The Bachelorette host Jesse Palmer says Charity was 'close' to taking Brayden's rose back

Each week during Charity's season of The Bachelorette, host Jesse Palmer will answer a few questions via email about her "journey" to find "love." Today, Jesse discusses Warwick's disastrous one-on-one date with Charity, Brayden's announcement that he might not be ready to get engaged, the abrupt end of yet another cocktail party, and whether the Bachelorette was really going to take Brayden's rose away.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: This week, Charity and the guys headed to Oceanside, CA. On a scale of 1 (bitter disappointment) to 10 (over the moon), how psyched were you that you did not have to ride on that bus with the guys?

JESSE PALMER: I would put it at a solid 9.25 that I didn't have to be on the bus. I've spent my fair share of time riding on hot, stinky football team buses stuck in traffic, and nothing convinces me that this bus would have smelled any differently. If I had been stuck on the bus, I would have made the most use of my time [by sitting] beside Xavier so he could teach me how to knit.

Charity surprised everyone by choosing Warwick, who we haven't seen much, for a one-on-one date. Their outing at Belmont Park started off well, but the date lost momentum rapidly. Do you think it was because Warwick and Charity aren't a great match, or was the poor guy just too tired to make conversation? Amusement parks are exhausting, after all.

Warwick is a great guy — and yes, amusement parks and ice cream can make people feel tired — but come on, man! This was an incredible opportunity on a one-on-one date to open up and further his connection with Charity! It felt like Charity was pulling teeth trying to get Warwick to communicate and reveal more about himself. There are so many guys in the house who would've given their left hand to be on that date. I feel like it was a big missed opportunity for Warwick.

Brayden upset many of the guys when he said "getting engaged after just dating with 20 other dudes" would be hard for him. In all fairness, it's a rational concern — but it upset Charity just the same. Do you think Brayden should have A) kept that concern to himself completely, B) talked with Charity about it but not shared it with the guys, C) not signed up for The Bachelorette if the situation was going to bother him, or D) other?

The answer is D, all of the above. It's completely fair for Brayden to feel those concerns, many men have felt them in the past in his exact situation, but Brayden also knows what show he signed up for, and he knows how this works. Charity has clearly stated that she wants a man who is willing to fight for her. Brayden is definitely someone who wears his heart on his sleeve, but I think he should have kept it to himself and shared those concerns with Charity in private.

Describe the mood in the room when you told the guys that once again, the party was being cut short because Charity received some "concerning" news.

There was a lot of tension in the room. I hate having to constantly be the "cancel the cocktail party" guy. But if I'm being honest, I was a little bit pissed off in that moment because for the second straight week, a lot of good guys didn't get their time with Charity due to some other drama. At this point, it's not fair to Charity and it's not fair to the other guys. Charity deserves to have a cocktail party sans drama, and she hasn't gotten that yet this season.

You spoke to Charity before and during the rose ceremony — how close was she really to taking Brayden's rose back? And why do you think she kept him?

Close! At first I didn't think she'd do it, but after our second chat, I ran back to watch and was legitimately 50/50 on what she was going to do! I think in the end, Charity really likes Brayden, and doesn't want to quit on him because she is so nurturing and patient (she's a therapist, after all). I believe Charity believes Brayden can get to a place where he feels more comfortable in this environment, so that he can see himself getting down on a knee in the end.

The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on ABC.

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