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The Villain Edit
A memoir about identity and authenticity in the smoke-and-mirror worlds of politics, reality TV and social media, from Bachelor star Alisha Aitken-Radburn.
When former government staffer Alisha Aitken-Radburn was given a 'villain edit' on her first season of The Bachelor, she wasn't entirely surprised-after all, there are only a handful of character tropes producers can manipulate into storylines. But the backlash on social media was unexpectedly intense, and Alisha found her sense of identity completely rocked by a single 'You are a bad person'.
Determined to shake the 'villain' label, she returned to reality TV screens, and this time, she got a different edit. She was met with praise and empathy, and her portrayal led to a third and final season, where she met the man she would marry.
But along Alisha's rocky path in the reality TV spotlight, the line between truth and fiction blurred. She cared about other people's opinions more than her own, and her insatiable quest for external validation saw her outsourcing her decisions and her self-worth to everyone from anonymous forum-lurkers to journalists and politicians.
The Villain Edit charts Alisha's journey through the smoke-and-mirrors worlds of politics, reality TV and social media. Navigating the secrets, lies and hard truths that are laced through even the most fairytale of endings, it reveals how the perceptions of others can rewrite the story of who we think we are, and how important it is to know when to go off-script and take control of the narrative.
When former government staffer Alisha Aitken-Radburn was given a 'villain edit' on her first season of The Bachelor, she wasn't entirely surprised-after all, there are only a handful of character tropes producers can manipulate into storylines. But the backlash on social media was unexpectedly intense, and Alisha found her sense of identity completely rocked by a single 'You are a bad person'.
Determined to shake the 'villain' label, she returned to reality TV screens, and this time, she got a different edit. She was met with praise and empathy, and her portrayal led to a third and final season, where she met the man she would marry.
But along Alisha's rocky path in the reality TV spotlight, the line between truth and fiction blurred. She cared about other people's opinions more than her own, and her insatiable quest for external validation saw her outsourcing her decisions and her self-worth to everyone from anonymous forum-lurkers to journalists and politicians.
The Villain Edit charts Alisha's journey through the smoke-and-mirrors worlds of politics, reality TV and social media. Navigating the secrets, lies and hard truths that are laced through even the most fairytale of endings, it reveals how the perceptions of others can rewrite the story of who we think we are, and how important it is to know when to go off-script and take control of the narrative.
288 pages, ebook
First published August 29, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
October 6, 2023
One for the Bachie fans! And I think if you’ve watched some Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise you’ll like this one. I especially love behind the scenes so I frothed it.
I’ve followed Alisha since 2020 and watched all of her seasons. When I saw she was releasing a book I first thought it was fiction! When I saw it was memoir I wasn’t as sure, it’s not a genre I read too much in. It wasn’t until I listened to her interview with Mia Freedman on No Filter that I realised I really wanted to read it. I bought it a day or two later, cheated on my current read and finished it less than 24 hours later.
I totally remember the mean girls from Season 6, and it is pretty horrifying how involved production are in creating storylines and villains. You know it but I personally don’t always notice it or focus on it. The reputation rehab for Alisha of going back for BIP is actually pretty amazing l! Her relationship with Glenn has always felt really authentic, they seemed a great match from the get go ☺️ and I’ve enjoyed seeing that translate to the “real world” (aka what we see on social media lol)
Alisha is very open in this memoir, especially with her insecurities and her faults. Aside from the obvious drawcard of her reality tv experience, I enjoyed her career insights too! Politics isn’t something I knew anything about in terms of a career!
The book was shorter than I thought it would be. I wouldn’t have minded a little ~more however I don’t know what else that would be haha. It’s not a life changing read of course but it was totally juicy to have a peek behind the curtain and I love that Alisha was so brave in what she shared. (P.s. Bill Goldsmith is a dick 😂)
I’ve followed Alisha since 2020 and watched all of her seasons. When I saw she was releasing a book I first thought it was fiction! When I saw it was memoir I wasn’t as sure, it’s not a genre I read too much in. It wasn’t until I listened to her interview with Mia Freedman on No Filter that I realised I really wanted to read it. I bought it a day or two later, cheated on my current read and finished it less than 24 hours later.
I totally remember the mean girls from Season 6, and it is pretty horrifying how involved production are in creating storylines and villains. You know it but I personally don’t always notice it or focus on it. The reputation rehab for Alisha of going back for BIP is actually pretty amazing l! Her relationship with Glenn has always felt really authentic, they seemed a great match from the get go ☺️ and I’ve enjoyed seeing that translate to the “real world” (aka what we see on social media lol)
Alisha is very open in this memoir, especially with her insecurities and her faults. Aside from the obvious drawcard of her reality tv experience, I enjoyed her career insights too! Politics isn’t something I knew anything about in terms of a career!
