'Hannah Beast' didn't come to play!
Hannah Brown's season of The Bachelorette is almost here!
Only ET's Lauren Zima was exclusively with the Alabama native at her first official Bachelorette photo shoot before night one, where she opened up about her Bachelor journey -- and revealed what fans can expect from her next chapter.
Brown wasn't shy about acknowledging her untraditional path to becoming Bachelorette No. 15. She didn't make Colton Underwood's final four, and for a few episodes on his season, she was labeled as one of the villains for her beef with fellow contestant Caelynn Miller-Keyes.
"I was real, but I was trying to figure out how to handle my emotions and wasn't doing it in the most eloquent way," the former beauty queen explained. "I think we all struggle sometimes, but it was just captured for everyone to see me struggle and come into my own."
Now, Brown's earned the love of Bachelor Nation -- and former Bachelorettes! -- for her honestly and relatability, which she told ET she hopes will help her with the guys on night one. Find out what else is in store below.
A Hannah You Haven't Seen Before
Brown is taking off her pageant crown and reaching for the roses as the Bachelorette. "A lot of my life I've struggled with showing other versions of what I think people are going to like about me, and pageant queen was one of those," she confessed. "But we're shedding that, and I'm just gonna be Hannah for this experience as the Bachelorette, and that's what I want my man to know is Hannah's true self. So, that's what we're going in as."
"I really think through my experience with Colton you got to see me come into my own, but as the Bachelorette you're going to continue to see me to grow and share that with the men this season -- and just be really honest and vulnerable and share my truth," she added.
A Few Breakdowns
We've already seen a tearful Brown in this season's promos, but even before she kicked off her season, the Bachelorette knew there might be a few breakdowns involved.
"Do I have all the fingers? Just kidding!" she said with a laugh when asked how many times she expects to cry. "I have no idea! I just promise to be real and honest and vulnerable the whole time and whatever emotions come with that come with it."
An Evolved 'Trainwreck'
The 24-year-old knows she's not the same girl she was a few months ago. "[I was] a trainwreck, a hot mess. I think that covers it," Brown joked when recalling her time on The Bachelor. "In those few moments... ugh that was bad!"
An Interesting Group of Men
"They have to be honest, trustworthy, and just in it for the long haul," Brown said of what she's looking for, adding that her definite deal breaker is if a guy "is a lying sack of poo."
And if Brown's group of guys is anything like she requested, we'll have an interesting bunch. "This sounds so bad but [my type is] somebody that has that five o' clock shadow, hasn't bathed in a few days but smells like they have," she admitted.
A Lot of Compassion for the Guys
"I was the villain. I was the emotional trainwreck... I just feel like I can relate to a lot of different places," Brown shared. "I didn't just coast through at all. I wasn't just coasting in the back corner, that's for sure. And I think my journey not being the easiest is going to help me be understanding and compassionate to the men that come through the door."
'Hope' for an Engagement
Chris Harrison may have since told ET that a proposal this season might not be in the cards, but Brown had "hope" at her photo shoot. "Of course my hope is to at the end of this to have somebody that knows me and knows all of me and I know them, and [that] I feel very confident about them getting down on a knee and asking to spend the rest of their life with me and I can say yes," she said. "That is what I'm hopeful for, but to get there I want an unconditional, whole-hearted love. So, that's the main goal and then engagement, I'm hopeful for."
"I did feel like [a bride] a little bit today," Brown added of her photo shoot outfits. "It feels really good, but I've had some wedding shoots in the past doing some modeling, so I've done this before. But wow -- maybe I won't have a fake fiance this time and a fake wedding dress!"
And a Woman Who's Here to Find 'Fierce Love' and Nothing Else
She's not nicknamed "Hannah Beast" for nothing!
"Oh yeah," Brown insisted when asked if she'll bring Southern fierceness to the show. "Girl ain't gonna play!"
The Bachelorette premieres Monday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. Join ET's Bachelor Nation Facebook group here.
RELATED CONTENT:
