Bachelor season 22 alum Bibiana Julian joins Us Weekly’s “Here for the Right Reasons” podcast to recap the Monday, January 10, episode of the ABC hit — and she’s just as shook as Bachelor Nation by villains Cassidy Timbrooks and Shanae Ankney.
Cassidy, 26, for her part, initially came under fire for her lack of participation during Clayton Echard’s first group date of the season. By the end of the episode, fans saw footage of her telling Sierra Jackson that she was FaceTiming a guy in the hotel while waiting to meet Clayton.
“There’s all these little cameras all over the place because the crew isn’t following you around 24/7,” Bibiana, 34, told Us about Cassidy’s hot mic moment. “And then these little [cameras], like, maybe in the kitchen, maybe in the backyard. It looked like they were in the backyard and there must have been some type of camera right over there. And she thought like, ‘Oh, if the camera’s not [around], if the crews not around, your audio isn’t being recorded.’”
While Cassidy downplayed the pre-show relationship via Instagram Stories, Bibiana noted that contestants have to tie up loose ends before the show starts filming.
“You should not be in your hotel room FaceTiming your friend with benefits that you’ve been on and off with for a few years telling them how, like, you want to get down and dirty when you go home,” the Bachelor in Paradise alum said.
Elsewhere during the episode, Cassidy was seen sharing her group date strategy with Shanae, 29.
“I don’t think anyone in our season — at least none that was aired — was strategizing, like, ‘This is what you need to do to get some time,’” Bibiana told Us.
Instead of impressing Clayton, Shanae ended up at odds with Elizabeth Corrigan during the second group date, accusing the 32-year-old Colorado native of being two-faced. While Elizabeth tried to explain that her ADHD may have made it difficult for her to focus on Shanae while she was already in a conversation with someone else, Shanae called Elizabeth “fake” and poked fun at her.
“I’m not a fan of anyone who mocks someone’s mental health,” Bibiana said. “I just don’t feel like she knows how to communicate to people, and she probably has not had a lot of experiences [with] actual, like, good friendships. … And It’s super mean girl Regina George [vibes] from her.”
The Bachelor airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. For Us Weekly’s complete recap with Bibiana, listen to the “Here for the Right Reasons” podcast.