The book was shorter than I thought it would be. I wouldn’t have minded a little ~more however I don’t know what else that would be haha. It’s not a life changing read of course but it was totally juicy to have a peek behind the curtain and I love that Alisha was so brave in what she shared. (P.s. Bill Goldsmith is a dick 😂)
September 11, 2023
Despite being an avid watcher of The Bachelor franchise, I remembered very little of Alisha Aitken-Radburn, although her thrice attempt at finding love amongst the roses should instigate otherwise. If anything, I would've labelled her "character trope" (as she calls it) irrelevant, as opposed to one of a villainy. Alas, Aitken-Radburn has chosen to run with this narrative and rewrite it in her own words.
Juicy, honest and, at times, cringeworthy, The Villain Edit is akin to sitting down with your hot mess of a friend as she gives you a play-by-play of all her relationship downfalls, mistakes and unfiltered thoughts. You're left wondering if you'd be more of a bad friend by sitting by silently or giving it to her straight.
Revealing exciting tidbits about the Channel 10 Network's Bachelor universe, this is both a shallow and sugary binge-read for reality television lovers and the falsified fairytales manufactured within.
Juicy, honest and, at times, cringeworthy, The Villain Edit is akin to sitting down with your hot mess of a friend as she gives you a play-by-play of all her relationship downfalls, mistakes and unfiltered thoughts. You're left wondering if you'd be more of a bad friend by sitting by silently or giving it to her straight.
Revealing exciting tidbits about the Channel 10 Network's Bachelor universe, this is both a shallow and sugary binge-read for reality television lovers and the falsified fairytales manufactured within.
August 30, 2023
Alisha's story is funny and smart. A fascinating look behind the scenes of reality tv and politics!
September 3, 2023
Smashed this in two days!! Alisha is incredibly vulnerable in this memoir, and doesn’t hold back with her thoughts, deep feelings, and past mistakes. I loved hearing her experiences in politics and growing up. It was so fascinating to see the curtain of TV ripped away and I had mega nostalgia for the good old bachie days. Memories I had completely forgotten were dredged up from the back brain. Excited to see her at her book launch in a few days!!
March 1, 2024
Content warnings: mental health, alcohol abuse, cheating, bullying, cyberbullying
3.5 stars
I picked this up after hearing friends rave about it and after reading the Marry Me, Juliet series by Jodi McAllister. And given that the third book in that series involves a character seeking out a villain edit, I was curious to read something from the perspective of someone who got that exact edit WITHOUT seeking it out.
And this was definitely an interesting insight into The Bachelor franchise and how it's produced and turned into a story. But at the same time, I haven't seen any of her seasons and I don't really watch The Bachelor franchise so I had very little investment in this. In summary, if you like/watch The Bachelor, you'll probably get more out of this than I did.
3.5 stars
I picked this up after hearing friends rave about it and after reading the Marry Me, Juliet series by Jodi McAllister. And given that the third book in that series involves a character seeking out a villain edit, I was curious to read something from the perspective of someone who got that exact edit WITHOUT seeking it out.
And this was definitely an interesting insight into The Bachelor franchise and how it's produced and turned into a story. But at the same time, I haven't seen any of her seasons and I don't really watch The Bachelor franchise so I had very little investment in this. In summary, if you like/watch The Bachelor, you'll probably get more out of this than I did.
November 23, 2023
I loved this so much. Alisha has written a captivating, honest and heartfelt memoir that shines on the page. The Villain Edit is an absolutely fantastic read and I wholeheartedly enjoyed it every time I sat down to read it. It is heartbreaking to read about how quick the public and media are to villainize someone, and the behaviours from some, and the damage to the "villain" that follows that. A really great book to read if you are a member of the Australian public, or have any interest in reality TV shows.. or both!
October 28, 2023
Thank you Allen & Unwin for sending us a copy to read and review.
Reality TV is often manipulated to make ratings gold.
Sometimes a persons story is edited to make them look like a villain, resulting in harsh and unnecessary social media comments and negative public perception.
Alisha is the victim of this scenario.
In her tell all memoir she is raw, vulnerable, honest and ready to tell her truth.
From her days working in government to her first appearance in The Bachelor where her character on screen was contrived to make her look bad.
Here, we get to read the real narrative of Alisha.
The backlash on social media from her debut on TV was vile, nasty and totally uncalled for.
To rewrite her TV story she returned to reality TV where she was met with sympathy, adoration and support.
This lead to her final presence on the small screen which lead to her meeting her soulmate and true love.
