Katrina Bowden Defends The Bold and The Beautiful's Flo

There’s no such thing as a simple favor, as THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Flo has lamentably discovered. Reese skipped town following his dastardly baby switcheroo, leaving his accessory to that crime behind in L.A., agonizing over whether or not to (per his edict) take their secret to the grave. Katrina Bowden isn’t about to excuse her alter ego’s role in this malfeasance. “She wasn’t right in this, obviously,” the actress admitted to Soaps In Depth. “She said yes before thinking things through and got in way over her head.”

By the time Flo started to pump the brakes on Reese’s plan, it was too late to back out without putting her own future in jeopardy. So, needless to say, the attraction and fondness that she once felt for Dr. Buckingham have given way to bitter anger and resentment. “She’s furious at Reese for bringing her into this mess,” said Bowden, “and she’s also really sick of Zoe telling her what to do every two seconds!”

The Bold and The Beautiful Katrina Bowden Darin Brooks

Bowden predicted she was going to be involved with Brooks’ Wyatt. (Photo Credit: Howard Wise/jpistudios.com)

Just when she was contemplating taking Zoe’s advice to leave Los Angeles and never look back, Flo bumped into her high-school sweetheart, Wyatt, thereby adding a whole new layer to Bowden’s storyline. “I wasn’t really surprised by that, because in my audition, I’d actually read with Darin [Brooks, Wyatt],” she revealed. “So I suspected something was going to happen there, but it’s all very interesting to get to learn about our families’ history.” Flo’s strong connection with Wyatt has put his relationship with current girlfriend Sally in serious jeopardy, of course. “Oh yeah — Flo’s still totally in love with him,” Bowden acknowledged. “He’s the guy she’s never gotten over.”

The recent arrival of Flo’s mother, Shauna (played by showbiz veteran Denise Richards), further cements Bowden’s place on the B&B canvas. “She was a single mom raising her daughter, so they have a very close bond and love each other a lot,” said Bowden, who added that it’s been a privilege getting to welcome Richards to the set. “I’m still very new, too, but it was nice to show her what I’ve learned so far. She’s awesome.” Since joining the show late last year, Bowden’s scenes have been full of angst, tears and drama, making her workdays intense, to say the least. “It’s draining but fun,” agreed the actress, who has no problem crying on cue. “I love those really intense, emotional scenes.”

“I’ve been such a fan of hers for a long time,” Bowden said of new co-star Richards. (Photo Credit: Howard Wise/jpistudios.com)

Exactly how much empathy should we really feel for the former Vegas croupier? Given the Fulton ladies’ close bond with erstwhile bad girl Quinn, it’s easy to wonder whether they are truly on the up-and-up. As Flo searches for answers regarding the identity of her father, meanwhile, it’s anyone’s guess what she’ll ultimately do with that intel. Bowden doesn’t believe her alter ego is a gold digger but an opportunist… ? Maybe. “That’s a hard question to answer,” she reflected. “Not every single intention is pure with her. I think she is a genuinely good person, but she definitely is looking out for herself. She wants as much success as she can get, and she’ll take advantage of things that could potentially come her way. That’s all I can say!”

For more on your favorite B&B stars, keep reading the CBS edition of Soaps In Depth magazine.