Kiptyn Locke on Love & The Bachelor Pad

Kiptyn Locke is one of San Diego’s most sought-after bachelors, best known as a runner up in season five of ABC’s “The Bachelorette” with Jillian Harris. As the coastal Encinitas local gears up for the premier of his latest TV show “The Bachelor Pad” this fall, we just had to sit down with him and get the Inside scoop on love, reality TV drama and what we can expect to see next.

Although Kiptyn did achieve a certain level of fame from his reality TV debut, he prefers to keep a low-profile and steady head to remain focused on his primary goal: use his visibility to benefit the charitable causes he cares about, including Cancer Angels of San Diego. Well if you didn’t already love Kiptyn from “The Bachelorette” get ready to fall head over heels in his exclusive interview. 

Kiptyn dishes on what was real and fake in his reality TV experience, how “The Bachelor Pad” compares to the other series favorites, the lessons he’s learned in love in the process, his ideal romantic date in San Diego, advice for locals looking to break into reality TV fame and much more. Plus, check out a sneak preview below of The Bachelor Pad – premiering Monday, August 9th on ABC.

Get to know Kiptyn Locke – benevolent business man and San Diego's most illustrious bachelor.

DiscoverSD: There seems to be a lot of criticism around what is real and fake in The Bachelor and Bachelorette shows. Based on your experience, how much is scripted and how much is the real drama?
Kiptyn: What can vary the most is the public perception compared to the actual impact to the people involved and the process. In most cases a week of filming is condensed into a two hour episode. Then one of the cast members does a two hour interview of which only seven seconds makes it to air. If the public knew all the background to a given topic then in some instances the public might feel differently. I wouldn’t say the shows are scripted but in many ways they are “shaped.” When editors and producers have control over what you see and what you don’t see then ultimately they have the power to direct what you do and don’t feel. At the end of the day though production can’t show something that never occurred so for the most part what you see is pretty real. 

DSD: What lessons in love did you learn by being on The Bachelorette?
K: One thing I did a lot while filming was reflect on a daily basis about what I was feeling, learning, thinking, etc. To be fair to Jillian and myself I wanted to make sure that everything I was thinking and feeling was real, not a result of the surreal experience. In the end I learned two lessons in love: never be afraid to take chances and put yourself out there and love isn’t about the perfect person, it’s about the perfect person for you. 

DSD: What were the best moments and hardest struggles during your time on The Bachelorette?
K:  My favorite moments were snow-shoeing in Emerald Lake, Canada, riding mopeds in the streets of Madrid, Spain and laughing with Jillian while navigating the ropes course in Maui. The only real struggle was being cut-off from the outside world. I love my friends and family and being isolated from them for a couple months took some getting used to. 

DSD: We want to know everything about your new show Bachelor Pad! What teasers can you tell us about what we can look forward to watching in the new season?
K:  I wish I could tell you everything! Wow. What I can say is that I think it’s going to be a lot of fun for everyone to watch. There are 19 former Bachelors and Bachelorettes living in a house together (sleeping in the same room) competing in challenges and eliminating one another. The last man/woman standing wins $250,000. This show has a little bit of everything and it should be a pretty wild ride. 

DSD: What was the most fun about filming the Bachelor Pad show?
K: I think the best part of filming the show was sitting around laughing with everyone. There was definitely an element of competition to this show but that doesn’t mesh well with my nature. I didn’t like seeing everyone strategizing and stressing out. I loved the days sitting poolside with everyone with hilarious conversations and constant laughter. Take away music, television and all the other outside influences and people definitely come out of their shells. 

DSD: What advice do you have for other San Diego locals who would like to be on an upcoming season of The Bachelor / Bachelorette? Do you recommend it?
K:  I do recommend it. I was very hesitant to do the show and actually said thanks but no thanks the first time I spoke with the recruiter about the show. In the end I’m so glad I did it. While I didn’t fall in love and get married, I did learn a ton about myself. The show has also certainly opened some doors and it has done so much for all my charitable efforts. I’ve gotten to meet so many incredible people and help direct a lot of visibility to great causes that we all support. For that I’m forever thankful. 

DSD: You are San Diego’s most knowledgeable bachelor in the dating game. What are your favorite date spots in San Diego? Why? What would be your most extravagant dream date in San Diego?
 K: First of all, I’m not sure I’d say that! I will say that I do have a crazy amount of love for San Diego and the people in San Diego. I also love to have fun so I do have a few fun ideas. I always have fun around the Gaslamp restaurants, bars and hotels. I’m a North County Coastal guy though so I love the restaurants around the beaches in Del Mar, Cardiff and Encinitas. If you want a little getaway without actually leaving San Diego then it might be fun to do a sunset Gondola ride along the Coronado Cays (champagne and strawberries included) followed by dinner at Peohe’s or other great restaurants on the water. Depending on the people there are a million different great options for a variety of dates. 

DSD: When you are such a notoriously famous single man, how does that affect your dating life in the real world? Are “normal girls” timid of you because of your fame and experience on the shows? What are the rules / restrictions on dating when you are contracted to these shows?
 K: That’s a really hard question. I think the rule in life is to always follow your instincts while at the same time listen more to your heart than your head. I’m a normal guy so normal girls should feel right at home. I laugh at this idea of fame. Lets be honest, it’s a reality TV show, not a Grammy or a Superbowl ring. Thanks for the pep talk though. 

DSD: Although many people know you from The Bachelorette, you are involved with so many other business ventures and charitable organizations. Please tell us about everything you do and your new goals for the future.
K: I work with several companies based in Carlsbad and I do some event coordinating on the side. I spend a lot of my time supporting a variety of charitable organizations that I’m drawn to such as Cancer Angels of San Diego, StandUp For Kids, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Life Rolls On and many others. Currently I’m also working on starting a new business called “Hope Rose” that is a very exciting. I hope to launch this in September so please stay tuned! 

DSD: When you aren’t working, where can we find you in San Diego?
K: I’ve been traveling so much over the last year that when I’m here in San Diego I love to make the most of my time with friends and family. I recently bought a home in coastal Encinitas so I spend a good amount of time at the beaches and restaurants around that area. I feel very lucky to live in such an amazing city. I also love music so the live music venues and bars downtown can always be fun on a night out.

View a preview of ABC's "The Bachelor Pad" - premiering Monday, August 9th:

Check out new photos of Kiptyn Locke at the All Things Royale Shopping Benefit.

Discover more at kiptynlocke.com and abc.go.com/shows/bachelor-pad.