Honey Badger’s new book in turmoil after Bachelor finale
NICK Cummins’ failure to commit on The Bachelor has caused chaos for his book, which was said to be a “goldmine” before the reality TV series unveiled a different outcome.
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EXCLUSIVE: NICK Cummins may have earned himself the title of Australia’s greatest dating disaster in The Bachelor history — but his failure to commit on the popular reality show has reportedly caused chaos for his book publisher, preparing to cash in on his ‘love’ story.
Pan Macmillan — which signed a book deal with the 30-year-old before he agreed to appear on the Channel 10 series — redesigned the cover and stripped it of its original title, The Honey Badger Guide To Life (and Love), after it discovered the former Wallabies star dumped the two women he’d seduced all the way to the final rose ceremony.
It is understood after the prerecorded result was known to the show’s producers and Cummins’ management, publishers made the decision in mid-May to have the book’s cover changed and pre-written ‘love tips’ edited out.
The relationship material was then supplemented with additional life advice from Cummins’ single father, Mark.
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A publishing source said Pan Macmillan “thought they were sitting on a gold mine” when they presented the original cover and text to senior executives earlier this year — scheduling its release soon after The Bachelor finale to cash in on his popularity.
But the new version will now go on sale this Tuesday, as simply The Honey Badger Guide To Life, without its ‘author’ being available to promote it.
He remains overseas, keeping a safe distance from the scandal, as well as a promise made last year to join a mates trip and charity walk of the Kokoda Trail.
Cummins’ publisher Angus Fontaine said it was “not our policy to comment,” leaving his manager Nick Fordham to respond, confirming: “a draft cover was created by a graphic designer and they added the word love. It was totally off brief and was rejected by me and Pan Mac and reverted back to its original name The Honey Badger’s Guide To Life.”
While the final rose ceremony ended in tears for Brittany Hockley and Sophie Tieman — left crying and devastated by Cummins’ decision to go home solo — the sensational outcome was a local first for the franchise and led Ten to a rare ratings night win (pulling a national audience average of 1.68 million viewers).
The backlash over the Badger’s decision also fired up fans on Twitter, with the show’s hashtag trending at number one in Australia after the broadcast, and number three worldwide.
The celebrity Bachelor’s intentions had been questioned almost as soon as he was confirmed to front this season.
But Cummins previously told News Corp Australia’s TV Guide in August he was over the end of his last six-year relationship with Norwegian artist, Martine Strom Thomassen, declaring: “I’m healed … let’s go.”
He boasted he’d been offered other dating shows, but turned them down and said, “no, I’m not ready”.
While The Bachelor Australia series has led to at least three love matches with non-celebrity suitors, including the marriage of first series singles, Tim Robards and Anna Heinrich, Cummins said before his season aired: “it all comes down to the people in it at the time”.
“Everyone has got a different experience and for some people things work and for some people they don’t work, but I’m happy”.
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But an interview given to Men’s Health magazine he hinted he may not have been so pleased, telling the reporter his dream woman was not to be found on the show and quoted as saying: “I’d create her myself. It wouldn’t be one of the ones on the show, that’s for sure!”
In a statement released after he told both women on air he wasn’t ready to commit to either of them, he said: “I hate hurting people and I have done that twice. I just know in my heart that I did the right thing.
“There are two amazing women walking out of my life. It wouldn’t be fair to enter into something that a few months down the track I would be breaking her heart.
“I came here for a chance at love and now I’m going to have to start again,” adding, optimistically, “she’s out there!”
A Ten spokeswoman said: “Nick made the difficult but honest decision not to choose Brittany or Sophie.
“He had hoped for a fairytale ending, so this was a decision that he did not take lightly. In the end he did what he felt was right for everyone involved.”
Fordham, who also represents Ten presenter Lisa Wilkinson — who will air the only prerecorded exit interview with him on The Sunday Project this weekend — said the outcome had only “enhanced” the Honey Badger’s reputation and brand value.
“Nick showed great integrity and character and held true to his values during the entire series,” he said.
“His commercial partnerships are rock solid and he is definitely not short of opportunities.”