Farmer Wants a Wife’s John Sansone Reflects on His First Kiss Rejection

Facing rejection is inevitable on reality dating shows — but Farmer Wants a Wife participant John Sansone didn’t expect it during his initial 24-hour date.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for season 3, episode 2 of Farmer Wants a Wife.

In the episode aired on Thursday, March 27, John, 26, enjoyed a romantic outing with Samantha Riehl, whom he initially thought would be a perfect match. John described 24-year-old Samantha as “a little bit of a firecracker,” sharing with Us Weekly that his first impression of the California native (currently living in Dallas) was that she was “a very good-looking girl.”

“When we sat down for our first speed date, she gave me a different perspective on who I was dating,” John reminisced. “Everyone else seemed eager to impress me or shy. She was totally different. It was certainly a distinctive experience.”

He admitted to feeling “intrigued,” making what happened next quite unexpected.

During their date, Samantha revealed, “I never want to feel like I have competition. I don’t want to feel threatened.”

This declaration caught John off guard, especially since Samantha had voluntarily participated in a dating show where he would be interacting with other women. When John inquired, “Are you actually looking for a guy?” she replied, “Yes, of course.”

She characterized her ideal partner as “someone unlike anyone I’ve ever met,” prompting John to lean in for a kiss.

However, Samantha declined, saying, “I can’t kiss you on camera; there is a reason for that. I intend to marry someone someday — it could be you or it might not be. I don’t want a video of me kissing another man on television. If it’s you, there should be no concerns.”

Although John acknowledged he “thought this was going in a different direction,” Samantha remained firm. “Those are my values, and I don’t want anything like that on the internet. I want my husband to have more respect than that,” she stated.

While John respected her perspective during the show, he told Us that her response was certainly surprising.

“Every indication suggested it was time to kiss her,” John shared exclusively with Us about that moment. “But everyone has their own beliefs and choices.”

He added, “I certainly respect her decision since everyone has different opinions.”

John remained somewhat ambiguous about how this absence of intimacy might influence Samantha’s chances of being his final selection. “It is a reality dating show, so we’ll just have to see how it plays out,” he teased.

For her part, Samantha told the cameras during Thursday’s episode, “I believe romance and intimacy are things that shouldn’t be rushed; they require time. That’s a boundary for me, and I won’t be crossing it.”

While the future of John and Samantha remains uncertain, he has a number of other ladies to consider. One who caught his eye early on is Lily, a 23-year-old from Houston.

“Lily was exceptional. She arrived very soft-spoken and kind; that was my initial impression,” John revealed to Us. “I felt an instant connection with her.”

John is one of four farmers in search of love this season on Farmer Wants a Wife. In addition to Samantha and Lily, viewers will see him date Lindsey from Kailua, Hawaii, Kaylee from Houston, Chloe from Raleigh, North Carolina, Claire from Chicago, Taylor from Tampa, Florida, and Abby from Charleston, South Carolina.

Farmer Wants a Wife airs on Fox Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.

Reported by Christina Garibaldi