The Bachelor Australia’s hits and misses over the years – can season 10’s changes up the strike rate
As a new-look Bachelor looks to rekindle interest in its romance format, the couples that have split and those who have stayed together are still creating headlines.
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As The Bachelor Australia heads into its 10th season with not one, but three Bachies looking for real love, it will be hoping for another success story (or two, or three) to add to the tally.
The franchise has proved a mixture of hits and misses, with some of the relationships we put our hearts behind not quite working out.
However, it hasn’t been all bad romance, with more than a handful showing it is possible to find lasting love and a drama-free relationship away from the intense spotlight of TV.
So who are still together, and what have they been up to since their season wrapped?
Season 9, 2021
Jimmy chose Holly in 2019 and their love story continued off screen as well. The pair moved into together a mere three months after filming wrapped and got engaged after Jimmy popped down on one knee in Sorrento, Italy. The pair said they planned to have a “low-key” wedding. Holly said: “Something low-key. I want a really simple dress. I actually said to Jimmy on the show that I’m not fussed if I get married or I don’t. … I’d prefer to put the money towards our kids than have this massive, ridiculous, extravagant wedding.”
Season 3, 2015
The chemistry was obvious from the first moment Sam and Snezana met on the red carpet. Not quite ready to go down one knee, Sam instead gave Snez a promise ring – which became known as “the Cheezel ring”. The pair were long distance for four months, with Snezana and her daughter Eve in Perth while Sam was based in Melbourne. But they moved in together, before Sam proposed in December of that year. It might have been a whirlwind courtship, but the pair – who had planned to marry in Italy like fellow Bachelor alumni Tim and Anna until they learned Snezana was pregnant with their first child – have lasted the distance. In October 2017, they welcomed Willow Wendy Wood. The following year, the couple married in Byron Bay. In July 2019, they welcomed their second child together, daughter Charlie Lane Wood. And last May 4, the couple welcomed their fourth girl, Harper, four weeks premature.
Season 1, 2013
The future was bright for the debut of the world franchise after Tim and Anna fell head over heels in the very first season of The Bachelor Australia in 2013. Four years on, the pair announced their engagement, marrying in 2018 in a lavish wedding in Italy, making them the first Australian Bachelor couple to wed. Just months later, the newlyweds had to go long-distance when Tim landed a role on Neighbours in Melbourne and Anna’s work was based in Sydney. The pair spent several months living in separate states, which led to countless rumours about the pair breaking up. Turns out it was just gossip given in November 2020, the couple announced they had welcomed their baby girl, Elle. They’ve both appeared on I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here, while Tim did Dancing With The Stars and Australian Ninja Warrior. Anna excelled on SAS Australia last year.
Season 4, 2016
Richie Strahan had a second go at love in the franchise after coming third in Sam Frost’s season of The Bachelorette. He chose Alex Nation and again went down the promise ring route but, by August 2017, the pair had parted. Both remained tight-lipped on the break-up until they were thrown together in 2019, on Bach spin-off Bachelor in Paradise and had a long-overdue conversation about how their long-distance relationship had affected them.
“I barely saw you. I needed to see you more,” Alex said throughout the conversation, to which Richie argued that she had continued to “move the goalposts” and had barely visited him in Perth. Alex is now engaged to Carson Jory, welcomed her second child Maxwell in August 2021, and is expecting her third child next year. While Richie has been linked with a few women since then, his Instagram isn’t revealing any current romance.
Season 7, 2019
It’s highly likely viewers remember the runner-up Abbie Chatfield – who has her own radio show, podcast, is on the panel of The Masked Singer and was just announced as the host of Binge’s first original reality series FBoy Island – than astrophysicist Matt Agnew choosing Chelsie McLeod. Not hard to see why, given Matt immediately travelled overseas, with the pair rarely posting photos of each other on social media. In November 2019, the pair announced their split on Instagram after dating for six months. A year on from their break-up, Chelsie was rumoured to be dating model Ricki Dehaan. And in January 2021, they confirmed it with pics of them enjoying a Queensland holiday. Matt, on the other hand, has mostly remained out of the spotlight – popping up for an Adelaide Fringe show and releasing a book, Dr Matt’s Guide to Life in Space.
