Jared ‘Frustrated’ by response to his and Ashley’s ‘BiP’ appearance

Jared Haibon and Ashley Iaconetti saw mixed reactions to their appearance in Season 8 Bachelor in Paradise — and has a lot to say about it.

“We didn’t expect to go to Paradise. So we got a phone call, like, three weeks before and they said, ‘Hey listen, we want to crash you and we want you to have a good time at the beach.’ And at first we wanted to take Dawson down, but it didn’t work because passports – long story,” Jared said on Us Weekly‘s “Here for the Right Reasons” podcast, referring to their 8-month-old son. “So it worked out really well where we were able to go down and enjoy our time together. Because as everyone knows, for example, having a child and then we just started a business — it really takes a lot of time and effort, and your relationship is in the background, or at least intimacy [does], romance and just the entertainment part of your life. So to have the opportunity to do it down in Paradise and to do it in a place that means a lot to us was pretty cool. And the reaction… They got a lot nicer when we were first on Monday’s episode or [our date episode].”

Some fans weren’t thrilled that the couple, who appeared in seasons 2 and 3 of the show and returned to get engaged in season 5, were given a date card and more screen time than the current contestants.

“It wasn’t so bad because people were like, ‘We like Ashley and Jared, but why are they on screen so much? We don’t want to see this. We want to see people come out.’ But at the same time it frustrates me a little bit – here’s a little venting session,” Jared continued. “We love our Bachelor family. I love the people who watch this show. They gave us more than I could have ever imagined. But they also love love and the idea that love ends when two people meet on a show and then leave kind of boggles my mind. Love — like anyone who has been in a long relationship or who is married, who has children [can tell you] — evolves, changes, requires work. And the love I have for Ashley is stronger now than you’ve ever seen on the show.”

After Ashley pointed out that his comment was “very sweet,” he continued.

“She is not only my wife, but also the mother of my child. So we get a chance to go down there and really talk about things that we don’t talk about in our everyday lives. What she means to me, what Dawson means to me, what parenting means to me, what our parents mean to us and, like, and how they imprinted what it means to create a family aspect. And so expressing it in the show meant a lot to us”, explained the student. “That people wouldn’t — I understand why people are mad, like, obviously we get twice as much screen time as anybody else in Monday’s episode. Even watching it, I was like, ‘We’re on the screen again, like, holy shit.’ I knew there would be a joke or some sort of theme about sleeping together in the boom room. But I never thought it would stretch to this extent.”

The “Almost Famous” podcast host added that she had a feeling their sex life might turn into a rumble, noting, “I thought it might and I never wanted it, but I’m like, ‘Whatever. We’ll have fun with anything. … Do you want to talk about it? OK, we’ll talk about it.”

When they weren’t in the infamous boom boom room, Ashley and Jared spent time with the contestants. They appointed Serena Russell and Brandon Jones and Victoria Fuller and Johnny DePhillipo as ones to watch.

“[Brandon and Serene] we were the only solid couple when we were there. And it seemed like love, and we were only there for seven days,” Ashley said. “I think we left on the seventh day for them — day six or seven. They were quick to be serious.”

Jared agreed. “Even when we found out the cast was splitting up — because we found out as we were leaving — we were like, ‘They’re going to be fine. They will make it through.’ I’m sure he will too. And then we always say that Johnny and Victoria, they’re just cruising!”

Bachelor in Paradise airs on ABC Mondays and Tuesdays at 8:00 PM ET.