The Villain Edit takes you on a journey of life in the spotlight, behind the scenes of a celebrity and taking control of your story.
What you see on a successful show is not always what goes on or is repeatedly adapted to look a different way.
Secrets, lies, distorted facts and things blurred are what the audience sees but quite frequently is not the real deal.
Alisha is a true example of fighting for the truth, conquering and getting her happy ending.
Reality TV is often manipulated to make ratings gold.
Sometimes a persons story is edited to make them look like a villain, resulting in harsh and unnecessary social media comments and negative public perception.
Alisha is the victim of this scenario.
In her tell all memoir she is raw, vulnerable, honest and ready to tell her truth.
From her days working in government to her first appearance in The Bachelor where her character on screen was contrived to make her look bad.
Here, we get to read the real narrative of Alisha.
The backlash on social media from her debut on TV was vile, nasty and totally uncalled for.
To rewrite her TV story she returned to reality TV where she was met with sympathy, adoration and support.
This lead to her final presence on the small screen which lead to her meeting her soulmate and true love.
The Villain Edit takes you on a journey of life in the spotlight, behind the scenes of a celebrity and taking control of your story.
What you see on a successful show is not always what goes on or is repeatedly adapted to look a different way.
Secrets, lies, distorted facts and things blurred are what the audience sees but quite frequently is not the real deal.
Alisha is a true example of fighting for the truth, conquering and getting her happy ending.
Read
May 14, 2024This is definitely one for fans of the bachelor. I enjoyed listening to Alisha’s experience growing up and working in politics. She’s very open and honest about her life experiences and time on the bachelor. This is a very interesting insight to the bachelor franchise. All the behind the scenes info was so interesting. As a fan of the bachelor back in the day when Alisha was on the show I really enjoyed this one. Alisha also narrates the audiobook if you’re interested in listening to this one.
January 10, 2024
A quick, illuminating read into the realities of being reality TV personality, with a surprising amount of heart and relatability.
February 8, 2024
Easy read and very interesting insight for fans of the franchise. Loved reading about how it really worked and felt for Alisha. She writes concisely and openly. 4/5
September 10, 2023
A super honest and raw account of life in the public eye and trying (but not always succeeding) at being the most authentic version of yourself. Alisha encapsulates so well how it feels to be a young adult and making decisions, mistakes and lessons learnt and how these experiences shape your relationships with friends, family and partners. Life isn’t easy (and neither is reality TV) but it’s comforting to know that on the other side of the screen, these people we watch every week are just that - people.
September 4, 2023
I related to SO many of Alisha's experiences (except reality TV), which was incredibly refreshing. Particularly overthinking relationships - I've overanalyzed so many song that love interests have sent to me so it's great to know I'm not alone.
I loved the raw emotions and honesty throughout the book, and while it was a quick read it doesn't fall into my "fast food" category. It left me feeling empowered and ready to tackle the next challenges in my life.
I loved the raw emotions and honesty throughout the book, and while it was a quick read it doesn't fall into my "fast food" category. It left me feeling empowered and ready to tackle the next challenges in my life.
September 19, 2023
As a Bach fan myself, I found this strangely nostalgic and comforting, and also extremely relatable. I really enjoyed it!
April 17, 2024
excellent bachie recap.
October 9, 2023
Loved this one so much ❤️
March 9, 2024
A self aware telling of Alisha’s time on the bachelor and bachelor in paradise, one for the Aussie reality fans!
September 9, 2023
Smashed this in one sitting!
February 4, 2024
Interesting insight into how the industry works (both the reality TV show industry and the political party machine insights). Other than that, this book just doesn’t work for me.
August 24, 2024
Raw & real. Really appreciated how transparent and self-reflective Alisha is in her recount of her Bachelor/BIP experiences. Loved watching the shows - reading this, it felt like opening a little time capsule to the late 2010s, reliving the highly produced moments we sat glued to the screen gawking over.
February 13, 2024
Alisha Aitken-Radburn gives a behind the scenes look at life as a contestant on "The Bachelor" and "Bachelor in Paradise". Given the title of this book, I anticipated that it would be an in-depth look at popular perception versus reality, but early on, Alisha appears to own that she fed the production people exactly what they were looking for.
For me, the confusing element of this book is that I anticipated the author would want to portray how she is so much more than a character on TV, but one gets to the end of the book & it appears that this is still her #1 desire. I was struck by a base level of narcissism that drives the narrative, with a desire to show Australia who I really am, which assumes that the nation is waiting with baited breath to find out more about bit player in a TV show.
It is interesting to see what drives people. It's fascinating to see someone who ascribes to a political party and value system that is all about equality, yet see how important it is for that same person to be in the fold or set apart in some special way.
