By Jennifer Larson

There was some sad news reported on eonline.com today; Charlie O’Connell from THE BACHELOR and his pick, Sarah Brice, have called it quits. Many of you may not even remember these two because they actually settled into a real life together without seeking the spotlight. Of course Charlie is actor, Jerry O’Connell’s, brother as well as an actor in his own right, so he didn’t really need to grab an extra 15 minutes of fame by capitalizing on his Reality TV romance. This couple actually looked like they were going to make it and for two years they did. But, as Sarah tells “In Touch,” “there were some things between us that we couldn’t resolve.” It looks like this romance suffered from the painful – yet mundane – problems of many other non-Reality TV couples.

At this point, I’ve lost track of how many bachelor’s there have been, but I do know that so far only two have actually made it to the alter. Even better news; Trista and Ryan just had a baby boy. That’s wonderful for them, but that seems to be more of a fluke, based on this show’s track record. And actually, at the rate those two were going after self-publicity, I’m surprised they didn’t allow the birth to be televised. I’m just as romantic as the next girl, and in the beginning I thought this show was onto something. Now, I just feel misled and duped every time one of these couples announces they’ve split up a mere two weeks after the finale has aired. I’m particularly bitter about bachelor Bob, who - as it turns out - was actually dating a soap opera actress before his season even ended. He ended up marrying that actress later, so I guess he made the right choice there, but still, shame on him – and the show – for leading us down a fairytale path they knew would never come to fruition.

A new season of THE BACHELOR began airing on Monday, but it premiered without this viewer. I was a staunch supporter for a while, but I just can’t allow myself to be hurt like that anymore.