Shanae Ankney was one of the most notorious villains ever to appear on The Bachelor, but she now reveals how and why she wanted to bring "Shanae 2.0" to the beaches of Mexico when she appeared on Bachelor in Paradise season 8. On The Bachelor, Shanae unapologetically did whatever she felt was necessary in order to gain leading man Clayton Echard's attention, including sabotaging the other women. She was heavily criticized for mocking Elizabeth Corrigan's ADHD.
During The Bachelor season 26, Shanae and the other women had an argument known as "Shrimpgate." Shanae accused the women of ignoring her after she cooked shrimp for them. She then tried to manipulate Clayton into believing that she was being bullied. The drama eventually moved into the women's lives outside The Bachelor when Genevieve Parisi, one of Shanae's main rivals, posted a photo of some of the Bachelor season 26 women at Elizabeth's birthday party posing with a "F*** Shanae" sign provided by the restaurant.
Genevieve eventually apologized for the post. However, it seemed that the women's relationship with Shanae would never turn into friendship. Now, on the Click Bait with Bachelor Nation podcast, Shanae revealed how and why she wanted to present a new version of herself, "Shanae 2.0," on Bachelor in Paradise and stay out of any drama.
The Definition of Shanae 2.0 On Bachelor In Paradise
Shanae explained that "Shanae 2.0 is basically just the real Shanae that people didn't get to see on The Bachelor. So I'm hoping for definitely redemption, but not even redemption to a standpoint, because I wanted to just be me." Shanae revealed that this time around, she was not going to fall in to the traps of the drama. She said, "I think I was just giving it my all and really being true to myself, and people fell in love with me."
Shanae admitted that when she was dating before her time with Bachelor Nation, she realized that she needed to take a step back and focus on herself. She acknowledged that in order to add to someone else's happiness, she had to truly love herself. Shanae added, "I've never been so confident ... I definitely know who I am. I'm in love with myself, and I'm happy that I was single for so long."
Shanae Almost Turned Down Bachelor In Paradise
Shanae confessed that her first reaction to Bachelor in Paradise was "I'm not doing this." She explained that she was thinking that The Bachelor was "terrible," so she could not imagine that Bachelor in Paradise would be fun. However, she said that people told her that Bachelor in Paradise is a way different experience, and she did not want to have any regrets. Shanae felt that she had nothing to lose and planned to change her image. She said, "So if I was a villain, they're gonna not see me being a villain this time. Just again, staying true to myself and really hope people see me for me."
Shanae Got To Know The Women From Clayton's Season Better
Shanae said that she regrets that she did not really get to know the women from The Bachelor during Clayton's season. She shared that she got to know them a lot more on Bachelor in Paradise, and "they are really fun and good people." She admitted that she was worried if they would give her a second chance or if there would be more drama. Shanae did not speak to any of the women before she went to Mexico, so she did not know exactly who would be there. However, she figured if she showed the women a different side of herself, then there would not be drama between them.
Shanae Had A Great Bachelor In Paradise Experience
Shanae revealed that she would go back to Bachelor in Paradise because it was fun. She felt that people thought that she was "real" and that they "get her humor" and "her sensitive side." She shared that she "was on my best behavior." She said that there was no drama with her, but there was a lot of drama with the guys. She juggled multiple men at once, which was hard for her because she said she is not good with even one man. Shanae teased, "Everyone thought it was the Shanae Show on The Bachelor, but I think Bachelor in Paradise is actually Shanae in Paradise. It's definitely my show."
There have been many redemption stories on Bachelor in Paradise throughout the years, but some fans thought that there was no way that Shanae could ever make up for the things that she said and did on Clayton's season. However, it seems that she has become more self-aware and perhaps realized that she was playing more of a character on The Bachelor than being herself. Hopefully, Shanae's journey on Bachelor in Paradise will lead Shanae 2.0 to find a path to redemption and love.
Bachelor In Paradise airs every Monday and Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
Source: Click Bait with Bachelor Nation