IS TANNER STILL TALKING?

via: People Magazine, http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/06/29/the-bachelorettes-tanner-p-they-called-me-king-dong/

While the P in Tanner P stands for Pope, it could have just as easily stood for podophiliac (aka foot fetishist) and prankster as he was simply one of the most amusing suitors to ever step foot in The Bachelorette mansion. Post-eviction, the 30-year-old financial analyst discussed Jillian’s feet and his own “manties” from his home in Dallas, Texas. — Carrie Bell

You didn’t seem that bummed out when you didn’t get a rose.
I pretty much knew it was coming. We didn’t have any chemistry. We went the friendship route. It wasn’t that disheartening, but you hate to lose a good girl like that. So smart, attractive, successful — and her personality and everything.

It was a bold move to drop trou on a group date.
We were all talking about what we wear [to bed] and I just felt like, I’ve been kind of the comedian of this whole thing. I’m just going to bust out and show her my manties.

Everyone seemed impressed with what they saw. Be honest, did you stuff?
Negative. I was just blessed. All the guys knew [already] because we had outdoor showers. They called me King Dong.

You were also very open about your foot fetish.
Fetish sounds dirty and risqué to me. I just think it’s hot when a girl has pretty feet. But it’s not a deal breaker.

You were the one who told Jillian that someone had a girlfriend back home. Why not go all the way and name names?
When me and Wes first moved into the bunkhouse there was a lot of conversation going on. He’s joking around about, “Hey, you know, I’ve got a girl back home.” I didn’t know whether to take that seriously or not. The whole “girlfriend” thing may have gotten blown out of proportion, so I never wanted to tell Jillian 100% [that it was Wes]. But there was definitely stuff going around that was not right, and I felt like I needed to let her know.

Why ultimately come clean to the others that you were the snitch?
That’s the right thing to do. I didn’t want that blame to fall on, like Juan or Dave or somebody else. It was my responsibility so I took it.

How do you feel about Wes considering he may have been there for the wrong reasons?
Wes has obviously got some things going as far as his band. But we were actually good friends on the show. Wes is a good guy. He’s a talented singer. I don’t go that route whenever I approach a girl but that’s who Wes is.

What was your reaction to Ed’s decision to leave?
That was a complete shock because I thought Ed was one of the front-runners. Him and Jillian had something real special. When Ed was around, her eyes sparkled. We were in the middle of Canada, and he pretty much said, “You know what? I’ve got to leave. I’ve got a great job at Microsoft.” I understand completely, a great job like that, but I don’t see how he got himself in that situation. He knew he was going to to be gone for up to two months.

Now that you are back home, how have people responded to your taste for toes? And are they like, “It’s Tanner from The Bachelorette with the big you-know-what!”
Yes, with the big package. Dallas is kind of the mecca for reality show junkies, and I’ve taken lots and lots of pictures with girls and their feet. They’re like, “Hey, how do you like my feet? Take a picture with me and my feet.”


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