Maybe there is a depth to this book after all (though unintended). At it's heart is the human ego, curved in on itself. In the end, do we make ourselves a villain?
For me, the confusing element of this book is that I anticipated the author would want to portray how she is so much more than a character on TV, but one gets to the end of the book & it appears that this is still her #1 desire. I was struck by a base level of narcissism that drives the narrative, with a desire to show Australia who I really am, which assumes that the nation is waiting with baited breath to find out more about bit player in a TV show.
It is interesting to see what drives people. It's fascinating to see someone who ascribes to a political party and value system that is all about equality, yet see how important it is for that same person to be in the fold or set apart in some special way.
Maybe there is a depth to this book after all (though unintended). At it's heart is the human ego, curved in on itself. In the end, do we make ourselves a villain?
January 5, 2024
I love memoirs, but only if the author doesn't hold back on the details, and Alisha Aitken-Radburn has delivered the goods. It was delicious to be let into all the behind the scenes goss of The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise seasons I've watched. Alisha is frank about herself, her experiences, her shortcomings and all, AND the best bit is she's candid about others in the franchise as well. Her background in politics provided a nice contrast to the more superficial world of reality TV. This is probably only a five star read if you are into reality TV to the level I am (unlikely for most) but it really hit the sweet spot for me.
January 9, 2024
I couldn’t quite personally relate to the author- I think our personalities would clash or wouldn’t really be synchronised.
Nevertheless, this book showed me behind the scenes to a beloved guilty pleasure of mine, and in a way the fabrication of ‘plot lines’ by producers kind of reduced the appeal for me 🤔
Nevertheless, this book showed me behind the scenes to a beloved guilty pleasure of mine, and in a way the fabrication of ‘plot lines’ by producers kind of reduced the appeal for me 🤔
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2023
For the record, I haven't watched TV in years and I have not watched any of these shows and have never heard of the author. All that to say, this is truly the perspective of someone with no prior knowledge of the central figure of this story.
I requested this one because I am quite intrigued by how "real" (or not) reality TV is and I was really interested to hear a behind the scenes take on the whole thing. I have also read and loved Jodi McAllister's Marry Me Juliet series and was curious as to how accurate they were at capturing the "bachelor-esque" experience.
Turns out, very accurate. If I got one thing from this book, it's that McAllister knows her ish and reading her fictional stories really does capture the essence of what it's really like behind the scenes of reality television.
But what about this actual story? Well, I think unflinching is definitely the word for it, at least with regards to the narrative, although if we're honest, as a reader I definitely flinched a time or five.
It's very readable and entertaining, especially if you're interested in the behind the scenes aspect. But I gotta say, it definitely made me feel a bit better about the absolute hot mess I was in my own 20s.
You know that one friend who seems to just be a constant disaster and yet you can't help but listen agog over wines while she regals you with the latest tea?? That's pretty much how reading this book felt. The author at one point writes that it felt jarring for a painful experience she had to be called "shocking tea" on a podcast, and yet when I read that bit, I'd be lying if I said my internal narrative wasn't something along the lines of "girl, that's some shocking tea".
I think overall I see this book as one woman's desire to put her story, one which played out very publicly, into her own words, to take ownership of it, to present it in her own narrative. I can certainly respect that. Although, as someone who struggles with being *perceived* by like, the checkout chick, let alone a wider audience, it was genuinely eye opening to me that people truly exist that actually *want* a spotlight on themselves. I can't fathom it, but I think one of the joys of reading is being able to experience perspectives wildly different from your own, right?!
One of the things that stuck with me was the throwaway line when she says that the Bachelor experience was "special and unique" because they get to know people without having the person's Instagram and other socials to trawl over and see the face they present to the world. And I know this probably makes me ancient, but like... what?? Is this really a thing for younger people now? I'm honestly not sure how to feel about that? My partner doesn't have Instagram and he only uses Facebook to watch the random videos that the algorithm picks for him. I don't really see it as special and unique to get to know someone by like - just talking to them?? I dunno, I guess that line really just hammered home that this was truly a very different experience of life than my own - whether that's generational or a matter of my never having been the pretty or cool girl, I don't know.
This was a quick and easy read, very honest, genuinely entertaining, and I think there was enough "character growth" to make it feel like a satisfying story arc, despite being the memoir of a fairly young woman. I think if the concept of this one interests you, you'll probably enjoy it.
I requested this one because I am quite intrigued by how "real" (or not) reality TV is and I was really interested to hear a behind the scenes take on the whole thing. I have also read and loved Jodi McAllister's Marry Me Juliet series and was curious as to how accurate they were at capturing the "bachelor-esque" experience.
