When Salley Carson made her debut on “Southern Charm” season 10, reality TV fans realized they had seen her before. Not only has she been spotted on the Bravo spinoff “Southern Hospitality,” but she has also had a shocking exit on both “The Bachelor” and “Bachelor in Paradise.”
In a recent appearance on the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast, Carson opened up about her reality TV past, addressing the question she says she’s most often asked: whether she was simply chasing fame. Now, she’s setting the record straight, explaining that her reality TV moments weren’t strategically planned but instead happened organically, falling into place at just the right time in her life.
Salley Carson Shares How She Became a Contestant on ‘The Bachelor’
In a Feb. 17 interview with the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast, “Southern Charm” star Salley Carson opened up about how she ended up starring on Clayton Echard’s season of “The Bachelor” in 2022.
After learning that her fiancé had been cheating, tipped off by a DM from the woman who claimed she was involved with him, Carson called off her wedding. Just one week later, she received a phone call asking her to be a contestant on “The Bachelor,” with Carson sharing that producers told her, “We heard your story.”
Bizarrely, Carson believes the very woman her fiancé was cheating with may have been the one who contacted the show and nominated her as a contestant.
She then clarified, “People think that I was interviewing for ‘The Bachelor’ while I was engaged, that was not the case.”
However, Carson’s time on Echard’s season was incredibly short. She eliminated herself in the very first episode, sharing that it “felt too soon” after her broken engagement, although she was ready for “revenge.”
Carson said that she later forgave her ex and the two tried to make things work. However, she learned that he had cheated again. It was then that she was asked to join “Bachelor in Paradise” season 8, but that journey would also be short-lived.
The reality star shared that upon arrival on the beach, she was met with toxicity from a few of the other women. “I left in four hours because it was so toxic. I was literally on the beach for four hours. The girls were bullying me,” she said, adding that they also brought up her past with her ex and the fact that she joined “The Bachelor” just a week after she cancelled her wedding.
Carson went on to note that although there are people out there who still believe she was hungry for fame by starring on multiple reality TV shows, she simply shared, “I would say that all of these shows landed in my lap, and who the hell would not say yes?”
Carson Says She’d Choose Her Real Job Over Reality TV
When Carson joined “Southern Charm” in season 10, fans learned that she worked as a spine surgery robot operator, making $400,000 annually.
Carson’s earnings have been widely discussed, and when Hirsch asked her to clarify the amount she had shared, she explained that the figure also included her work as a content creator. “That was taken out of context. That’s not just from one job, I was thinking of the whole picture of what I make,” she shared.
Although her role on “Southern Charm” and the boost it gave her online presence might mean she no longer needs to work, Carson admitted she would still choose her career in the medical field over being a reality TV star.
“I love it,” Carson shared about her career. “If it came down to reality TV and that job, I would quit reality TV in a second.”
Carson further explained her reasoning for choosing her 9-to-5. “I leave filming [“Southern Charm”] and I kind of have anxiety, or I’m just not feeling that great about myself sometimes. And then, I leave the hospital, and every single time I leave, I’m like, ‘I’m a bad[expletive]. I helped that person. It’s an empowering feeling to be able to do that.”
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Bravo’s Salley Carson Opens up About the Surprising Way She Joined ‘The Bachelor’