The Golden Bachelor's Carol Freeman-Branstine has explained why she quit Mel Owens' season right before hometown dates.

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During the October 15 episode of The Golden Bachelor's second season, Carol, the 63-year-old aunt and manager of MLB player Freddie Freeman, unexpectedly dumped Mel and left the show.

"I had the least amount of time [out of] the women -- the remaining women," Carol, who was never asked on a one-on-one date with Mel, explained to People.

"I thought if I don't get the one-on-one, because he already knew [Cindy Angelcyk Cullers] pretty well, so I thought she's probably the only one that would, I thought it was between me and Cindy."

Carol explained to Mel on the show that she didn't feel ready to introduce him to her family considering they had spent so little time together.

Carol apparently didn't feel pursued or valued by Mel that deep into The Golden Bachelor process.

"It was funny, because I love Cindy, so we looked at each other, and she saw that I was like, 'Uh,'" Carol recalled of when the solo Date Card was given to Cindy right before hometowns.

"So after that I'm like, 'No. He's not going to give me any time.'"

Carol said leaving the show on her own accord "was hard" because she truly "liked him."

"I really did," the bubbly bachelorette insisted.

"I said he was handsome how many times? So, that still stands. But anyway, I just knew. I had to protect my heart, too. So I kind of knew then, I wasn't his girl."

Carol continued, "So I thought, 'You know what? He's not my guy,' because I want someone to choose me. Even at 63, you want to be chosen."

Carol seemed to realize it was her time to bow out of the competition and let Mel's relationships with Cindy, Peg Munson and Debbie Siebers grow.

"I kind of thought, 'It's going to be better for me to leave this journey,' so I did," Carol explained.

When Carol left the show, she told Mel that they were lacking a deep connection.

"I don't know if I can continue on this journey with you, and this is hard because I really care about you. I do," Carol told Mel.

"I respect that," Mel replied. "You have to be true to yourself, and your feelings come first -- your well-being."

Mel seemed shocked and disappointed because he and Carol were finally getting to know each other a little better.

Carol cried during her exit because she said it was a sad moment to walk away from Mel and all of her new friends.

But she said she knew it "just wasn't right" with Mel and he wasn't her "catch" of a lifetime. She felt optimistic, however, about her chances of finding love elsewhere.

Carol told People that she'll be keeping an eye out for a kind and loyal Christian man.

"Just someone that is a great companion," she shared. "I want a nice companion, and someone that I can live the rest of my days with. That's what I'm looking for."

Carol then quipped, "Okay, I have to throw this in -- he's got to like sports. Because we come from a sports family, I can't imagine him coming like, 'What's that?' I couldn't do that. I couldn't deal with that."

When looking back on her The Golden Bachelor experience, Carol said she has no regrets.

However, Carol apparently wishes she had been more comfortable in her own skin. The Golden Bachelor viewers saw Carol's confidence grow throughout the season, especially when she was willing to pose for a photo shoot on the beach in just a towel.

"That's not always easy, especially when you get nervous," Carol said of trying to be yourself.

Carol said her friends at home poked fun at her for struggling to communicate with Mel at times.

"That night where I couldn't talk, my friends watched that episode and they're like, 'What was that?' I got all these calls the next day," Carol admitted.

"I'm like, 'Okay, you try it with all these cameras on you!' It's not easy. Now I have a million questions I could ask. Isn't that always the case?"

Carol advised future The Golden Bachelor bachelorettes to just be as genuine and authentic as possible.

The Golden Bachelor: The Women Tell All airs Wednesday, October 29 at 9PM ET/PT on ABC, and then Mel will be shown going on his Fantasy Suite dates with his Final 2 bachelorettes, Cindy and Peg.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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