Abbie Chatfield launches new BINGE series FBoy Island at glitzy Sydney event
TV and radio personality Abbie Chatfield led the red carpet last night for the launch party of her new BINGE reality series, FBoy Island.
TV and radio personality Abbie Chatfield has graduated from reality TV contestant to host in spectacular fashion.
The former Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise star’s TV transition was marked with a glitzy event last night at The Butler in Potts Point, Sydney. The event was an exclusive launch party for BINGE’s new reality series, FBoy Island, which Chatfield hosts.
News.com.au caught up with Chatfield at the event – and she told us what to expect from the hotly anticipated series.
“I’m so thrilled for everybody to see this show. Filming was so much fun,” she tells us. “I’ve seen episode one – the producers came over and we watched it and we were pissing ourselves and slapping ourselves [laughing]. It is such a good show and I’m so proud of what I’ve seen so far.”
Chatfield, 27, walked the red carpet with the three ladies looking for love on the show: occupational therapist Molly O’Halloran, 26, DJ Sophie Blackley, 26, and model Ziara Rae, 21.
The 10-episode series – which premieres on BINGE on May 29 – follows the three women as they navigate the dating pool together to find the “nice guys” among the self-proclaimed “FBoys”, who are purely on the show to take home the cash prize.
Stream FBoy on BINGE from May 29. New BINGE customers get a 14-day free trial. Sign up at binge.com.au
Controversy surrounded the series when it was first announced last year thanks to that name (‘Fboy’ being the G-rated abbreviation of the term ‘F**kboy’, meaning a guy who wants to play the field), but Chatfield – who also hosts Hit’s radio program Hot Nights with Abbie Chatfield – wants people to watch the show before they pass judgment.
“The name FBoy Island, I mean, could it be serious?” she laughs. “We’re not glorifying FBoys – we’re calling them out and making sure we’re putting them in their place and they’re held accountable.”
“It was really cathartic for me personally, obviously someone who hasn’t always made the best choice in dating partners. But I think the show is really self-aware, really fun and quite progressive.”
But the question on everybody’s lips is - what do the ladies think constitutes an FBoy?
“Well to be fair, I thought I knew but it’s actually not as easy as it looks,” Sophie laughs. “They’re very deceiving. I personally think if someone can’t call you by your name, they go ‘Baby’ or ‘Sweetheart’, that’s a sure sign.”
“And if they can’t leave their phone with you on the table, that’s a big one. I think in the past when guys are like turning their phone off or taking it with them, that’s a big one. Like, what are you hiding, texts from your mum?”
FBoys aside, the heart and soul of the show is the women and how they work together to call out bad behaviour.
“The premise of the show is very strong, powerful women working together – and that’s why I absolutely love the concept. It’s very much about empoweing women and calling out bad behaviour rather than promoting FBoys,” Molly says.
And for Ziara, starring on the show helped her learn more about herself too.
“I learnt so much about myself, how I cope with things,” she tells us. “I’m not perfect either, and I’ve definitely got particular sides to me, and I guess just bringing that out was really great and it was almost therapeutic.”
Chatfield and the three women sipped on aptly named cocktails at the event – Jizz Fizz, Blue Balls and Love Potion, anyone? – and were joined by a number of local celebrities and media personalities, including singer Jack Vidgen and internet sensation Carla from Bankstown, who coughed up some hilarious dating advice of her own.
“Watch out for the red flags. If they don’t wash their arse, red flag. If they don’t have nice cologne, red flag. If they don’t treat their mum good, red flag. If they don’t wash their hair and it’s oily, red flag. Period,” Carla says.