Bachelor Locky backtracks on saying he ‘loved’ Bella after copping backlash

After the incredibly dramatic finale, Bachelor Locky Gilbert says he never actually told Bella he was in love with her.

The Bachelor’s Locklan ‘Locky’ Gilbert has faced a lot of criticism after the finale, for telling both runner-up Bella Valeris and winner Irena Srbinovska that he was in love with them.

But did he really?

Speaking to The Kyle and Jackie O Show on Friday morning with Irena by his side, the star clarified that he didn’t ever tell Bella he was ‘in love’ with her, only that he was ‘falling in love’ with her.

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Bachelor Locky admitted to being in love with both girls.

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“I didn’t say that exact same thing. It’s a hot topic at the moment,” Locky said.

“Fallen and falling,” he said, pointing out the difference of words he used.

Locky said that he’d told Bella he was “falling in love” with her, but had told Irena he’d already “fallen in love” with her.

While it’s a small detail, it makes a big difference.

He later admitted that, “I was in love with both of them, but they were both two completely different futures.”

It was a shock ending but Locky has found his happy ending with Irena.

In fact, Locky broke the Bachelor rules by using the L word at all.

It‘s a first for the show – with past Bachelors and Bachelorettes saving their declarations of love for when they pick the winner.

But Locky threw the rule book out the window before the final decision, telling Irena he had “fallen in love” with her during their final date in the jacuzzi.

“I’m falling in love with you,“ Locky also told Bella on their final date.

The move took viewers by surprise, with many taking to Twitter to argue Locky had “broken the rules” by sharing his feelings with both girls, thereby setting one up for an unexpected dumping.

Even former Bachelor winner Laura Byrne agreed, posting on Instagram: “What the hell is going on!!!! You can’t say I love you!!!!

Anyone else feel like maybe Lockie broke the rules and told Irena that he loves her, then the producers had to scramble and made him tell Bela too? #TheBachelorAU

— Aggie (@aggie_eff) September 24, 2020

Umm isn't that breaking the bachie rules?🤔#TheBachelorAU

— Kimmi_Joy (@joy_kimmi) September 24, 2020

YOU CANNOT LOVE TWO WOMEN AT THE SAME TIME AND IF YOU DO YOU DON’T DESERVE EITHER I’ll stop yelling now I’m just passionate aight #TheBachelorAU

— sonia (@soniaqwerty) September 24, 2020

And for that, Bella was completely blindsided when Locky dumped her in the end.

“This is it? I just don’t get it. Yesterday, you told me you were in love with me,” Bella said when Locky confessed he couldn’t see things working with her.

“Who does that to someone who tells them they’re in love with them and then …?”, Bella wondered when she returned to the limo to take her home.

Bella was left heartbroken on her way home.

Despite the love-triangle, Locky and Irena are still together and seem incredibly happy.

Locky even hinted that Irena was his ‘baby-mama’ in his post-finale post.