Jen Schefft, ABC-TV’s The Bachelorette By Susan Hornik

The reality-TV star on the power of first impressions, the one dating move that totally turned her off—and how she knew her guy was really and truly The One.

There you were with 25 great-looking guys. What made certain ones stand out from the pack on those very first dates?
Some guys you have chemistry and some you don’t. Also, I think a lot of men came into the situation feeling like they knew me. I really wanted them to want to get to know me, rather than assume that I was a certain person. I think the guys that really seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me for me and not the ones who had preconceived notions were a little bit more comforting for me.

How did you decide which guys to send home rose-free?
I think they were all great guys, but sometimes someone is not right for you. Sometimes they came off a little too shy, or the conversation didn’t flow—we didn’t have too much in common. If I get along with someone, I can easily speak about anything. But sometimes it is just really difficult to find common ground, and that was evident with some of the guys.

What made you pick your guy?
He had a lot of things I was looking for. We had a lot of chemistry. We got along very well and always really enjoyed each other’s company. He had charisma—sometimes there is that unmistakable spark that you can’t describe. We were just really happy when we were around each other, and I was excited to see him whenever we had our dates. There were a lot of guys that I liked and enjoyed going on dates with them, but this guy—I can’t tell you who it is you know!!—I always looked forward to seeing him.

Susan L. Hornik is an entertainment journalist in Los Angeles.