Footy stars, reality TV names and everyday hotties: Meet SA’s most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes
Not many lists will include former Prime Ministers, Love Island contestants, Logie winners and footy players – but these South Aussies all have one thing in common. See the list.
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From stars on the footy field or TV screens to political powerhouses and everyday South Australians, there’s one thing these bachelors and bachelorettes have in common.
Whether they’re unlucky in love or just waiting for “the one”, these are some of the state’s most eligible singles.
Nakia Pires
One of our state’s most recent Love Island products, Nakia Pires is a horse-loving country girl from rural SA – but you won’t catch her hunting for a gym bro.
The 21-year-old who describes herself as “brutally honest” says she’s looking for a down-to-earth guy who’ll be a great dog dad to her beloved pup Oakley.
But if you ask Nakia, Adelaide is in a man drought. Let’s hope this list proves her wrong.
Olivia Molly Rogers
Former Miss Universe Australia Olivia Molly Rogers briefly dated model Morgan Waterhouse this year after splitting with husband Justin McKeone in 2022, but the speech pathologist-turned podcast host is reportedly back on the market.
Proving you truly can have beauty and brains, Olivia says she wants her next partner to be a “nice, genuine person” without any ego.
But unfortunately for some of the sporting types below, she’s previously said footballers are off the cards.
Travis Boak
There’s only one blonde beauty who makes a regular appearance on Travis Boak’s Instagram page — his sister Cassie, who he walked down the aisle last year.
With no sign of any great loves in his social media post it would appear the evergreen Port Adelaide midfielder is certainly single. But is he ready to mingle? With a feed filled with on-field triumphs, gym days and travels, it seems Travis’s current one-true love is his friends, family and beloved footy club.
David Speirs
Don’t let the accent fool you — Scottish-born opposition leader David Speirs’ property portfolio tells us he could be ready to settle down in SA.
While the political ladder seems no great challenge for David, the love ladder appears more elusive — with the Liberal power player currently on the market.
Hugh Sheridan
He’s lit up Carols by Candlelight, rubbed shoulders with Richard Branson and is currently living it up in the bright lights of Los Angeles – but there’s no partner in sight for Adelaide-born singer and actor Hugh Sheridan.
The 38-year-old four-time Logie winner is best known for his role as Ben Rafter in the hit series Packed to the Rafters and split from boyfriend Kurt Roberts in November 2021.
Xavier Samuel
Twilight fans, good news: Edward Cullen might be expecting and Taylor put a ring on Taylor, but Adelaide’s homegrown vampire Xavier Samuel appears to be single.
The 39-year-old, who grew up in Adelaide and attended Rostrevor College, has had roles in a number of post-Twilight films including Adore, September and The Loved Ones.
In 2022, he even played the small role of Scotty Moore in the film Elvis, starring Austin Butler. Xavier, where the hell you been, loca?
Julia Gillard
Former Prime Minister and Adelaide local Julia Gillard’s iconic parliamentary moment made clear she won’t be lectured about sexism and misogyny – but does appear to be on the market for a man.
Last year, the 62-year-old – who attended Unley High School and studied at the University of Adelaide before landing the top job in Canberra – confirmed she had quietly split from former “First Bloke” Tim Mathieson.
She recently handed down the Royal Commission in early education in SA, freeing up some time in her packed-out schedule.
Julie Bishop
Whispers were aflutter when fabulous former Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop reportedly cuddled up to “adventure philanthropist” Luke Hepworth, but the latter quickly shut down relationship rumours.
Saying he and the Lobethal-born 67-year-old were simply “wonderful mates”, it appears Julie could still be looking for a new flame.
With 110,000 followers on Instagram, can we say she is now an influencer in her post-political life? Perhaps not, considering her subsequent consulting and public speaking engagements have included a sit-down with President Barack Obama.
Reece Mastin
Looking for a good night? Look no further than former X Factor winner Reece Mastin, who took home the crown in the show’s third season in 2011.
With hit singles such as ‘Good Night’ and ‘Shut Up & Kiss Me’, the 29-year-old rocker is still making music and keeping his over 82,000 Instagram followers up to date with his life — with no sign of a lover in sight.
Carrie Bickmore
On a technicality, Adelaide-born Carrie Bickmore still counts as one of our best SA exports (despite moving to Perth at an early age).
