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Also, she said many of the Calgary hopefuls, although she didn’t have an exact number, had applied online and set up appointments.

Still, she said auditions for the Bachelorette Canada are different than those for other series such as Big Brother Canada, Dragons’ Den or Canadian Idol.

“I think for a lot of people, it’s very intimidating to step into this kind of process,” Booth said. “Other shows are about your business acumen or a talent that you have. But to come in and present yourself as someone looking for love and to say ‘This is me’? That is overwhelming. It’s hard and it can be, for some people, daunting.”

That seemed to the case with a 36-year-old government worker, who sheepishly wanders in at around 11 a.m. He is happy to talk to a reporter, but doesn’t want his name used. This desire for anonymity might seem a peculiar trait for someone hoping to participate in a reality show, but this would-be candidate had yet to make up his mind and wouldn’t want people to find out he had auditioned and failed to get on the series.

“My mom and another female I work with last year challenged me to do it because I am single still,” he said. “I thought this might be something fun to do.”

Booth said the interviews are partially set up to ensure the men applying are there for the “right reasons.” In short, they should be serious about settling down and getting married. They also have to be prepared to invest up to eight weeks of their life to the series.

Conrad Field, a 30-year-old former engineer who recently opened his own real estate investment business, fits the bill. He’s looking for love, not TV stardom. In fact, the thought of being on TV “terrifies” him.

“From the parts of the show I have seen, there’s some pretty incredible women that they find,” he says. “I’ve been unsuccessful so far trying to find somebody, so I think it would be a pretty good opportunity to meet a pretty incredible girl.”

evolmers@calgaryherald.com