Season 6, 2018
In a twist nobody saw coming, The Honey Badger didn’t pick either of his final two contestants. Instead, the rugby player caused an uproar as he dumped both Sophie Tieman and Brittany Hockley on national TV. The season itself was tumultuous, with Brooke Blurton being a clear frontrunner from early on. However, she left the show once she made the top three, feeling as though Cummins couldn’t give her any sign of coming commitment.
In an awkward TV interview in the days after the controversial finale, Cummins said he couldn’t choose a woman he didn’t love. “If I can’t stand here right now and say I’m picking her and I love her … why would I start something with someone?” He eschewed the limelight before popping up as a recruit on SAS Australia in 2020, where he became one of only three contestants to complete the course. He has since found love, becoming Instagram official with girlfriend Alexandra George in March 2021. The pair welcomed their “little badger cub” Billy George in October.
Season 5, 2107
Our hearts collectively broke as we watched Matty J devastated by Georgia Love in her season of The Bachelorette. So viewers had all of the things crossed that he would find love as he got his chance to hand out the roses. And it worked out for him. After telling winner Laura he loved her in the finale, the pair moved in together a year later. In April 2019, the pair were engaged while on their ‘babymoon’, as Laura was pregnant with their first daughter Marlie-Mae Rose, who was born in June of that year. Second daughter Lola Ellis followed in February 2021. The pair tied the knot in November last year. Laura has gone on to be a successful podcaster, with Life Uncut alongside fellow Bachelor star Brittany Hockley, while Matty has launched his TV presenting career with spots on shows such as Studio 10.
Blake Garvey & Sam Frost
Season 2, 2014
In the second season of The Bachelor in 2014, let’s just say things didn’t exactly go to plan. It all started well when during the finale, Garvey got down on one knee and made Bachelor history, proposing to his winner Sam Frost. The day after the finale aired, viewers were stunned to discover Blake had dumped Sam and begun dating Louise Pillidge, who came third. The move saw Blake dubbed ‘love rat’ and ‘the most hated man in Australia’. “When you have that time together and you feel that it’s not quite right, you have to listen to your heart,” he told The Project at the time. “You have to trust your gut and that’s what I’ve done, and that’s why I’m in this position now.” Blake and Louise dated for 18 months before they separated in 2016. Frost went on to become the first star of The Bachelorette Australia and then to star on Home And Away. She’s now engaged to Jordie Hansen – who was sixth on Survivor: Blood v Water – and they are expecting their first child.
Locky Gilbert & Irena Srbinovska
Season 8, 2020
After a season that kept us guessing until the absolute last minute, with Locky basically telling both Irena and runner up Bella Varelis he loved them, he just loved Irena a little bit more. Despite that somewhat inauspicious start, they have lasted the distance and announced their engagement in June. They shared the news on Instagram, writing: “Mrs Gilbert has a nice ring to it.” After the show, the couple kept themselves busy with camping, hiking and, well, even more hiking. And Locky added a stint on SAS Australia to his reality resume, attracting the DS staff’s ire and earning himself the moniker “Cocky Locky”.
THE BACHELOR AUSTRALIA SEASON 10: HOW IT WORKS
+ The opening night red carpet is gone and replaced with a series of speed dates around the country. Each Bachelor has 10 roses, meaning 30 women will enter the mansion.
+ The women’s mansion is a $14.5 million property on the Gold Coast. The two-storey abode includes four large bedrooms, five bathrooms, a gym and outdoor pool. While the boys have a penthouse and their own rooms, and a gym, a spa.
+ Once in the mansion, there’s no obligation for the women to stay with the Bachelor who invited them in. They are free to pursue that elusive chemistry with any of the three.
+ There are strong rumours this season will also include a staple of the US edition – the fantasy suite – where the final three female contestants get the chance to stay the night with the Bachelor.
+ There will be consent chats – Jed has said “It gets much steamier than it has … before. But … obviously these days there’s a consent chat that happens, so if you’re still in the mood after a 40-minute chat …
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