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"Bachelorette star Ashley Hebert has said that she will be &amp;quot;forever grateful&amp;quot; to the men she had to eliminate in the first episode of the show.  The dental student sent home several men on Monday night&amp;#039;s season premiere, leaving 18 bachelors in the running to win her affections.  &amp;quot;Though this first episode I say goodbye to seven men, the interactions with each and every one of them helped me through by showing me what I wanted in a man, and how I wanted to feel,&amp;quot; she wrote in her weekly blog for People.  &amp;quot;Each one of these men taught me something, and for this, I will be forever grateful.&amp;quot; Hebert, who made it to the final three in Brad Womack&amp;#039;s season of The Bachelor, previously told DS on a recent press call that the qualities she hoped to find in a partner changed throughout her journey on the show.  &amp;quot;I think what I realized is I went into this saying I wanted just a good man and somebody who is loyal and a family man and I think as time went on, there were more things I saw in the guys that I wanted,&amp;quot; she said. &amp;quot;The most important thing I realized was that I wanted somebody who made me feel good and feel like a woman and able to feel vulnerable. Definitely, as time went on, I started to realize more about what I wanted.&amp;quot; Among those who were sent home this week were liqueur distributor Tim, who admitted to drinking too much to calm his nerves and ended up falling asleep beside the pool, and commerce executive Jon who had been hoping for a long future with Ashley.  &amp;quot;I came in here ecstatic that it was Ashley,&amp;quot; he said after the rose ceremony. &amp;quot;I felt she was something I had been looking for in a girl. I gave it all I had and here I am now, empty-handed. I&amp;#039;m honestly beside myself that I&amp;#039;m standing here right now. To see this slip away is heartbreaking... I thought Ashley was the one, it&amp;#039;s hard to walk away from.&amp;quot; Technology executive Rob was equally upset to be eliminated, saying that he had entered The Bachelorette hoping that he would be able to show his grandkids his path to love. &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m crushed and bummed out,&amp;quot; he added. Fourth generation butcher Anthony also admitted to feeling disappointed by his early exit, saying that he had been single for seven years. However, he described Ashley as a &amp;quot;nice girl&amp;quot; and said he hoped that one of the remaining bachelors could make her happy.  The Bachelorette continues Mondays at 8/7c on ABC. &amp;gt; The Bachelorette recap: Ashley meets her bachelors &amp;gt; Poll: The Bachelorette - Your first impressions... &amp;gt; The Bachelorette interview: Ashley H talks Brad Womack, new men "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/the-bachelorette/news/a321268/bachelorette-ashley-grateful-to-axed-guys/>