After the Tell-All: Nicolle shares her side of The Golden Bachelor storm

The “Women Tell All” special of The Golden Bachelor Season 2 aired on October 29, and with it came one of the most anticipated confrontations of the season — Nicolle Kate Briscoe facing her fellow contestants.

What followed was a blend of apologies, clarifications, and a few unfiltered moments that continued the storm that’s followed Nicolle since she first appeared on the show.

Often labeled as this season’s “villain,” Nicolle found herself at the center of multiple conflicts — from “Lemon-Bar-Gate” to her candid remarks about the season one cast and her cheeky goodbye speech to Mel Owens.

But in her post–Tell-All conversation, Nicolle took the opportunity to explain her side of The Golden Bachelor story, one quote at a time.

The Golden Bachelor: Setting the record straight

When asked about Debbie Siebers’ pointed comments during the Tell-All, Nicolle said she was surprised her friend chose to voice her criticism so publicly.

“Debbie and I are very good friends. I said, ‘Debbie, come on.’ I didn’t think that was necessary. Everybody had already said basically what she was saying, and she didn’t need to repeat it. If she needed to say that to me, she could have said that to me separately.”

The two exchanged words during a commercial break, where Nicolle recalls trying to de-escalate.

“I said, ‘Debbie, I love you, but that was really unnecessary.’ She said it was necessary. I said, ‘Well, it wasn’t necessary like that. There were so many positive things about our friendship. You could have said something nice, and then sandwiched it with something negative and ended with something nice. That is how you are supposed to do it.’ She said, ‘You are right. You are right.’”

Despite the tension, Nicolle added that she’s not combative and took some of the criticism to heart.

“There’s some truth in every single thing that they all said. It was just a bit… like four people in a row. I could have used a minute to breathe before I took on the next person’s complaints or criticisms.”

She summed up the night by acknowledging she “will do better,” which landed well with some of the other women and viewers alike.

Addressing “Lemon-Bar-Gate” and the season one comment

Nicolle’s season was marked by a few viral moments, none more talked about than her remark about The Golden Bachelor’s inaugural cast.

During filming, she said, “I’m sorry, but the last cast, they weren’t so great looking…” — a line that quickly made the rounds online.

Reflecting on it after the Tell-All, Nicolle said she understood why it rubbed people the wrong way.

“I really just heard from one, and I said, ‘I apologize, and you are right. That wasn’t kind.’ I sent an apology to a couple people directly, and we’re good. I’ve had a lot of people say, ‘I forgive you. We’re good.”

She also laughed off “Lemon-Bar-Gate,” clarifying her role in the infamous kitchen incident that divided fans.

“I was the head chef, and I had a lot of beautiful sous chefs,” she said. “I appreciate Roxanne because she said it very fairly.”

The “Dating America” remark

Another headline-making comment came when Nicolle said, “I’m not here to date Mel. I’m here to date America.” Many interpreted the line as her admitting she was there for fame. Nicolle disagreed.

“Well, I didn’t say I’m not here to date Mel. I said, ‘We’re not just dating Mel.’”

She added that the comment happened casually off-camera.

“To be honest, I feel like I wasn’t mic’d then, but they have other mics, so that’s how that happened. We were just in the kitchen. I don’t know anybody who hasn’t sat around with their girlfriends to shoot the [shit] and been really honest about stuff. I just didn’t think it was going to get picked up.”

As for what “dating America” meant, Nicolle said it wasn’t meant as a boast — but as an observation about the format of The Golden Bachelor.

“When you’re dating on a national television show and you know that there’s one man and 23 women, everyone who’s viewing is going to get to know you — good, bad, or otherwise.”

A goodbye that stuck

During her farewell to Mel, Nicolle told him, “If it doesn’t work out, because it probably won’t.” The line drew gasps at the time, but she insists it was meant playfully.

“In the moment, yeah, absolutely, I meant it. We had a lot of great chemistry, and there were some missteps that I think stopped our journey. But I was just being silly. The whole show is silly, and I had fun with it. I was doing it my way.”

Asked which finalist she thought would be the right match for Mel, Nicolle didn’t hesitate.

“I think Cindy is the right fit for Mel. She’s much more nurturing and more feminine. He’s a very masculine man, and I think he needs the balance of a very feminine woman. I think that Peg and Mel have a bromance, not a romance.”

The edit, the aftermath, and what’s next

In her interview, Nicolle also spoke openly about how she felt the show edited her into a one-dimensional “villain.”

“The fear of going on a show like this is that you get dehumanized, which is the only way that you can get the villain edit is for them to dehumanize you. I think that’s unfair. We came here with our hearts open, hoping to find love, all of us. We did it without any pay.”

Now back in Florida, Nicolle says she’s focusing on humor and perspective.

“I know that reality TV is not real. Reality is your actual life. We went and did this for three weeks, and then I came back to actual reality. But the public probably thinks it’s real. I also think I leaned into it through self-deprecating humor. Just lean in. I’m just trying to find the humor in it. That’s how I’m handling it.”

As for what’s next, Nicolle says she’s hoping for a different kind of screen time.

“I would love to be a judge on a cooking show. I met Geoffrey Zakarian once, and I said, ‘I would like to have a plant-based cooking show because I’m plant-based, and I really believe that’s a healthy way for people to live.’”

Whether or not she returns to reality TV, Nicolle has certainly left her mark. Her post–Tell-All reflections offer a rare, unfiltered glimpse into the world behind The Golden Bachelor — where heartbreak, humor, and self-awareness often collide in one unforgettable rose ceremony.

Stay tuned for more updates.