Former contestant on The Bachelor Australia, Alisha Aitken-Radburn, saw her time in the mansion crafted by producers into what is now a common reality TV trope: “the villain edit”. Nearly five years later, Alisha – who would go on to star in two subsequent seasons of Bachelor In Paradise – has written a book about the experience. And it’s not what fans (and her fellow reality TV “villains”) might be expecting.

In an insightful conversation, Alisha explains why she decided it was time to peel back the curtain and explain how things really work behind the scenes on the popular TV franchise. She also unpacks why she felt compelled to press pause on a career in politics to look for love in front of the cameras, reveals what the response was from her colleagues in federal parliament to her reality TV persona – and opens up about how surprised she was when it was ultimately The Bachelor that “did lead me to my person”.

And, in an unexpected twist, she explains why every single one of us could benefit from receiving a real-life “villain edit” of our own.

You can find out more about Alisha Aitken-Radburn on Instagram at @alisha.aitkenradburn. Her new book The Villain Edit is out now.