Why The Ultimatum's April Is Worried About How She'll Come Across To Viewers - Exclusive
"The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On" is Netflix's latest dating show, and if you're a fan of drama-filled reality TV, then it's a must-watch. The series follows six couples who have reached a turning point in their relationships. While one partner is ready to take a step forward and get engaged, the other isn't quite there yet. Through the series, they are challenged to come to a final decision to either get engaged or leave the relationship altogether. While reaching their decision, the couples separate and partner with someone from one of the other five couples. The new pairs then live together as if they're engaged to see if they might be happier with someone else or if they want to commit to the relationship they came in with.
April Marie and her boyfriend, Jake Cunningham, were one of the couples to go through the emotional experience this season. Prior to the show's release, Marie sat down for an exclusive interview with The List to discuss her time on "The Ultimatum." She shared what surprised her about the experience and why she was nervous for viewers to react to the series.
Her experience on The Ultimatum wasn't what she expected
When April Marie issued an ultimatum to her boyfriend, Jake Cunningham, she felt completely ready to get married. From her perspective, they were already living as a married couple, and she didn't see why they couldn't just make that commitment. "We finance each other's vehicles. I lived with you for a year and a half. I do your laundry. I cook. We wake up to each other every morning, go to bed together every night. What gives?" she said.
Because she was so ready to be engaged, Marie was excited to go on "The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On," but she wasn't prepared for how difficult the experience would be. Marie said, "I was 100% confident that this is going to bring us together. It's going to bring us closer to realize, ultimately, what we have here and value it." However, once she and Cunningham started seeing other people, she quickly realized it was going to be much harder to get through than she initially thought. "We go on. I'm having the worst time of my life, and he is having a ball," she remembered.
April was embarrassed watching the show
Seeing Jake Cunningham enjoying himself and realizing the position her relationship was in was very upsetting for April Marie. Throughout "The Ultimatum," it's easy for viewers to see how hard the experience was for her, as she is frequently emotional. Marie said that's why she was nervous for people to watch the series. "I'm embarrassed at how much I cried," she said. "I'm so embarrassed. Every scene is like, I'm crying in a restaurant, I'm crying in the bathroom, in the bedroom, on the street."
Marie said people who had seen the episodes told her, "You're going to be looked up to after watching this. You went through a hell of a rollercoaster." But she was still worried about what people might think of her. "They didn't even really get scenes of me talking, having a normal conversation," she said.
However, Marie was hopeful that viewers would at least appreciate how real the experience was for her. Marie was also able to grow from watching what she went through. She said, "I learned that I don't want to be with anybody that I have to ask them to be ready for me. If I'm 100% ready for you, I want you to be 100% ready for me. And if you're not, then I'm not yours to keep."
All episodes of "The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On" are now available for streaming on Netflix.