Ben & Lauren Talk JoJo On 'The Bachelorette'

At the beginning of a relationship, and hell, even a few years into one, there's a few significantly awkward scenarios that all couples should strive to avoid. At the very top of that list must surely be trying to avoid painful social scenarios which involve the both of you having to talk about, talk to, or spend any time with an ex. So, spare a thought for Ben Higgins and fiancée Lauren Bushnell, who you'll remember as being the victorious couple from the 20th season of The Bachelor, and who are now having to build their relationship as Bachelor runner-up JoJo Fletcher — aka, the other girl Ben told he loved during The Bachelor — stars in this season of The Bachelorette on television. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the happy couple are asked what every Bachelor fan has been wondering during this season of The Bachelorette: Are Ben and Lauren watching? And the answer is hardly surprising in the slightest, with Bushnell quick to politely respond that no, they most certainly are not, explaining:

We both see it as a little bit of a break from The Bachelor ... It was our world for so long and we just really wanted to focus on our relationship and needed a moment to take a step away

And I mean, come on, who can hardly blame her? It's hard enough being in a healthy relationship with someone when there's the added pressure of the ex still haunting social media feeds, or the very real fear of having to bump into said ex at social events. What woman in her right mind would gleefully want to watch an entire show about their partner's ex-girlfriend with said partner sat right beside them? That's just asking for trouble. However, you really have to give props to the incredibly diplomatic and respectful way that Lauren dealt with the tricky question, avoiding any mention of JoJo whatsoever and redirecting the focus on her and Ben's relationship instead. Total class act.

However, Lauren did mention one thing that could tempt them to start tuning in The Bachelorette, and it's a curiosity that fans of the show will totally understand: She wants to see all the total insanity that meat-loving, psycho-whistler Chad has to offer, stating that it's something which "definitely" makes her want to "get caught up" on the show: "I keep hearing so much about this Chad guy," she enthused.

Thankfully, I suppose, we at least live in a golden age of television where Ben and Lauren can simply skip past all the awkward JoJo looking beautiful and JoJo talking about Ben scenes straight to the ones where Chad is simply chewing on a pork slice and staring death daggers at Jordan Rogers. Because, let's be honest, nobody should have to miss out on such TV magic. Not even exes.

Images: Giphy