by David McAlpine

Last night on The Bachelor's emotional season finale, Chantal O'Brien was one of the last two women standing. But Brad Womack said he had a stronger connection with Emily, leaving Chantal to leave South Africa in tears. Today, she spoke with the press on a conference call about the final moments on the show and how she feels about it now.

Q: What were you thinking when Brad started telling you it wasn't you that he was picking?
A, Chantal: I was just trying to tell myself to not cry and to not freak out. It took a lot, trying to hold myself together at that point.

Q: How quickly did you realize in South Africa that he wasn't going to say yes to you?
A, Chantal: Pretty much as soon as the conversation started, it didn't seem like it was going the way I wanted it to. I didn't expect closure, but I wanted him to acknowledge that there was something there, but he didn't seem to do that.

Q: What was your family's reaction to all of this?
A, Chantal: My family was pretty shocked. When they met Brad, they had the feeling that he would be proposing to me and my dad wouldn't have given his blessing if he hadn't thought that, so I think everyone was surprised at the outcome.

Q: Who is the new guy in your life, and what can you say about him?
A, Chantal: I am seeing someone new and I can tell you that he's great and super supportive and has *not* been watching the show, so that's a bonus!

Q: Do you have any advice for Brad and Emily?
A, Chantal: Just tune out everything except for themselves and their relationship, because they clearly feel something special and they need to focus on themselves.

Q: Do you have any advice for anyone who goes onto the show?
A, Chantal: Go into it with an open heart and an open mind. Don't be afraid to be vulnerable.

Q: Do you think Emily and Brad will make it?
A, Chantal: I really don't know what will happen with them, I'm not privy to their relationship. I'd like to think it'll work out because he clearly has strong feelings for her.

Q: Was being on "The Bachelorette" ever really an option for you?
A, Chantal: I really was never an option because I was in a relationship at that point. It came about unplanned, I met this person through a mutual friend and it completely caught me by surprise, but it was obviously a very good surprise.

Q: Are you over Brad? Did you feel like you got closure?
A, Chantal: There's no part of me that's angry, I feel like I was more surprised at the time. It wasn't what I was expecting to hear. I'm in a space that I need to be now, so I should almost be thanking him.

Q: What did you think of the spoilers that said you were going to be the winner?
A, Chantal: I was very away of them, I was even getting congratulations notices from people. It definitely happened really fast, so it was hard to be getting all the congratulations from people, but it helped me get a thick skin really fast, which I needed to get through the rest of the season.

Q: Brad said he took you to the final two because he thought you deserved to be there. Did you ever have that feeling on the show?
A, Chantal: I was 100% convinced that Brad had strong enough feelings for me to propose to me in the end. If I didn't, then I would have packed my bags and left, and that's why I told him over and over again to send me home if he didn't feel that way.

Q: Do you think Brad was downplaying his feelings on the "After the Final Rose" special?
A, Chantal: I definitely think Brad was downplaying what we had, it was undeniable what we had if you watch the show. We had definitely chemistry, but he's in a tough situation right now.

(Photo courtesy of ABC)

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