The hugely successful media personality who’s dominated the nation’s TV and radio waves announced her divorce from partner Chris Walker in January this year, just months after leaving a 13-year stint on Channel 10’s The Project.
The 42-year-old’s cozy relationship with radio co-star Tommy Little, 38, has sparked plenty of dating rumours – but in the absence of confirmation, Carrie could still be single and ready to mingle.
Lisa Woolford
News Corp’s National Entertainment Writer is used to rubbing shoulders with the who’s who of Australian – and international – showbiz.
But what she’d really like is someone to snuggle up to on the coach and watch telly with.
That said, the mum-of-two has a significant birthday coming up, so a plus-one to what’s sure to be a party packed with A-listers would be nice too.
But be warned her celebrity crush is a hard act to follow … it’s none other than Hugh Jackman. While they haven’t been on a date yet, he obliged with a selfie when she bumped into him at Adelaide Zoo.
Julian Schiller
You can’t say this guy has a “face for radio” because he’s one silver fox.
The dad-of-one can be heard on Aunty and in 2024 he will be co-hosting ABC Adelaide’s breakfast program with Sonya Feldhof. Known and loved by listeners as Jules, he has a GSOH – that’s good sense of humour, as anyone old enough to remember The Tiser’s “Connections” page – where singles used to advertise themselves back in the day – can tell you.
Emma Hack
To borrow the title of the 2005 rom com starring John Cusack and Diane Lane, you Must Love Dogs if you’re looking to date this gorgeous gal.
The internationally-renowned artist and bodypainter, is a dog “listener” (like a whisperer, but better).
Her biz, For The Love Of Your Dog, offers a range of services to train your pooches and learn about how to speak dog.
Emma runs small group classes, “Nosework” and in-home solo training sessions, but we reckon she would be happy for the right guy to take the lead when it comes to organising date nights. FYI, the down to earth, bubbly blonde loves the finer things in life and a champers (hint, hint).
Blake Flanagan
Remember Don Plenty’s Adelaide radio show Late Night Love Songs – where you could phone in to dedicate a soppy number to your crush – back in the 1990s? No? Well neither does this guy – because he’s too young.
That said, the 21-year-old is also a guru of the airwaves. He’s the producer of the No. 1 evening program in town, namely, FIVEaa Nights with Leith Forrest.
Because, like everyone in Adelaide, we are obsessed with who went to school where, we can tell you he’s a Sacred Heart College alumni.
And he also has pedigree, being the nephew of Crows legend Chris McDermott. But wait, there’s more! Blake is also quite the crooner – check out the Facebook video of him singing Don’t Go Breaking My Heart with Father Joan.
He’s also a good sport, who barracks for Carlton and Premier League’s Tottenham Hotspur.
Rebecca Zacharia
It’s been a while between drinks for Rebecca and The Advertiser, but back in 2011 the then 21-year-old was one of our singles ready to mingle. The fact she was one of our hottest bachelorettes wasn’t at all surprising. For starters, Bec’s a stunner, and she has impressive pedigree; her dad Lee featured in Cleo magazine’s famous most eligible bachelors list in 1988.
Now 33, she was, until recently, living in London where she was married to her job in real estate – before she got the seven-year-itch and decided to come home to Adelaide to be closer to her family and friends. “I have a cavoodle named Coco and my passion is cooking and throwing dinner parties for my friends,” she tells us. Bon appetite!
Kelly Nestor
What was not to love about this audience favourite making her media comeback – after almost 15 years – as fill-in presenter on ABC Adelaide’s afternoons shift?
Well, now it sounds like she’s ready to return to the dating scene. Born in Broken Hill and mum to two boys, Kelly kicked off her career with GTS/BKN in her hometown and Port Pirie, before switching to Channel 7 in Adelaide, where she also wrote for Messenger Newspapers.
Also working for Aunty, Channel 10, Sky News and Channel 9, she was even the face of News Corp’s Adelaide Now Live News Webcast back in the day.
“I hope radio will be my thing. Fingers crossed,” Kelly, who also runs a media training consultancy, recently told us.
Newsflash: If any eligible bachelors are hoping they will also be Kelly’s things they might want to get on her radar.
Izak Rankine
This powerhouse forward has been kicking goal after goal on the field since his return to Adelaide – but there’s no sign of off-field romance for the ball-winning Crows star.
