TLC‘s newest reality tv series, Suddenly Amish, takes its audience on a journey … and through major culture shock!
Kendra Bates told PEOPLE about her life experience ahead of filming TLC’s show, as one of six individuals who gave up their modern lives to experience extreme traditionalism.
Time to realign:
Kendra was a professional dancer in LA for the past nine years. But, after finding her faith as a Christian, she began to evolve from her old ways. “I don’t necessarily align anymore with being a dancer. I really have to be picky with which jobs I morally feel comfortable doing, and that’s none.”
Additionally, before Kendra’s baptism about a year ago, she started modeling on OnlyFans. She joined the adult entertainment site at her “lowest point.” She admitted that she lacked self-love and still struggles to “forgive” herself for that period of her life.
When Kendra saw a casting ad for TLC’s show on social media, she knew it was the perfect time for her to realign her life to better suit her values. “I was like, ‘This could be the out that I was looking for.'”
Fish out of water:
The first episode sees an Amish leader, Bishop Vernon, question Kendra about her short skirt and plunging neckline. She explained that as a dancer, she’s accustomed to wearing revealing clothing, and she broke down in tears after the Bishop chastised her for a lack of modesty. After their meeting, Bates emotionally proclaimed that she “wasn’t expecting it to be that hard.”
“We genuinely wanted to be there and I think we were all so excited going in, and then once you’re there, it’s like a culture shock. You’re like, ‘Oh, uh-oh, what did I get myself into?'” she shares. “But we have to support each other through it because we came there for a reason.”
People are people:
While the Suddenly Amish stars learned about the insular, conservative community, Kendra noted that they also taught their Amish hosts about modern life. “They’re cool. They’re people, just like us. They are open to learning.”
She remembers explaining things like BBLs [Brazilian Butt Lifts] and even telling her “Amish dad” about Beyoncé, whom he’d never previously heard of before meeting the six outsiders.
“We’d be having conversations, and then they would be like, ‘Wait, what’s that?’ Or vice versa. It’s not every day that English and Amish come together. So the conversations that we were having, all of us were like, ‘Wait, what? Huh?’ It’s just very interesting getting two different sides.”
