Abbie Chatfield defies haters as controversial dating series FBoy Island returns for Season 2

Abbie Chatfield has a message for her biggest haters now that her controversial dating show is back on screens.

Abbie Chatfield has a message for her haters now that her controversial dating show is back on screens.

The TV and media personality is back as host of the series FBoy Island Australia, which some on social media blasted last year for its title alone, even before the show premiered.

But with the Aussie series back on BINGE for Season 2, Chatfield is having the last laugh.

“I do think it’s really funny that no one said anything once the show aired [last year],” she tells news.com.au. “They were only [angry] at the name and I said, ‘Guys, just watch the show.’ And now everyone’s shut up a little bit.”

“I think people understand what the show is now. It’s so much fun. It’s an amazing, perfect show. So I’m excited to be back.”

Chatfield says she’s thrilled to have silenced her haters from Season 1. Supplied by Binge.

Each season of FBoy Island sees three leading ladies navigate the dating pool together to determine who from the group of men are the “Nice Guys” looking for love, and who are the self-proclaimed “FBoys,” only there to play the game and take home the $50,000 cash prize.

But ultimately, FBoy Island is tongue-and-cheek, verging on parody, which sets it apart from your traditional dating show.

“We are making fun of patriarchy and of men, but also we don’t want to do it too earnestly. That kind of puts off anyone. It’s a very complex tone to hit,” Chatfield says.

“But I think the producers are the best in the country, the best that I’ve worked with. They are so incredible. They’d make it easier.”

Stream FBoy Island on BINGE, available on Hubbl.

Chatfield backstage on FBoy Island.

Seeking shelter in between filming of the reality series.

“If you are a hardcore feminist, you’re not going to learn anything from this show. You can enjoy it, you can have fun with it, you can digest it. But you’re not going to be like, ‘Wow, mind blowing,’” she said.

“But I think it’s really good for a standard reality TV audience, who’s maybe even a bit conservative or unaware, to watch this show and have easily digestible little nuggets of feminism sprinkled on top of a dramatic reality show.

“And having me call them out in the moment! I will just say: ‘F**k, that was sexist.’ I don’t think any other show has a host that’s allowed to do that, let alone encouraged to yell at the contestants.”

Chatfield with Season 2’s leading ladies Ally, Nicole and Krystal.

While haters gonna hate, FBoy Island Australia has won praise from the industry, scoring a Best Reality Program nomination at the AACTA Awards earlier this year.

Chatfield says this season won’t disappoint either, with the FBoys cast on the show taking their antics to a whole new level.

“I’ve got a tragic love life, but I am good at spotting FBoys that aren’t involved in my life. So I am good at figuring out who’s who,” says Chatfield, who is currently dating Peking Duk muso Adam Hyde.

“FBoys definitely have gotten more confusing, particularly with the evolution of a ‘Soft Boy’ – a subset of an FBoy where they do go to therapy, but it feels that they go to therapy just to learn therapy language to use it against you.

“So a Soft Boy is a type of FBoy – and this is my usual type of FBoys – where they’re creative or they’re like, ‘I play bass in a band.’ ‘I do woodwork’ or something random. ‘I have a stall at the market’ … They’re very creative and everyone loves them and they’re so nice.

The FBoys on Season 2 of the show have evolved, says Chatfield.

“But then they do little subtle things like they won’t commit to you. And you’re like, ‘But he’s such a nice guy. I should stay with him.’ Or they’ll talk about therapy language, but will weaponise it. Or they’ll send you a song or something and then just not text you back for three days.”

Chatfield says Soft Boys are “aware of their masculinity and their femininity” and therefore women think they’re good men. But don’t be fooled, she warns.

Good thing this season’s leading ladies, Krystal Thomas, Nicole Mitrov and Ally Woodfall, all have good heads on their shoulders.

Nicole, Krystal and Ally at the first elimination ceremony.

“I love these girls. They’re all really close. They’re backing each other up,” Chatfield tells us. “And they’re also learning from last year to get in earlier to figure out which of these guys are saying the same things.”

“They’re swapping information, they’re being spies through each other. They’re testing the guys out. They’re taking the guys from the same guy on dates together to see what his intentions are, or if he’s going to say the same thing.

“So they’re doing a really good job in doing their investigation and looking out for each other.”

New episodes of FBoy Island air Mondays on BINGE and Foxtel, available on Hubbl

Originally published as Abbie Chatfield defies haters as controversial dating series FBoy Island returns for Season 2