As a member of the hugely popular ABC franchise The Bachelor, Ashley Iaconetti (pictured above) is no stranger to navigating social situations with perfect strangers. Iaconetti was one of four new entrants to the Mars habitat (which also included Cat Cora, Paul Pierce and Andy Richter) who were introduced last week on Fox's Stars on Mars. Sadly, Iaconetti was the latest member of the crew to be deemed "non-mission-critical" and extracted from the red planet following a particularly difficult physical challenge. When signing up for the show she didn't realize just how different the experience would be from anything she'd previously done.
"It was really quite different," she told MediaVillage during an exclusive interview following her extraction. "On The Bachelor franchise the producers are as involved with you as the cast is. They are kind of like living and breathing with you at the same time, you just don't really see them on air. "You get really close to them and they [become] you're like ultimate confidants. It's kind of like therapy.
"I didn't feel like Stars on Mars was therapy," she continued. "It was very hands-off and much more like The Real World, Surreal Life or Big Brother. Just the cameras are there so there was no intertwining of anything. You're living, going about your lives, making new friends and acquaintances, and you're doing it on something that we're calling Mars. It was definitely a different experience, so very cool, and I'm really glad that I was part of it."
Entering the experience, Iaconetti had an idea of what she would be walking into, and that she and her new crew members would be the new kids on the block. Given the short window provided by producers to join the mission, she had to make the decision to head to Mars fast. "By the time I got asked to do the show the cast was announced," she recalled. "I was given 48 hours to get ready to go to Mars, and it took me about 30 minutes to make the decision. I was with my sister, my mom and my husband and we all were like, 'Alright, how can we get through 13 nights without me?' I have a baby, but we figured it out real quick because the opportunity was just too big to not take.
"This is like the silliest, wildest idea, but also amazing," she added. "I understood why this would be great TV, and my first impression after arriving was that the set was so impressive. The cast was amazing, and I couldn't believe I was being asked to be among them. But those space suits … They're heavy! The helmet weighed down your shoulders and is probably 15 pounds. Then the backpack is another 25. You're walking around in these clunky shoes on uneven terrain, but it made me feel like a tough chick."
Tension between crew members Ariel Winter and Lance Armstrong gained momentum in last night's episode (following a previous difference of opinion). Iaconetti admitted that was a little awkward to walk into. "I didn't know otherwise," she revealed. "Some people were coming up to us saying, 'Oh, just letting you know, there is a fight and that's why things are awkward. It was all fun here, but you guys are just coming in at a bad time.' I had no idea what the vibe really was in there before."
With Winter elected team leader this week, it only fueled Armstrong's frustration. After the Mars habitat was pummeled by a micro-meteorite shower, resulting in holes that needed to be repaired to save valuable oxygen, he was quick to criticize her decision to constantly talk to the crewmembers and bolster moral as they made the repairs. "I thought she was doing the right thing and it was a great distraction," Iaconetti shared. "That was when I felt most bonded to the team. What were we supposed to do, stand there in silence the entire time? I was on the floor, with one finger in a hole, but there were a lot of other people being quieter as some of these poor guys were in total pain for two hours."
Despite her time on Mars being brief, Iaconetti made some valuable connections. "I loved my time with Cat Cora," she said. "She's such a nurturing, warm person. She's easy to talk to and has good support, so I was grateful for her to be there. I loved being in Marshawn Lynch's presence, and truly felt like that was a gift. That man is so entertaining, so funny, and multifaceted. Just give me all the Marshawn Lynch time in the world. I was going to text Cat and be like, 'Hey, can you send me Marshawn's number?' One, I just want to say that I have [his] number, and two, maybe joke with him sometime."
As for her extraction, she understands why she was chosen to go. "I did get the easiest job in the challenge," she offered in closing. "Although, it did end in my departure. We shouldn't have eliminated anyone this week because there were no failures on this mission. We did great as a team.">