KIMBERLEY Ellsmore of Channel Seven’s Beauty And The Geek fame has stepped out of the television spotlight and back into her Southern Highlands hometown to show newfound geek friends Paul Almores and Jeremy Reading the highlife of Bowral.

While enjoying the sights and pleasures of Southern Highlands, the trio sat down to enjoy the Pancakes on the Plaza delights while discussing their time on the show, what they’ve learnt and why they were chosen as contestants.

The show is described as the ultimate social experiment where brains meet beauty in a contest that results in a $100,000 prize.

Geek Paul moved from Canberra to Sydney and is completing a PHD in economics at the Australian National University (ANU) but has found new goals since filming of the show ended.

“I’m trying to get a deal with Segway, those things we rode in on at the start of the show, and I’m going to try and get on Border Security,” he said.

In answer to why he was chosen, Paul believes it came down to 24 years of hard work.

“I’m desperate for attention and socially retarded,” he said.

Apart from this, Paul achieved a lifelong ambition on the show, to beef up.

“I gained a couple of kilos and it took up a bit more of space on my belt. But apart from that I think I gained arrogance, self-absorbedness, narcissism and better social status,” he said.

Fellow contestant Jeremy didn’t even intend to audition for the show, but was advised by the Southern Star Production Group during his Wipeout show audition to instead direct his talents toward Beauty and the Geek.

“Obviously they thought I was very geeky because I play a lot of chess and I have a UAI of 99,” he said.

Despite this, Jeremy learnt a very valuable lesson from the series, to believe in who he is.

“I think now everyone can have a lot more confidence and we shouldn’t worry about what people think. Oh, and also to talk slower because I tend to talk really fast!” he said.

And what did Southern Highlands girl Kimberley learn after the bright lights of the city?