With an Instagram feed filled with family happy snaps, shirtless shots and the odd sunset by the beach, the only true loves to be seen are Rankine’s beloved staffy, Armani, and Brownlow date — his mum Kerry.
We’ll eagerly await an Insta hard-launch but, for now, it appears there’s still room for love in his best 22.
Sophie Edwards
Sophie Edwards first appeared on screens more than seven years ago on The Bachelor – but it’s the single mum’s candid bowel cancer battle that has cemented her in the hearts of South Australians.
Diagnosed with stage 2 rectal adenocarcinoma in 2022, 34-year-old Sophie has used her platform to advocate for health awareness and share her cancer journey, all while raising eight-year-old Jaxon.
Dougal McFuzzlebutt
They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but here’s the thing; this 40-something catch is a full-on foodie, who also knows his way around the kitchen, meaning he’s cool with dating a woman who can’t even boil water.
Okay, so maybe that’s an exaggeration.
Dougal’s ideal match would share his love of cooking and, like him, have an appetite for adventure and a quirky sense of humour.
With a day job promoting South Australian dining experiences, Dougal loves exploring our great state and the odd trip away.
The right mix of chivalry and cheeky, his motto in life is here for a good time, not a long time … but if you spice up his life, Valentine’s Day champers and choccies are definitely on the menu.
Ena Vujcic
When this girl about town isn’t compiling an A-list for an exclusive event in Adelaide, she’s on one – at the top of the list.
As the owner of Mogul Social PR Agency, Ena represents some of Adelaide’s biggest names; Restaurant Botanic, Magill Estate Restaurant, Good Gilbert, Lesser Store and Sculpt are among her high-profile clients.
Recently featuring on our best-dressed list, Ena’s party pals include SAFM’s Rebecca “Bec” Morse, couture+love+madness designer Cristina Tridente and influencer Jamie Reilly.
With food, music, arts and culture and not-for-profit work among her interests, the mum-of-one’s perfect partner will be “cultured, well travelled, well spoken, with a social sense of justice”. Take a number.
Zak Butters
He’s the Port Adelaide wunderkind known for his courageous teamwork on the field, but Zak Butters appears to be riding solo when it comes to his off-field antics.
The 23-year-old recently inked a new deal keeping him at Alberton – and in Adelaide – until 2026. Great news for prospective lovers.
Sarah Easson
Described by those in the know as “my gorgeous friend Sarah”, it’s easy to see why 25-year-old Sarah Easson has made the singles cut, but hard to imagine she’ll be on the bachelor’s list for long.
She was born in Scotland, but don’t expect a full Edinburgh lilt – most people mistake her for American, which she’ll quickly tell you she’s not.
A lawyer by day, Sarah loves reading and travelling. A glance at her Insta will spark wanderlust in even the most settled of Adelaideans.
Leah Cummings
Makeup artist Leah Cummings is no stranger to sharing her love life with the world, rising to local fame on The Bachelors Australia before telling all about her split from contestant Thomas Malucelli (mostly due to his firm beliefs “against modern medicine”).
The 33-year-old briefly dated Olivia Molly Rogers’ former flame Justin McKeone – who was, in her words, “disappointing”“ – but remains firmly on the single stage.
Leah’s love wish list is fairly simple: “I have two cats and apparently that’s a major red flag,” she said, admitting: “I would always choose my cats over a guy, so a guy allergic to cats is obviously out.” Cat lovers, this could be your shot.
Karmilla Chenia
Originally from London (hello, accent) this high-flying lawyer is more than just a stunning face.
She’s a passionate home cook, an adoring cat mum and dedicated gym rat – but don’t let her nights in the kitchen fool you.
When 30-year-old Karmilla is not Jamie Oliver-ing a dinner party for friends, you’ll find her out and about on the East End with a wine in hand and party in her heart.
Wang Wang and Fu Ni
But wait, you say – aren’t Wang Wang and Fu Ni together?
Their love life would suggest otherwise, with 14 years of unsuccessful coupled-up cohabitation suggesting these two could be hurtling towards separation.
They’re only contractually obliged to remain together until November 2024, when the government could replace them with a younger model.
Whether it’s Wang Wang or Fu Ni who ends up on the kerb, both could be looking for a new life partner – and less pressure on the kids front – in the very near future.
Miss someone? Leave your suggestions for our singles list — or your best pitch for yourself — in the comments below.
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