The Bachelor star Ben Higgins joined LIT Entertainment News today, Tuesday, January 19 for an exclusive live interview, in which he spilled the tea on this season’s hopefuls.

Ben joined hosts Bradford How, Sloane Glass and Ruba Wilson to discuss Matt James, who he thinks could go all the way to the final, and how he always kept his breath fresh between different make out sessions.

If you plan to report on this interview I kindly ask that you include a credit: In an exclusive interview with LIT Entertainment News.

On whether Matt James was prepared to be The Bachelor:
No, not at all, which is awesome, which is the best way to do it. It's endearing and you don't have any of the pains of being on the show before to expect as the Bachelor. You're kind of unscaved. Everything's new, everything's exciting, you don't know how to handle the situations because you've never seen them before. I find it refreshing, because we get to see how someone right out of their home becomes the Bachelor overnight, and you see them try to navigate the process. I think he's doing a great job, I just don't think he was prepared.

On the advice he gave Matt prior to the show:
It's no secret that Matt is going to go on to be beloved, he's going to do big things. My advice to him was to never let his head get too big or too small. So if people start praising him and calling him the best thing ever, I don't take that to heart. He's a great dude, but don't let your head get too inflated. Also, if people start to criticize him -- it happens every season, there’s going to be your critics -- don't let your head get too small. Stay who you are. Because the person that Matt is an incredible human.

On whether Matt realises Victoria is starting drama:
I don’t think she’s going to be around too much longer. I think the colors are starting to shine and her personality is really starting to shine. People want to give Matt criticism for keeping her around, but a lot of times the Bachelor doesn’t see what the viewers see. We watch and we go, “Victoria’s causing drama, she’s always up in people’s business in the house.” The Bachelor doesn't get to see that side of things. He's blinded to it. I think the drama is going to start to leak into Matt’s ears and he's going to start to understand it, and at that point it's time to say goodbye. But there are very few contestants I can remember who have been so polarizing. Victoria is polarizing and she's definitely a unique breed on the show.

On who could go all the way:
Rachael was somebody that Ashley [Iaconetti] said she really felt had a connection [with Matt], and really got to see it. And Rachael’s been one of our favourites for a while now. So she really has high hopes for Rachael going forward. That's all Ashley was able to see and share -- I think most of her mind was consumed with Victoria making her feel awkward.
Rachael’s definitely in my top three. I think Bri, Rachael and Abigail are the ones that I would really look out for for the rest of the season. I think they have something special with Matt.

On keeping his breath fresh between kissing contestants:
I guess it's up to the unique hygiene of every lead. I would hope that the lead takes their breath into consideration. I went with a different tactic. I have very sensitive gums, so I can't brush my teeth that often, I can do it twice a day. So I do breath strips -- you know the old school green breath strips? If you stick one on the top and one on the bottom, it lasts 45 minutes. Granted, you can buy a box of them at Costco and that can last you through a whole season. It's fantastic.
There was a girl on my season who had a hot dog, and all of a sudden we started kissing and I mean, a hotdog does not have a great after effect. That became almost a storyline in the house which is unfortunate.

If you plan to report on this interview I kindly ask that you include a credit: In an interview with LIT Entertainment News.

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