Turns out, very accurate. If I got one thing from this book, it's that McAllister knows her ish and reading her fictional stories really does capture the essence of what it's really like behind the scenes of reality television.
But what about this actual story? Well, I think unflinching is definitely the word for it, at least with regards to the narrative, although if we're honest, as a reader I definitely flinched a time or five.
It's very readable and entertaining, especially if you're interested in the behind the scenes aspect. But I gotta say, it definitely made me feel a bit better about the absolute hot mess I was in my own 20s.
You know that one friend who seems to just be a constant disaster and yet you can't help but listen agog over wines while she regals you with the latest tea?? That's pretty much how reading this book felt. The author at one point writes that it felt jarring for a painful experience she had to be called "shocking tea" on a podcast, and yet when I read that bit, I'd be lying if I said my internal narrative wasn't something along the lines of "girl, that's some shocking tea".
I think overall I see this book as one woman's desire to put her story, one which played out very publicly, into her own words, to take ownership of it, to present it in her own narrative. I can certainly respect that. Although, as someone who struggles with being *perceived* by like, the checkout chick, let alone a wider audience, it was genuinely eye opening to me that people truly exist that actually *want* a spotlight on themselves. I can't fathom it, but I think one of the joys of reading is being able to experience perspectives wildly different from your own, right?!
One of the things that stuck with me was the throwaway line when she says that the Bachelor experience was "special and unique" because they get to know people without having the person's Instagram and other socials to trawl over and see the face they present to the world. And I know this probably makes me ancient, but like... what?? Is this really a thing for younger people now? I'm honestly not sure how to feel about that? My partner doesn't have Instagram and he only uses Facebook to watch the random videos that the algorithm picks for him. I don't really see it as special and unique to get to know someone by like - just talking to them?? I dunno, I guess that line really just hammered home that this was truly a very different experience of life than my own - whether that's generational or a matter of my never having been the pretty or cool girl, I don't know.
This was a quick and easy read, very honest, genuinely entertaining, and I think there was enough "character growth" to make it feel like a satisfying story arc, despite being the memoir of a fairly young woman. I think if the concept of this one interests you, you'll probably enjoy it.
March 19, 2024
For a book that’s called the “Villain Edit”, Alisha spends very little time discussing her time as a villain or any kind of “edit” she received.
Most of the book focusses on her early life, and her time on BIP all of which paints her in a much more favourable light.
While the first part of the book is interesting and immediately engaging, Alisha’s summary of her time on Bachelor can be summarised as her justifying “we are actually all really nice but misunderstood girls. Cat is just strong and says things like they are”.
“Says things as they are” really does imply she still stands by all the nasty comments. The classic and tasteless “I’m not mean I’m just honest”.
Alisha’s writing is beautiful, intelligent, and engaging; and I almost found myself reflecting and thinking “maybe they were just misunderstood”. After all, 2018 was a much more misoginistic time…
But all it took was an hour of rewatching clips from this season of Bachelor and it was easy to see why Alisha wanted to gloss over this chapter in her book.
The behaviour of Cat, Romy and Alisha simply cannot be explained as a villain “edit”, and hence, she is unsuccessful in dismissing the bullying behaviour we witnessed. Instead, she choses a couple of weak situations to soften the reality of that season which was that in fact, three women behaved very badly. None of this can be justified in her book as sneaky editing and so the card she tries to play instead is “I was desperate for attention ok” and “look, Brooke Blurton likes me so I must be good by association right?” She then spends much more time painting herself as a victim of Jules and her husbands infidelity in drawn out detail.
Alisha uses the same weak defence with her political colleague, Kaila.
Kaila had treated Alisha well and was therefore “a nice person”. So by Alisha’s logic, the corruption Kaila took part in from within the Labour party by deliberately concealing donations should be forgiven! I mean, she cried ok so she must be super sorry! (That’s sarcasm).
Alisha’s whole philosophy is that good people can’t do bad things, so if they mess up there should be no backlash. While I don’t support cancel culture nor internet bullying, I also think corruption is pretty bloody serious and I don’t care if Kaila was friendly at cocktail parties, that behaviour deserves to be exposed and removed.
“But she was just scared for the party!” Alisha justifies.
Her ethics here are so twisted it’s terrifying.
Regardless, the book is for the most part very enjoyable to read and I couldn’t put it down. Until it got to BIP 2.0…. then it’s just long gushing retellings of her meeting Glenn as if it was the first time we were hearing it and it wasn’t broadcast and then publicly played out for the past half decade… do we really need to know about your yummy salad sandwich??
