Flashback Friday with Charlie Grogan!

It’s no secret who won my heart on Emily’s season of The Bachelorette. And after this interview, if he doesn’t win yours, you have no heart.

Charlie might not have made it very far on The Bachelorette, and between his good looks and the answers he gave me this week, I’m not sure why. When he’s not spending his free time with his bulldog Manny, he’s helping other people that are recovering from traumatic brain injuries and looking for the future Mrs. Grogan, who he insists must have a heart as big as his.

Without further ado… My future boyfriend, Charlie:

Tell us a little bit about your decision to go on The Bachelorette.

Well, I was submitted online by a friend who said that she could always see me being on the show. During the casting and when I received the phone call asking if I was interested, I thought it was a prank call my buddies were pulling on me. I kept hanging up and they kept calling back, so I decided to finally hear them out. At the time, I was involved in a 13 week TBI (traumatic brain injury) study being conducted by Vanderbilt and going to a speech pathologist every day, so I didn’t have the time to submit a video or anything to them. I basically said, “Thank you but no thank you.” Long story short, they contacted me again about 3 weeks later and told me they were coming to Nashville and would like to meet with me. Around that time I was finishing up the Vanderbilt study and wasn’t attending speech classes as much, so I went. I realized with everything I had experienced in the last year… from my accident to healing and now the opportunity to go on a journey that not everyone gets the ability to do, I said “Yes.”  Everything was just falling into place so perfectly that it felt like it was what I needed to do.

What was your favorite experience on the show?

Gosh, it would have to be the whole experience. I not only had an amazing time meeting some great people and getting the chance to do some pretty amazing things, but it opened me up to really learn a lot about myself. It allowed me to overcome some pretty serious demons and insecurities.

We really saw you open up about your accident and public speaking issues on the show. Was that difficult to do with cameras around?

Oh absolutely…  I actually pulled aside some of the producers and told them I was ready to go home. I didn’t feel comfortable enough opening up and allowing the whole world to learn that about me. I mean, my accident was only like 1 year and a half ago when we were filming, so I was still learning about myself and things I was suffering from.  After talking with the producers and getting such a huge support system from the guys (Kyle and Wolf), I decided to face that fear and allow myself to open up. It was hands down the most therapeutic experience of my life. It felt like I was done hiding and the boulder had been lifted.

Did you feel that you and Emily had potential, or was it more the hype of being on the show?

I was and still am ready to find love. I didn’t know if it was going to be Emily, but I felt that this experience would allow me to find out.

Is Emily your type of girl in real life? If not, what is your type?

Emily wasn’t really my type. Don’t get me wrong – she is an extremely fun loving and attractive girl, but beauty can only run so deep. I enjoy spending time with a girl that’s a little less maintenance, someone who I can pick on (friendly flirting) and she can pick on me right back. We both need to know each other’s worth and remember that a relationship can bring you through the tough times.

What’s the one must-have quality for the future Mrs. Grogan?

A big heart… Have the ability to make me, herself and everyone around us better as people. Must also have the patience to put up with me and Manny (my sweet but drooling, farting and snoring Bulldog).

And on the flip side, what is a deal breaker for you?

Shallowness

What’s changed for you since the show aired?

A lot really hasn’t changed for me. Yes, a lot more people come up to me, say hi, take pictures and want to talk about the show, but nothing about me and who I am as a person has changed. I do get asked to visit families now who have loved ones in the hospital who have suffered TBI (traumatic brain injury). I answer the many questions that they may have and I talk to them about what to expect in regards to the healing process. I tell them how important family and friends are when it comes to pushing them through the hard times and that “giving up” is not an option.

How do you feel about Bachelor Pad? Could you ever see yourself on there?

To be honest, I have never seen Bachelor Pad prior to this season. I tuned in because of Tony, Chris and Kalon. I have only seen the first episode and yeah, it looks like a lot of fun to film, but at the same time it looks like a big hot mess. I honestly don’t know if I would ever do it.

If you were casting from your season, who do you think would make the best candidate for The Bachelor?

There were a lot of great guys on this season but if I had to choose one that I would want, even for my sister to be with, it would have to be Sean. I thought from the moment I had the chance to sit down and talk with him that he would win Emily’s heart.

You can follow Charlie on Twitter at @charlie_grogan.