Fans demand older contestants on the Bachelorette with Sophie Monk

FIRST it was the lack of diversity on the Bachelor, now fans are ‘disappointed’ with the contestants on the Bachelorette.

FIRST it was the lack of diversity on Season Five of The Bachelor with Matty J.

Now, fans of the reality series are seething over the shortage of “silver foxes” hoping to capture Sophie Monk’s heart on The Bachelorette.

The dating show, which will premiere this Wednesday on Channel 10, features 18 suitors — including a 24-year-old magician and a 25-year-old professional polo player.

The Channel 10 Bachelorette line up for 2017.

But social media users have questioned why producers didn’t cast men closer to Monk’s age.

“I don’t understand why they’ve cast 25 year olds when the bachelorette is 37?” one person wrote on the Facebook page.

“Surely they should’ve had some silver foxes in the mix?”

“Sophie has said, on camera, publicly, that the minimum age that she wants the bachelors to be is at least 30. Then the show goes and casts multiple guys in their 20s?” another questioned.

“What a joke. What is the point when you clearly see that 3/4 of the guys aren't her type? Way too young. Silver fox would have been great.”

37-year-old Sophie Monk is the 2017 Bachelorette.

When Monk was first announced as the Bachelorette, she told The Project of how she’d like older contestants in the mix.

“They [Channel 10] asked me and I said, you know, I’d like thirty, because getting younger (contestants) is a bit a weirdo,” she told the panel.

“But then there’s up, you know? Up to a billion ... but you never know. If you meet someone lovely you meet someone lovely.”

Jourdan Siyal, 25, Apollo Jackson, 24, and Bingham fitz-Henry, 25, hope to win Sophie’s heart. Picture: Annette Dew.

Ahead of the first episode of The Bachelor, which concluded last Thursday when Matty Johnson chose Laura Byrne as his lady love, social media went in to a meltdown because all the contestants were white — and didn’t reflect Australia’s multicultural society.

“How will he choose from such a diverse bunch,” one person said on Twitter.

“The Bachelor Australia: Attack of the Clones,” another added.

Some of the contestants taking part in the 2017 series of The Bachelor.

Following the first episode, Matty J hit back at critics — claiming he wasn’t to blame for the lack of diversity on the show.

“I don’t have any preference when it comes to race or colour,” Mr Johnson told news.com.au

Such diversity. There are blondes, brunettes...errr and different dress colours too.

I hope the #Bachelor is a short Asian guy https://t.co/ucT7bcb6oP

— Stewart Marshall (@Properliberal) July 23, 2017

“For me, it was more about the personality and the character I was looking for.

“Does it need to be more diverse? I think that’s a question for Channel 10 more so than myself.”

Earlier this year, a casting call obtained by Yahoo7 Be revealed the type of man Monk was after, with producers requesting calling for bachelors “aged 40-58 to meet Sophie’s apparent taste for the silver fox”.

An insider told the Daily Telegraph that producers were looking at appealing to men “who are more established” and “know what they are looking for, as well as single dads”.

Sophie Monk shooting TVC for Bachelorette. Picture: Ten

“But Sophie is absolutely open to a younger man as well, and the lower end of the range is 25,” they said in April.

“Age and type is not a limitation when it comes to finding love.”

A Channel 10 spokesperson said that age has little bearing on Sophie’s choice.

They said: “Sophie has said from the start that she is looking for a down-to-earth Aussie bloke who will treat her well.

“A man’s age, occupation and appearance have little bearing on the qualities and values he can offer as a romantic partner.

“Sophie has dated various types of men and has learned to never judge a book by its cover. With this in mind, Sophie begins her Bachelorette journey with an open mind and open heart.”