Most of my Mondays consist of country music and a little bit of nightly “trash” television featuring reality shows, but this week those worlds collided in an interesting way.
Christina Mandrell, the niece of country pioneer Barbara Mandrell, is one of the thirty contestants on ABC’s 27th season of The Bachelor.
And she did not disappoint. If you haven’t caught up yet, here’s a quick summary of how Christina graced the stage on Monday night and proved that she’s no stranger to fame and attention.
Early on in the season, several women get picked for short film packages where cameras follow them around their hometowns before the season kicks off, and Christina was highlighted. In her package, which premiered in the opening half of Monday night’s episode, she was shown with her five-year-old daughter who she described as, “five-years-old going on fifteen.”
She also shared that she is a Nashville native, born and raised, and that her mother was featured in the group Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters:
“If I have to sing, I will. But it is not my passion by any means.”
One Bachelor staple on the opening night of each season is when the women do their limo entrances, where they try to make a lasting impression on the current bachelor. And Christina showed up in a party bus that the crowd of ladies, including bachelor Zach Shallcross, got on later in the night to do a little dancing.
The young Miss Mandrell even snuck away with Zach for a few moments in the night to play a compatibility game she’d created on her own, featuring some of her own drawings. She was an absolute charmer throughout the episode.
Christina made her entry in a hot pink sequin gown, but what really stood out to me was her southern accent, which we don’t typically get much of on this show.
In the final rose ceremony, Christina snagged one of the privileged roses from Zach meaning that she’s safe for another week. And if the producers of the show stick to their normal patterns, a lot of screen time on the first night could mean that Christina is in for the long haul this season.
Oddly enough, Christina is one of the only contestants on The Bachelor franchise who has ever been referred to by their first and last name. Normally remembering the names of thirty women is a hard enough task without involving last names.
But I have my suspicions it may have to do with her ties to country music royalty.
Cheers to country music lineage sneaking on to one of America’s most popular (and absurd) television series and showing off.
@christinamandrell1 Stop STAIRing #IYKYK #thebachelorabc ♬ Speak Now – Taylor Swift
She also played the girl at the very end of Taylor Swift’s “Fifteen” music video:
