On Monday night's episode of The Bachelor, Jason took the remaining three women for romantic, overnight dates in New Zealand.  Then came the tough task of eliminating one of them and breaking their hearts.  On each of the dates, Molly, Melissa, and Jillian all expressed to Jason that they were falling in love with him but unfortunately for at least one, the feelings were not completely mutual.  At the rose ceremony, Jason surprisingly eliminated Jillian, with whom he had formed a strong connection with early on.  They shared an emotional goodbye, in which she confronted him about his reasons for ending things.  Today, Jillian participated in a conference call with the media, offering her thoughts and perspective on her experiences on The Bachelor.

Q. RealityTVWorld.com:  Based on how you thought your date in New Zealand went, was it safe to say that you were surprised to be eliminated?
A. Jillian: I think it's a very unique situation you're in and no matter how hard you're falling for someone, you always sort of wonder if this is for real and if this is the real one.  You have questions in your mind and your heart.  When he let me go, I was sincerely disappointed and surprised.

Q. RealityTVWorld.com:  You talked a lot about marrying your best friend.  Do you think that affected Jason's decision?
A. Jillian: I'm not sure if it affected his decision or not.  I still stand by my word.  I have a lot of mentors in my life who have very successful marriages and the key is marrying your best friend.  I understand there has to be more.  There has to be a spark.  That's what I'm looking for.  If he's looking for something different, then he made the right choice.

Q. Grand Rapids Press: What was your take on Molly and what kind of relationship do you the two of you have?
A. Jillian: I became very good friend with Melissa, Naomi, and a lot of girls in the house.  Molly is really what you see on tv.  She is bright, funny, smart.  I would say, in sharing emotions, she's a little more reserved than I am but that's not to say that that's right or wrong.  She's a good girl.

Q. Austin American Statesman: What was it like to watch that hot tub scene back on tv?
A. Jillian: Apparently, my dad just stared at the tv with his jaw open.  When I watched it, I had a good laugh.  I still don't really have any regrets.  It happened and it was kind of funny to watch and it is what it is.

Q. BuddyTV: You said that you were falling in love with Jason.  Now that you have a little perspective, do you still feel that way?
A. Jillian: I would say on a scale of 1-10, would he be a 10 for what I'm looking for?  Maybe not but out of all the men I dated in  my life,  he possessed the most qualities of what I'm looking for.  I still love him but I don't think I'm in love with him anymore.  I wish the very best for him.

Q. Yahoo! TV: Why didn't Jason think it was going to go beyond being friends?
A. Jillian: I think that's the million dollar question.  I felt the same way.  I felt like we had so many different levels that our relationship had reached from being friends to being partners to really understanding each other.  I'm not sure why he thought it wasn't going to be there.  Friends and family say to me, "Maybe he couldn't keep up with you or maybe you need someone with a little more zest or maybe he really didn't feel that spark."  If you can find out, call me back and let me know.

Q. Yahoo! TV: How has life been since The Bachelor and have you considered becoming The Bachelorette?
A. Jillian: Life after The Bachelor has been getting back home and getting back to work and making sure that my friends and family know I'm okay and thanking everyone for their support.  I have a very positive life back here in Vancouver.  I think I'm just gonna continue to do what I'm doing because it's made me very happy.  In terms of me doing The Bachelorette, it's something I haven't thought too seriously about.


Tune in to ABC next Monday for The Bachelor: The Women Tell All special, beginning at 8pm ET on ABC.

(Image courtesy of ABC)

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