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Tia Already Has One 'Bachelor' Alum Firmly In Her Corner

by Anna Rose Iovine

I would guess being a part of The Bachelor franchise is like having a high school reunion every time they go to a party. Tia Booth may get this treatment even earlier because she's actually already close friends with Raven Gates. But what does Raven think of Tia on The Bachelor? The two women are both from small towns in Arkansas, but it's not like they're just acquaintances; they're best friends IRL.

It's pretty typical for Bachelor alums to stay friends after the season is over, but Raven and Tia knew each other long before Raven made the decision to go for Nick Viall's heart last season. When Season 22's cast was announced, Raven took to Instagram to congratulate Tia on starting her own Bachelor journey. "I finally get to announce that I'm handing over my Bachelor baton to my BFF," she wrote. While she herself was the runner-up of Nick's season, she did find a fiancé through ABC: Raven got together with Adam Gottschalk on Bachelor in Paradise and they've been together ever since. As a pro at reality TV love, she gave some words of wisdom to Tia in her message: "My only advice: Just always remember you're not as bad as what your worst critic says you are and you're not as great as what your biggest fan says you are. Find the balance, enjoy the ride. I'm always in your corner!"

Raven hasn't gone into full details as to how Tia and her know each other, but it's clear they go way back. According to her ABC biography, Tia is a 26-year-old physical therapist from Weiner, Arkansas. How could anyone forget her introduction of giving Arie a "little wiener" in the season premiere? Awkward, but it sure was memorable. Because Tia and Raven are so close, I'm curious about what she thinks about her appearance on the show so far. Well, when I went to Raven's Twitter account I was a tiny bit disappointed at what I saw, but not too much:

"I'm so said I won't get to live tweet because I'll be [flying]," Raven wrote on the night of the season premiere. "But watching The Bachelor with Tia when I get there, like she did with me last year." Aww! While I wanted to get Raven's takes (which, if I remember from the franchise shows last year, were pretty great), it's awesome that she and Tia would be watching together. Isn't it a true sign of friendship if you spend time together without any social media? I can't even imagine, but it's a testament to how close the two are.

While Raven hasn't revealed her personal feelings on this season yet, I'm sure she will resume her live tweeting for the benefit of Bachelor Nation. Seeing as she watched with Tia, she is definitely in her corner the entire time — just like her Instagram caption promised.

It's early yet, but I'm curious if Tia winds up in the season finale just like her BFF did. Arie has revealed a couple details about the season so far. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Arie hinted that he fell for two women on The Bachelor. "I really had strong feelings for more than one person," Arie told ET, "I'm very happy but it wasn't without hard times." Will Tia be one of those women? Maybe.

For now, viewers will have to wade through all the group dates, one-on-ones, and rose ceremonies (not to mention hometown dates) to see if Tia withstands the rest of the competition. If nothing else, she can go back to Arkansas (or Los Angeles) knowing her best friend knows exactly what she's been through.

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