Ryan Lochte, Olympic medalist, wannabe fashion designer and star of his own TV show "What Would Ryan Lochte Do", isn't above the problems of average men. Lochte got dumped by his on-and-off girlfriend Jaimee Holler in a phone call on the season finale of his show on Monday night.
Lochte swore when he saw the call from her in the middle of an evening out with his friends, and shooed the cameras away while taking it. He came back to the restaurant, announced the break-up to his friends, and despondently called for a beer. Later, he answered questions about why didn't want to be filmed.
"There are certain things where it's not fair for her. I care about Jaimee and I know how this conversation's going to go and I didn't want cameras there. I turned off my mic and I started talking," he said.
In a video interview at the wrap party for "What Would Ryan Lochte Do", the 28-year-old Lochte called his love journey "f***** up", but had far from lost hope. "I don't know where she's at but I know there's that one person out there for me," he said confidently.
The episode also had Lochte contemplating a move to Los Angeles for a change of scene. After his family didn't take it very well ("I thought my mom was going to start crying"), he decided to stay put in Gainesville, Florida, for the time being.
The show "What Would Ryan Lochte Do" premiered in April on E! and intended to track Lochte through his preparation for the 2016 Summer Olympics and general goings-on in life. The show though has come in for some flak. "Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, star of E!'s new waste of time, "What Would Ryan Lochte Do?," comes off as a skirt-chasing dingbat in the new reality show that follows him, er, chasing skirts and acting dumb," said a review on NY Daily News.
At the wrap party for his show, Lochte seemed unaffected.
"I don't know what's next for Ryan Lochte, but I'll tell you this - it's going to be big," said the upbeat sportsman.