I think this book would have been far more powerful and earn it’s descriptors for being “raw” and “unflinchingly honest” if Alisha had actually reflected on the bullying behaviour she contributed to, which she absolutely did not do beyond calling her comments “bitch” on the second to last page of the book.
For me, it starts and ends with being a good, entertaining read that is not particularly groundbreaking, honest, reflective nor introspective.
Most of the book focusses on her early life, and her time on BIP all of which paints her in a much more favourable light.
While the first part of the book is interesting and immediately engaging, Alisha’s summary of her time on Bachelor can be summarised as her justifying “we are actually all really nice but misunderstood girls. Cat is just strong and says things like they are”.
“Says things as they are” really does imply she still stands by all the nasty comments. The classic and tasteless “I’m not mean I’m just honest”.
Alisha’s writing is beautiful, intelligent, and engaging; and I almost found myself reflecting and thinking “maybe they were just misunderstood”. After all, 2018 was a much more misoginistic time…
But all it took was an hour of rewatching clips from this season of Bachelor and it was easy to see why Alisha wanted to gloss over this chapter in her book.
The behaviour of Cat, Romy and Alisha simply cannot be explained as a villain “edit”, and hence, she is unsuccessful in dismissing the bullying behaviour we witnessed. Instead, she choses a couple of weak situations to soften the reality of that season which was that in fact, three women behaved very badly. None of this can be justified in her book as sneaky editing and so the card she tries to play instead is “I was desperate for attention ok” and “look, Brooke Blurton likes me so I must be good by association right?” She then spends much more time painting herself as a victim of Jules and her husbands infidelity in drawn out detail.
Alisha uses the same weak defence with her political colleague, Kaila.
Kaila had treated Alisha well and was therefore “a nice person”. So by Alisha’s logic, the corruption Kaila took part in from within the Labour party by deliberately concealing donations should be forgiven! I mean, she cried ok so she must be super sorry! (That’s sarcasm).
Alisha’s whole philosophy is that good people can’t do bad things, so if they mess up there should be no backlash. While I don’t support cancel culture nor internet bullying, I also think corruption is pretty bloody serious and I don’t care if Kaila was friendly at cocktail parties, that behaviour deserves to be exposed and removed.
“But she was just scared for the party!” Alisha justifies.
Her ethics here are so twisted it’s terrifying.
Regardless, the book is for the most part very enjoyable to read and I couldn’t put it down. Until it got to BIP 2.0…. then it’s just long gushing retellings of her meeting Glenn as if it was the first time we were hearing it and it wasn’t broadcast and then publicly played out for the past half decade… do we really need to know about your yummy salad sandwich??
I think this book would have been far more powerful and earn it’s descriptors for being “raw” and “unflinchingly honest” if Alisha had actually reflected on the bullying behaviour she contributed to, which she absolutely did not do beyond calling her comments “bitch” on the second to last page of the book.
For me, it starts and ends with being a good, entertaining read that is not particularly groundbreaking, honest, reflective nor introspective.
May 3, 2024
This is one of the most honest books I have ever read.
Alisha Aitken-Radburn is a truly wonderfully talented author. The Villain Edit is surprisingly Alisha's first book, and I really hope this is just the start of her writing career. The book reads easily and flows through the events of Alisha's life so far. Alisha's honesty is sometimes like a slap to the face, unexpected but somehow pleasurable.
As an early fan of the tv show, The Bachelor I remember watching Alisha's season go to air. At the time, in 2018, I naively watched her season with only some thought given to the editing and producing of the show. Of course, I knew it wasn't all real and every season had their 'villains', but I guess I didn't think much more than that. I found it so interesting to read Alisha's true thoughts and feelings at the time of filming the show and to find out how much the show really is 'produced' to get the content they want. I just cannot fathom how she was feeling when the media and everyday people came after her. I felt emotional reading those parts in the book where Alisha describes just how much these comments impacted her life at the time.
Following Alisha over the years on social media I have felt nothing but proud of her for going on The Bachelor in Paradise TWICE and finally meeting her person in Glenn. To go back onto a show that truly caused so much pain, wow, that takes some guts. I am so proud that she is now a published author, a natural writer at that, and I am thrilled with the response Alisha has had to this book. It cannot have been easy to write down all the parts of your life that may seem shameful or embarrassing to others, and to instead own them and even learn something from them. Just wow. I hope this book can hopefully change the narrative of tv somehow, and also maybe make the online bullies think before they type.
I hope to read more by Alisha Aitken-Radburn in the future.
Alisha Aitken-Radburn is a truly wonderfully talented author. The Villain Edit is surprisingly Alisha's first book, and I really hope this is just the start of her writing career. The book reads easily and flows through the events of Alisha's life so far. Alisha's honesty is sometimes like a slap to the face, unexpected but somehow pleasurable.
