WJBF – Love can be a hard thing to find, and it could be even harder to find… on reality television!

Ashley S. Evans has a little experience in the latter, and she chats with WJBF about her experience on TV One’s “The One.”

Thank you for joining us here today. Now, you are an actress, so my first question to you is how did you get started in the arts?

Oh, man. How did I get started in the arts? It was actually after a bad breakup, I decided to do a workshop. For me, it was just like therapy, and I just got right into it and loved it ever since.

Another fun fact: you are also a chemist. So, what inspired you to get into that field of study?

I went to school, and my first major was actually computer science. I got into JavaScript, and I was like, “Nope. Can’t do it. This is too much for me.” And so, I was like, “Wow, I need to do something where I’m always going to have a job.” And I said, “Okay, well, maybe pharmacy is the route,” and I was like, “Okay, well, let me get this chemistry degree, and then, I’ll go to pharmacy school if I want to.” Never went to pharmacy school; stayed at a chemist. (Laughs)

As we mentioned, you were recently on TV One’s “The One.” You were the main “bachelorette looking for love.” What made you made this decision to go into reality TV?

Well, actually, they came to me, and they approached me. I was single, and I said, “What do I have to lose?” I’m single. I’m living in Atlanta. I’m doing my thing, and I want to be with someone. So, I have nothing to lose. And I said, “You know what? Let’s go for it.”

Now, Kirk Franklin and Tammy Franklin are the hosts of the show. How was it working with them?

Basically, Tammy was more so working with me, and Kirk worked with the bachelor. It was a lot of fun. Kirk is fun. He’s super funny. He’s lively, and Tammy was just kind of like that motherly advice, like just giving me that advice that I really, really needed about relationships and how to move forward in that whole dating process.

Were there ever any moments that it was like, “Alright, I don’t know if I should have done this?”

Truthfully, yeah. Honestly, there were a lot of moments where I felt like, “What did I get myself into?” Because I know I went into it with the purest intentions. And then, of course, with anything that you do, you’re going to be met with certain obstacles that you didn’t expect. So definitely with dating on reality TV, there were a lot of times where I was like, “What did I get myself into?”

At the end of the season, you made the decision to choose yourself.

Yes, I did. (Laughs)

Why did you make that decision?

Honestly, it was God because going through the show, honestly, my main focus was just finding somebody to be with. But however, you know, that night before I got ready to make that last decision, I remember praying and saying, “You know, God, just help me with this decision because I don’t know what to do.” And He told me to choose myself and to choose Him. Choose myself and grow that relationship that I have with Him.

Now, social media is a part of our lives, whether we like it or not. People are very vocal, especially when it comes to reality TV and their opinions. How did you deal with social media?

I stayed off of it. I had to use that block button a lot. I also tried to make sure that I was only following pages that kind of spoke to me: Christian based pages, my friends, and the people that I knew. I also made it possible that people couldn’t tag me. (Laughs)

So, what’s next for you? What do you have going on?

I have a clothing boutique. I have a clothing boutique that is online. I’m also still working on my personal care products that I’ve formulated myself.

What’s the name of the line and the website?

It’s called the A Shené Collection. The link to the website is www.ashenecollection.com. 

Now, you’re originally from Waynesboro, Georgia. What advice would you give somebody that wants to get into acting or get into the arts? Because you’re in Atlanta now, and you’re living your dreams. What advice would you give somebody? How can you inspire someone?

I would tell anyone who is looking to get into the industry to number one, pray about it. Work hard, focus, do your research, and just go for it. Don’t waste any time. Definitely go for it.

If anybody wants to follow your journey and connect with you, how can they do so?

They can follow me on Instagram @ashleysevans.