Melissa Rycroft is the rarest of rarities in the world of reality television: a star who doesn't want to act or record an album, and doesn't expect reality fame to last forever.
Her new CMT series, "Melissa and Tye: A New Reality," finds her and husband Tye Strickland managing a commuter marriage: While she pursues a TV career in Los Angeles, he travels to Dallas to build his insurance company -- because the couple considers his work crucial to their long-term success.
"This world out here is really silly to us," said Rycroft, speaking at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena on Saturday. "His job is our long-term income, if you will. ... I'm a reality TV girl, and I think we've all seen that it comes and then it just falls right out from under you. So I think it's silly to say I've so got this in the bag and this is my career for the rest of my life."
Strickland says he has more faith in her long-term TV career than she does. Rycroft is also a correspondent for "Good Morning America," but joked during the session about releasing an album -- and said she has no desire to act.
Rycroft and Strickland, who are new parents, first dated before she became famous on "The Bachelor." Jason Mesnick proposed to Rycroft before dumping her for his initial second choice, Molly Malaney. Mesnick and Malaney are now married.
Strickland said he watched only the first and last episode of Rycroft's season on "The Bachelor."
"It just absolutely crushed me," he said, "and so I didn't watch any more of that. But on 'Dancing With the Stars,' I just couldn't have been more proud of her."
"Melissa and Tye: A New Reality" debuts in April.