As an early fan of the tv show, The Bachelor I remember watching Alisha's season go to air. At the time, in 2018, I naively watched her season with only some thought given to the editing and producing of the show. Of course, I knew it wasn't all real and every season had their 'villains', but I guess I didn't think much more than that. I found it so interesting to read Alisha's true thoughts and feelings at the time of filming the show and to find out how much the show really is 'produced' to get the content they want. I just cannot fathom how she was feeling when the media and everyday people came after her. I felt emotional reading those parts in the book where Alisha describes just how much these comments impacted her life at the time.
Following Alisha over the years on social media I have felt nothing but proud of her for going on The Bachelor in Paradise TWICE and finally meeting her person in Glenn. To go back onto a show that truly caused so much pain, wow, that takes some guts. I am so proud that she is now a published author, a natural writer at that, and I am thrilled with the response Alisha has had to this book. It cannot have been easy to write down all the parts of your life that may seem shameful or embarrassing to others, and to instead own them and even learn something from them. Just wow. I hope this book can hopefully change the narrative of tv somehow, and also maybe make the online bullies think before they type.
I hope to read more by Alisha Aitken-Radburn in the future.
September 10, 2024
Fresh off a break-up, Alisha decided to apply to The Bachelor Australia. It was a move that did not align with her career in politics, but once she got the offer, it was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.
In this memoir, Alisha details what her life was like before The Bachelor, and the backlash she faced as one of the villains of her season. Determined to change the public’s perception, she makes a return to reality television, with some hope to find love along the way.
With the latest season of The Bachelorette just ending, and The Golden Bachelorette starting next week, this book seemed like a perfect transition piece between seasons. I have not seen Alisha’s seasons of The Bachelor or Bachelor in Paradise, but I don’t think that changed my perception of the book much. I’ve been ingrained in Bachelor Nation for decades, (did you know I host a Bachelor podcast over on @rhapgrams?), so I loved getting a fresh perspective on the show.
I think that Alisa is an engaging and vulnerable writer, which really made this book work for me, even though I wasn’t familiar with her before. I loved that she was able to acknowledge her mistakes, and reflect on why she made them and how she’s grown. The bits about Australian politics went over my head a little bit, but if you are a bachelor fan I would definitely recommend reading The Villain Edit.
In this memoir, Alisha details what her life was like before The Bachelor, and the backlash she faced as one of the villains of her season. Determined to change the public’s perception, she makes a return to reality television, with some hope to find love along the way.
With the latest season of The Bachelorette just ending, and The Golden Bachelorette starting next week, this book seemed like a perfect transition piece between seasons. I have not seen Alisha’s seasons of The Bachelor or Bachelor in Paradise, but I don’t think that changed my perception of the book much. I’ve been ingrained in Bachelor Nation for decades, (did you know I host a Bachelor podcast over on @rhapgrams?), so I loved getting a fresh perspective on the show.
I think that Alisa is an engaging and vulnerable writer, which really made this book work for me, even though I wasn’t familiar with her before. I loved that she was able to acknowledge her mistakes, and reflect on why she made them and how she’s grown. The bits about Australian politics went over my head a little bit, but if you are a bachelor fan I would definitely recommend reading The Villain Edit.
Read
October 6, 2024I have no idea why I picked this book from the library. I have watched some shows of The Bachelor but no idea who the people were. I thought this book would focus more on how reality tv twists situations to serve up plot lines to an audience but I found the parts of her working as a staffer and being in the Labor Party far more interesting.
It also made me realise the difference between my generation and one generation younger than me. To think how your life and loves to be openly played out, revealed and dissected by random online strangers and to try and constantly behave to get them to like you struck me as odd. It must be so tiring and mentally exhausting.
Most of all, I sympathised that she needed this confirmation and validation from social media and quit a job that she loved to seek love while being surveyed by cameras?
There was a lot of new terms here I wasn’t aware of such as “FaceTune” (it’s an app that you use first improving your photos): “wokefishing”; “Netflix 3AM”; limerance; doxxing. It highlighted the difference between our generations in how they used to seek out love and friendships.
If you like The Bachelor and all the gossip behind this (admittedly this part of the book lost me because I had no idea - or interest - in this) then this book may be of interest.
(Not rating this book as it’s a memoir. Why rate someone’s life?)
It also made me realise the difference between my generation and one generation younger than me. To think how your life and loves to be openly played out, revealed and dissected by random online strangers and to try and constantly behave to get them to like you struck me as odd. It must be so tiring and mentally exhausting.
Most of all, I sympathised that she needed this confirmation and validation from social media and quit a job that she loved to seek love while being surveyed by cameras?
