Why the Bachelor shouldn’t have given Monique a second chance over the C-bomb scandal

Viewers were stunned when Matt Agnew briefly walked out of the rose ceremony before he gave Monique a second chance. A dating expert now reveals why it wasn’t his best option.

It’s the controversial Bachelor episode that has Australia talking — and fans will no doubt be on the edge of their seats as the showdown between contestants Monique Morley and Abbie Chatfield looms tonight.

Viewers were stunned when Matt Agnew briefly walked out of the rose ceremony, before he finally decided to give Monique a second chance.

His decision came after a heated cocktail party with all of his lucky ladies, where he set out to try and find out if she really did say he was a “disrespectful pig” and a “dog c**t”.

She denied it, while others like Abbie dropped her in it after they overheard her say it by the pool.

Relationship expert and psychologist Sharon Draper from eharmony told News Corp that despite trying to do the right thing, Matt made the wrong call.

“In my opinion, I don’t think he should have given her the second chance as she didn’t seem to deserve it,” she said.

“Relationships that last are built on trust — without trust the rest will crumble and I fear that even with a second chance, Matt may always have a question mark in the back of his mind regarding what Monique allegedly said.

‘Evident chemistry’: Who may win The Bachelor

‘Monique called Matt a c**t as a joke’

Bach’s codename for secret lover revealed

Truth behind explosive Bach decision

Monique Morley denies she badmouthed the Bachelor. Picture: Supplied

“We also seem to get consistent reports that the words were said, whether they were said in jest or not actually doesn’t matter given the vulgarity and nature of them.

“There needs to be respect there and if Monique thinks Matt is a “disrespectful pig”, then he probably isn’t the guy for her.

“Similarly if she even joked about using the c-word to describe the potential love of her life, I’m not sure he would be too happy about that as it isn’t a word you would want your partner to use to describe you to anyone, even if as a joke.”

The awkward moment on The Bachelor when Matt Agnew brought Monique's accuser Abbie over to try to find out the truth about what Monique had allegedly said about him. Picture: Supplied

Ms Draper said she thought matt did not cope well with the situation, partly because he doesn’t know every woman well enough to know if he can actually trust them.

“External opinions, particularly negative ones, can really take a toll on any romance but also on an individual,” she said.

“Here we saw Matt feel the pressure of conflicting stories from the ladies and he really didn’t cope well, while he doesn’t know the women well yet he has definitely formed some bonds and should know that there are people he can trust, especially if a few of them are consistent with their story.”

Abbie Chatfield from The Bachelor, who dobbed on Monique. Picture: Supplied

Last night’s episode was a hit for Ten attracting 783,000 viewers across the five metro states when up against Nine’s The Block that got 765,000 viewers.

At the same time, Seven’s new show How to Make $10K in 20 Days led by Sunrise co-host and finance expert David Koch lost out with just 316,000 viewers.

Ms Draper added that Matt’s attempt to use the “truth circle” as a way to get answers could have been improved.

“It wouldn’t have been expected by the girls that he bring it up (as no one knew he knew about it yet) and he would have gotten some genuine reactions in a group setting where people would have had to answer on the spot, without their defences and where others would call them out,” she said.

“If Matt had asked directly if people had heard this discussion, it would have led to less storytelling one-on-one and perhaps an open discussion in the group to get to the bottom of the manner.”

She added that this incident could impact his future relationships with all of the women at the Bachelor mansion.

“Tests like this in a relationship at this early stage can make it difficult to set the solid foundation for a lasting relationship,” she said.

“If they don’t communicate openly and honestly, the relationship will be built on an unstable platform which has a high chance of collapsing.”

The Bachelor continues tonight at 7.30pm on Ten.