Before finale, get to know Daisy Kent, the bubbly Minnesotan on 'The Bachelor'

When Daisy told her parents that she'd been cast on "The Bachelor," they weren't surprised.

"About right," Brandon said.

Growing up, they'd watched "The Bachelor" together. And Daisy, her high school's homecoming queen, had long loved the spotlight, said her mother, who in her own youth had performed as a water skier at Sea World. Daisy often nabbed solos, including a Hannah Montana number. She was a natural public speaker, sharing her faith journey in 2022 at Free Grace United Church in Becker.

"I've had more doctors than I've had teachers," she said during that speech, captured on video. "And I've had more than triple the amount of hospital stays than I've had birthdays."

She talked about crying at night, thinking about not being able to hear her future children's voices, and about crying in the car, because her favorite songs no longer sounded like they once did.

"This last year has been the hardest year of my life because I hear different," she said, "but it's also been the best year of my life, because I hear God different."

Kent came into "The Bachelor" with a major social media following. Since then, it's swelled. As of last week, she boasted nearly 500,000 followers on Instagram, the most of any contestant. Before the show, she would post videos about life with a cochlear implant, telling stories, giving tips and answering questions major and minor, often while applying makeup.

Did you need to get speech therapy? How does music sound? Can you get it wet?

Since the show started airing in January, she's been taking a similar approach, posting thoughts about what it's been like to watch it amid the spoilers, the scrutiny and the comments about her vocal fry. ("It's just like unfortunate," she said, that people's hurtful comments "make me in my head about the way that I talk and speak.")

Her parents don't worry, though. She's handled tougher things.

"I think Daisy's very well grounded," her father said. "She's been through a lot of stuff. I think she'll be good."

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