Abbie Chatfield: ‘Nice guys can bereally hard to find’
The Sydney-based presenter of reality show FBOY Island talks property economics, tea rituals and how to pick the men wanting a relationship from the players.
Sydney-based presenter of reality show FBOY Island Abbie Chatfield talks to Bridget Cormack about property economics, tea rituals and how to pick the nice guys from the players.
My new reality show is making me … thrilled to be able to bring a self-aware, genuinely funny reality TV show to the Australian media landscape. The show is unlike anything else out there on TV in this country and I can’t wait for everyone to follow these real love stories while also taking the piss.
Nice guys can be … really hard to find. Fboys, or players, are masters at disguising themselves as nice guys before their true intentions are revealed. I think there’s a misconception about Fboys only being in it for sex, but I think more often than not they are deeply insecure men who are looking for validation rather than sexual gratification. The only way I’ve found to tell the difference between a Nice Guy and an Fboy is unfortunately to wait it out to see, and acknowledge the red flags when you notice them. I’m sorry guys, I wish I could tell you more definitively but I’m still figuring it out myself!
Not on my CV is the time I … worked at three places at once in the same area in Sydney when I was in grade 12. None of [the employers] knew about each other, which was kind of funny. I worked at two ice-cream places and one smoothie place. There was a lot of scooping going on and everything just smelt like off milk all the time.
The weirdest thing in my shopping trolley is … sleepy time tea. I can’t live without it. It’s a little treat while I read my book. I often struggle to fall asleep. I finish radio so late and if I’m having an early morning the next day, it can be hard to wind down after being on air until 9pm.
The thing people don’t know about having ADHD is … that there are endless things people can’t understand about having ADHD. The biggest thing that people miss is the positives of ADHD. It allows me to hyper-fixate on topics like work, and it also allows me to do more than one thing at once. I’m able to handle all my jobs easily and enjoy them still because my brain is able to be in more than one place at one time.
If I wasn’t in media, I would probably still be working as … a property analyst. I did psychology for a year and didn’t like it that much. Then I did a degree in property economics and I liked it and you could potentially earn decent money in it. I was only a year or two out of uni when I applied for The Bachelor.
These days I follow the property market … only when I’m interested in buying something. I posted recently [on social media] about the housing crisis and someone commented ‘What are you now an expert in property?’ And I was like, ‘Actually, by definition, yes’. [My former career] comes in handy for making political commentary sometimes, understanding economics and property specifically.
If I had to describe myself as a spender or saver I would be … a bit of both, although mainly a saver. I do give myself treats but I’ve always been really anxious about money. I definitely don’t spend as much on living as I could. The thing I spend money on most is furniture.
On my bookshelf is … anything by Jodie Picoult. It’s very mum-vibes of me but I love anything by her. I’m currently reading Mad Honey, and learning a lot about bees and murder.
If someone cuts in front of me in the traffic or at the supermarket, I’m most likely to … not really give a f..k, to be honest. If I’m in the shops waiting to order fish and chips or something, I’d say ‘Oh, I’m sorry I’m in the line’. But I think if I’m driving, I don’t really give a f..k.
Abbie Chatfield is the host of FBOY Island Australia, streaming on Binge.
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