Hate, Heartbreak, and a Comeback Win | Kaitlyn Bristowe

Kaitlyn Bristowe went from a small town in Canada to the center of reality TV—and paid the price for it. She opens up about chasing a dance career, hitting rock bottom after a breakup, and rebuilding her life from nothing. Then came The Bachelor and The Bachelorette—and with it, fame, manipulation behind the scenes, and a level of public backlash that nearly broke her. She talks about being slut-shamed on national TV, dealing with threats, and navigating the pressure of building a career in a space that didn’t exist yet. But she didn’t stop there. From Broadway to building a business, writing music, and ultimately winning Dancing With the Stars, Kaitlyn shares how she turned chaos into momentum—and why doing the inner work mattered just as much as the external success. This is a conversation about identity, resilience, and staying true to yourself when the world is trying to define you. Thank you to our sponsors Ketone-IQ: ⁠ketone.com/rideout Code “RIDEOUT” Helix Sleep: http://helixsleep.com/rideout for 20% off Athletic Brewing: https://athleticbrewing.com/ Code "RIDEOUT" Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/ Chapters 00:00 Welcome and Reality Stigma 00:49 Instagram Early Days 02:07 Brand Deals and Trust 03:11 Influencer Culture Shift 05:22 Small Town Roots 06:37 Dance Dream to Vancouver 07:20 College Blueprint Debate 10:16 Hockey Life and Rock Bottom 12:50 Signed Up for The Bachelor 13:30 Adversity and Mental Health 15:31 Bachelor Night One Chaos 18:13 Bali Blindside Elimination 21:26 Becoming The Bachelorette 22:13 Negotiating the Contract 25:14 Bachelorette Behind the Scenes 26:31 Sex Talk and Producer Manipulation 30:24 Backlash and Mean Tweets 31:25 Trolls And Triggers 32:42 Reality TV Relationship Fallout 34:16 Post Show Career Whiplash 34:54 Broadway Dream And Burnout 37:11 Paparazzi And Being Recognized 37:50 Sponsor Break Athletic Brewing 38:43 Broadway Nerves And Mom Moment 39:57 DWTS Drama And Contract Twist 42:39 Winning DWTS Through Injury 47:55 Freestyle Finale And Nev Beef 49:46 Staying True And Inner Child Work 56:28 Hoffman Process And Self Dates 01:00:07 Psychedelics And Ego Death Story 01:02:25 Closing Thoughts And Subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices