't get up. Shaving off the hair was the most radical way. The hardest way. I didn't know how I would feel afterwards. Can I still accept myself as a normal woman? Do I feel strange when I look in the mirror?
How was it for you to shave your hair off?
Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I could have made in my life. I'm also incredibly proud of it and super grateful that I was able to share this moment with the people I loved and that they stood by my side. I would recommend it to any woman who has this condition. You keep thinking, what if I shave them off or if everything fails? The step of finishing it yourself was so beautiful. That gave me such a boost. I now feel powerful again, arrived, feminine.
Do you have a message that you would like to convey as a "Bachelorette"?
I hope that I can give encouragement to every woman or person who has this disease. That you can do and achieve anything - even with this diagnosis. It doesn't matter what clinical picture you have in life: you just can't give up. In my case, I want to show that you can also feel comfortable with wigs. You can integrate that just like a shoe into an outfit.