There was a lot of new terms here I wasn’t aware of such as “FaceTune” (it’s an app that you use first improving your photos): “wokefishing”; “Netflix 3AM”; limerance; doxxing. It highlighted the difference between our generations in how they used to seek out love and friendships.
If you like The Bachelor and all the gossip behind this (admittedly this part of the book lost me because I had no idea - or interest - in this) then this book may be of interest.
(Not rating this book as it’s a memoir. Why rate someone’s life?)
November 1, 2023
This one is for my Bachie guys and girls 🌹
"A memoir about reality TV and taking control of the narrative"
I'm giving it 5 stars and don't tell me otherwise!
I'll be the first to admit I didn't love Alisha on The Bachelor... maybe thanks to a villain edit but watching her on the 2 seasons of BIP I loved her.
I loved her realness, her vulnerability...her humour! All of which transpires onto the 280 pages of her memoir.
I read my SIGNED COPY in the space of a few hours.
It was SO relatable but also so empowering.
It's about making mistakes, countless mistakes and trying to trust your gut but stupidly trusting your heart.
It's about holding out hope for a guy because of one small thing he said that you can turn into a positive, plucked out of the mountain of red flags telling you he ain't it, sis!
It's about overanalysing text messages, not knowing where you stand and doing something because you think it's what the people want.
I LOVED this and I love this woman!!
A great one for Bachie fans or just general people pleasers LOL
"A memoir about reality TV and taking control of the narrative"
I'm giving it 5 stars and don't tell me otherwise!
I'll be the first to admit I didn't love Alisha on The Bachelor... maybe thanks to a villain edit but watching her on the 2 seasons of BIP I loved her.
I loved her realness, her vulnerability...her humour! All of which transpires onto the 280 pages of her memoir.
I read my SIGNED COPY in the space of a few hours.
It was SO relatable but also so empowering.
It's about making mistakes, countless mistakes and trying to trust your gut but stupidly trusting your heart.
It's about holding out hope for a guy because of one small thing he said that you can turn into a positive, plucked out of the mountain of red flags telling you he ain't it, sis!
It's about overanalysing text messages, not knowing where you stand and doing something because you think it's what the people want.
I LOVED this and I love this woman!!
A great one for Bachie fans or just general people pleasers LOL
May 23, 2024
I never watched any full seasons of The Bachelor until Nick Cummins' season. This is when we met Alisha.
After that crazy season, we watched the following season of The Bachelorette and then because we knew the vast majority of contestants, we watched Bachelor in Paradise. At that point, we decided we had seen enough.
This book gave Alisha's experience on her season of the Bachelor as well as her time on both seasons of Bachelor in Paradise (I hadn't seen the next season of Paradise).
I will admit, she was very much made out as a villain in The Bachelor and I say that because I was not a fan. However, I absolutely changed my feelings on Paradise and was rooting for her the whole way. I can see why she wanted to go to the island in the first place but also why she would want to go back after what happened the first time around.
I thought this book was very transparent. She included the good times and the very bad without filter.
This is exactly what you want from a star of reality TV.
10/10 I highly recommend. If you watch reality TV, you will enjoy this book.
After that crazy season, we watched the following season of The Bachelorette and then because we knew the vast majority of contestants, we watched Bachelor in Paradise. At that point, we decided we had seen enough.
This book gave Alisha's experience on her season of the Bachelor as well as her time on both seasons of Bachelor in Paradise (I hadn't seen the next season of Paradise).
I will admit, she was very much made out as a villain in The Bachelor and I say that because I was not a fan. However, I absolutely changed my feelings on Paradise and was rooting for her the whole way. I can see why she wanted to go to the island in the first place but also why she would want to go back after what happened the first time around.
I thought this book was very transparent. She included the good times and the very bad without filter.
This is exactly what you want from a star of reality TV.
10/10 I highly recommend. If you watch reality TV, you will enjoy this book.
September 27, 2023
I go through phases of reality tv obsession and part of that included Alisha’s time on Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise. I remember her time as part of the “mean girls” and loved watching her redemption on BiP. This book reminded me of how frustrated I was on her behalf with Jules, and how warm and fuzzy I felt seeing her story with Glenn.
This book is an easy and enjoyable read, and feels like a debrief with a messy girlfriend, of which a lot of us have been that messy friend at one time or another. Relatable, honest, and extremely readable, you feel that Alisha has come a long way in her life and relationship and has put in the work.
This book is an easy and enjoyable read, and feels like a debrief with a messy girlfriend, of which a lot of us have been that messy friend at one time or another. Relatable, honest, and extremely readable, you feel that Alisha has come a long way in her life and relationship and has put in the work.
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