Minnesotan Daisy Kent ends ‘Bachelor’ alone — but on her own terms

Minnesotan Daisy Kent has left “The Bachelor” in second place — but on her own terms.

During Monday night’s finale, the 25-year-old disrupted the reality TV show’s usual order of things, meeting with the other finalist, Kelsey Anderson, before the proposal, riding to that proposal location together and then telling Joey Graziadei, “You’re not going to choose me.”

“The last couple of days, I realized that, you know, you’re not my person,” said Kent, who grew up in Becker, Minn. “And I know that you know I’m not your person. And as much as that hurts, I know you said you want the best for me.

“So I’m going to do what’s best for me, and I’m gonna go.”

After the proposal, in front of a studio audience, host Jesse Palmer teased the possibility Kent could become the next star of “The Bachelorette.” But Kent told him that she wasn’t ready for that. Kent, who has profound hearing loss, had just celebrated the one-year anniversary of getting her cochlear implant. Going on the show was wonderful but hard, she said.

“I’m healthy and I’m happy,” Kent continued. “And I haven’t had those two things in a really long time. And so right now, I know it’s a time for me to focus on the things I love and the people I love.”

Instead, the show named Jenn Tran, another contestant this season, as the next “Bachelorette.”

Kent isn’t the first Minnesota woman to leave “The Bachelor” brokenhearted. In 2018, Minnesotan Becca Kufrin won the ring, accepting a proposal from Arie Luyendyk Jr., before he changed his mind, instead choosing — and later marrying — his runner-up. She and Michelle Young, the runner-up on Matt James’ season, went on to star in their own seasons of “The Bachelorette.”

Speculation continued swirling Monday over whether Leslie Fhima, the runner-up on last year’s hit spinoff “The Golden Bachelor,” would become the first lead of “The Golden Bachelorette.” (The Minneapolis fitness maven was among those in the studio audience.)

Kent was an early favorite on this season of “The Bachelor,” nabbing the first one-on-one date with Graziadei, who is from Pennsylvania. During Monday’s ABC-TV finale, Graziadei called her “my first connection.”

She grew up on a Christmas tree farm near Becker, about 45 miles northwest of Minneapolis. She and her four siblings would zipline across its pond in the summers and skate on it in the winters. In home videos, Kent was always dancing and singing, her mother Julie Kent said.

But as Daisy grew older, she began losing her health and her hearing. At 17, she was diagnosed with Ménière’s disease, a rare inner-ear disorder. Kent shared the story of her hearing loss on the show, at one point handing Graziadei the external portion of her cochlear implant, explaining how it works.

“You’re wearing it with pride,” Graziadei said then, beaming. “You have this confidence about it, and you want to make a job out of it and help other people. ... It’s extremely inspiring to me.”

During the finale, Kent met Graziadei’s family, including his two sisters. She also shared a close moment with his mother, Cathy, who asked Kent about her fears. “It is scary,” Kent told her. “But I’d rather put it all out there than to not be there and miss out on something. Because he is so worth it to me.”

Graziadei’s mother cried, telling Kent she’d be “honored to have you as my daughter-in-law.”

But the tennis pro’s family also connected with Anderson, smiling as the New Orleans resident wiped schmutz off his cheek.

“The way you look at him is special,” his mother told her.

“I can’t tell you how much he means to me,” Anderson replied, tearful.

Then Kent and Graziadei had their final date in Tulum, participating in a spiritual ceremony that involved steam, drumming and fire. They were told to make a wish on copal, a tree resin, putting it into the fire. Kent wanted to continue growing together. But Graziadei’s wish — for the two of them to find true happiness, either together or apart — felt more like a goodbye.

That feeling continued into the night. Kent told Graziadei that she loved him, and he didn’t reciprocate.

“I love him and I want to be with him, so it would hurt if it’s not me,” Kent said. “But if I’m being 100 percent honest, I don’t think it’s me.”

Onstage Monday night, Kent wore a sparkly dress and a huge grin.

She credited her “amazing parents,” saying that they taught her how to “lead with love and grace and understanding.” She thanked Graziadei for sparking a light in her life. And she praised Graziadei and Anderson’s connection: “From the deepest part of my heart, I’m so extremely happy for both of you.”