The Bachelor 2020: Laura reveals reason behind Roxi’s tears

Two Bachelor contestants have opened up about the tense environment this season, revealing viewers only see the half of it.

Bachelor evictee Laura Calleri says Roxi Kenny’s cocktail party meltdowns this season are “warranted” due to tensions among contestants in what viewers have labelled the “bitchiest season yet”.

It comes after Roxi spent her fourth consecutive cocktail party in tears after frontrunner Bella Varelis kissed Locky in front of the other girls on Wednesday night.

The week prior, Roxi had confronted Kaitlyn after becoming upset for the same reason.

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Laura left The Bachelor in last night’s episode. Picture: Channel 10.

“I definitely think all the tears are warranted,” Laura, 24, told news.com.au today.

“It’s such a stressful environment and everyone responds differently. It’s not something that you can prepare for. When there are that many girls, that many personalities, you’re bound to respond in a different way than you normally would. Unfortunately she just really let hers out and cried a lot.”

She added that the impact of last night’s coronavirus announcement added to the high tensions at the cocktail party.

“We were all in shock,” she said.

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Roxi in last night’s episode of The Bachelor. Picture: Channel 10

Viewers have been vocal about the perceived increase in contestant infighting this season, airing their thoughts on social media:

Am I the only one over the drama of this season? I just want to see Locky fall in love with a touch of drama. Not the other way around. #TheBachelorAU pic.twitter.com/XO4OdwhFMq

— Jen (@gotothegymjen) August 26, 2020

This season is unbearable. I can’t believe a show based on manufactured drama can have too much manufactured drama #TheBachelorAU

— Rachel (@MisssRachii) August 26, 2020

Is anyone actually enjoying this season of #TheBachelorAU or are you sick of producers portraying 99.9% of women as catty mean girls / airheads who cry when they drink too much champagne??

Asking for a friend.

— J O D E S 💗 (@jodes888) August 20, 2020

It’s been a running theme this season in the lead-up to the show suspending production due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all contestants sent home during last night’s episode.

Last Thursday, viewers watched as Roxi launched into a fiery confrontation with Kaitlyn, who had attempted to kiss Locky, calling her “Gold Coast f**king trash” and telling her to “f**k off” before bursting into tears.

In another episode, Roxi was inconsolable after becoming convinced Juliette was “dragging her name in the mud” to Locky.

The bizarre incident left viewers wondering whether there had been an earlier off-camera confrontation we didn’t see.

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I am honestly so confused. Have we missed the lead up to this Roxy/Juliette beef? WHAT HAPPENED??? #TheBachelorAU pic.twitter.com/ygnoxYo01S

— Rianna (@RiannaManuel) August 26, 2020

According to Laura, what viewers saw was exactly what happened.

Explaining why Roxi had become so upset, Laura said they had jumped to conclusions when they saw Areeba, Juliette, Kristina and Kaitlyn sitting together away from the group.

“We were all just a little bit confused, and it was a bit of an interesting situation when there’s kind of four girls sort of sitting and talking amongst themselves.

“Bearing in mind, before that, they’d had the little “threesome” where they’d gone up and had a dance with Locky. Then there was the note-slipping incident. So I think we saw them kind of chatting a group together and we thought, right, is there something else happening. Another dance, another note-slipping scenario going to happen. I was sure there was going to be.”

Laura says she hasn't kept in touch with Juliette. Picture: Channel 10

She concluded that the dramatic scenes have been down to clashing personalities.

“You’re bound to get on with some better than others. I’m really fortunate I’ve made some amazing friends from it, but I don’t keep in touch with Juliette. We’re not really friends on the outside. But, you know, it is what it is.”

Speaking to news.com.au today, Areeba similarly spoke out about the clear divide between contestants.

“There was a lot going on in the house that nobody saw, but I definitely agree with Laura that it was a very stressful and emotional situation at the cocktail parties.”

She added: “Imagine being in a house sharing a TV and a kitchen with 20 other girls. Something would happen every day that you didn’t see on camera.”

Areeba said the girls may have been jealous of her and Juliette's screen time. Picture: Channel 10.

As an example, she recalled nightly “family dinners” that herself, Juliette, Kristina and Kaitlyn weren’t included in.

“It was really funny, we didn’t care. We would just stick together.

“They made their choice to be in their group, and I made my choice to be in mine. They never really treated me bad. I was treated how I was expected, really. My personality is very strong and not many people like that so they just stay away because maybe they’re scared.”

She added that at each cocktail party, the four women would distance themselves because they wanted to “have fun” and work together come up with creative ways to approach Locky.

When asked why she thought there was such a divide, she said screen time was a contentious topic.

“At the end of the day we did get a lot of screen time, and they didn’t like that. The camera was always on us and there were a lot of comments about that.”

The Bachelor continues tonight from 7.30 on Channel 10.