Published: Oct. 2010
Joseph Winslow, 15-year technology professor and Chair of Education and Technology at Coastal Carolina University, has done more than his share of interesting activities throughout his life.
In 2001, Joseph’s sister and fraternity brother sent an application into The Bachelor, the first season, without him knowing. “The two of them are good friends and they conspired to nominate me for an application,” said Winslow. Without warning Winslow received a call from Katherine Price, the winner of the first season of The Mole and assistant producer of The Bachelor. “I had no prior knowledge of this,” he continued, “No idea I was an applicant.”
“The first thing I hear is, ‘Hi! I hear you’re interested on being on our show!,’” said Winslow. At first, Winslow was under the impression it was a fishing show. “I said sure, remind me the name of the show again,” he said. When Price told Winslow the name of the show was “ABC’s The Bachelor” he then realized it was not a fishing show. “I didn’t believe her. I thought she was a friend of a friend being put up to this just to give me a hard time,” said Winslow.
It took Price a few minutes to convince Winslow she was a real casting agent and The Bachelor was a real show. “She interviewed me on the spot, and then asked if they could send me an application,” he said. Earlier Winslow’s sister and friend had only sent in a pre-application or nomination to be considered for auditions for the show. “The regular application was a 60-page document and they wanted to know everything about you,” said Winslow. Along with the extreme application, he was also required to submit video interviews. “I didn’t want to do this,” he continued, “I went kicking and screaming the whole time.”
At this point Winslow still had no knowledge on what the show was actually about. “They were very ambiguous about how they described it. They said it was not going to be a cheesy dating show,” said Winslow.
“I was single at the time and a little bored sociall. So I thought I might explore this option,” he said. He now had the mind-set that he had nothing to lose and sent in all the paper work and video interviews. “Hollywood time is pretty impressive,” said Winslow. Two days after they had received his information, Winslow had gotten a call back. After that he conducted several more phone interviews and even had to submit more video interviews. “Finally, I got a call back and they said they wanted to interview me on-site and do some screen tests,” he said. At the time he was unaware of what a screen test was and had came to the conclusion that it was just another on-site interview.
ABC flew Winslow out to Los Angeles, California, and he stayed in a hotel owned by ABC and used for the specific purpose of casting. “They quarantined everybody because they didn’t want contamination,” said Winslow. None of the other potential bachelors or the bachelorettes were allowed to speak to one another.
Before the casting began Winslow was required to take a series of tests. “I had to take intelligence tests, get my blood checked, and I had to be interviewed by psychologists,” said Winslow.
After all the tests were finished the screen tests began. They sat him on a couch and had an interviewer ask him multiple questions. “They asked all these questions that nobody, not even your best friend or mom, would ever ask you,” he said. A does a few more screen tests and figures that they are going fine. “I had the attitude I am who I am and if you like me you like me,” said Winslow.
The producers were still not telling him much information about the show. “All I knew was that this was a show designed to math you up with the love of your life,” said Winslow. He was very skeptical of this.
When the final screen test happened, Winslow had two interviewers interviewing him. They had him sing, tell jokes, tell stories, and a lot of improvisation. “I knew something was up when I remember answering one of the questions … After I answered it I immediately heard a ton of people laughing,” he continued, “For a second I thought that they were watching a good show in the next room. Then it hit me, they had sample audiences in the other room that are watching all the candidates as they come in here.” He came to the conclusion that the audience would be the deciding factor on whether or not he made the show. “I was so naïve going into this experience, I had no idea how Hollywood worked,” he said.
After returning home Winslow heard nothing for 3 days. He finally got a call back from Katherine Price. “ ‘She said Joe I want to congratulate you,’ and I said for what? and she said ‘No Joe, you are ABC’s The Bachelor,’” said Winslow. Everyone unanimously wanted Winslow to be The Bachelor. He bought into it and decided to go with it. “They were all set to fly a production team out her to Coastal to shoot me teaching class, coaching track, and being at the beach surfing,” said Winslow. They had done this to build a profile shot to show the viewers a little about Winslow. “I finally got my contract and in my contract it said I had to propose at the end of the show and on camera,” he said. He decided he wouldn’t be able to promise that. “I don’t think I could have met the love of my life and recognize her in 18 days,” he said. Winslow then decided to turn them down. “I called them up and said thanks, but no thanks,” said Winslow.
Along with The Bachelor, Winslow is also a fishing boat captain and has many awards for fishing. “My weekend life is very different from my teaching life,” said Winslow. He fishes competitively on the weekends on the Salt Water Fishing Circuit targeting King Makeral. Currently, Winslow is the advisor for the Coastal Salt Water Anglers Fishing Club at CCU. “We have about 25 guys and I take them out fishing for a variety of different species,” he said. In 2007, they won the national championship and the Southport Tournament.
Winslow is also a surfer and has traveled around the world surfing and he teaches Coastal Carolina’s very first surfing class. “The most interesting thing in my life is meeting my wife and marrying her,” said Winslow.
