The Bachelors 2023: Luke Bateman, Wesley Senna Cortes and Ben Waddell spill their secrets
The three stars of this year’s The Bachelors spill the beans on their past love life. Learn more about Luke, Wesley and Ben.
As the latest trio of likely lads – former NRL player-turned-lumberjack Luke Bateman, Brazilian model and theology student Wesley Senna Cortes and model and passionate environmentalist Ben Waddell – start their quest for real love on the eleventh season The Bachelor Australia, we sat down with each of them, speed dating style, with 10 minutes of rapid-fire questions.
Here’s some of what we learnt:
WESLEY
First crush
“A first person in real life was my high school sweetheart. I was in love with her for two years and it took me two years to declare myself to her. And I finally did at our graduation party.”
What’s your three best attributes?
“Oh, I would say I am perfection in everything. I’m kidding. I generally love people. The second one, I would say I’m a very generous guy. And the third one – I think I have quite a positive outlook towards life.”
What makes you laugh?
“I love scaring people. I love hiding and scaring. I love pranks. Yes, that stuff makes me laugh for sure. Does it make other people laugh? That is the question.”
What makes you cry?
“When I talk about my mum, it’s almost like I could cry on cue.”
What are you looking for in a partner?
“Someone that is clumsy, who is funny. But also someone that dreams big. You know, someone that would dare change the world, but also that has a heart for people.”
Dessert or cheeseboard
“Dessert anytime. I could eat dessert before main course any day. I love anything that has chocolate or Nutella on it. And I love strawberry, Those combinations to me are perfect.”
Luke
First Crush
“I had a girlfriend in primary school named Courtney. I was in love with her. We had a bit of an on-and-off thing all through primary school and early high school. I bought her earrings from eBay. I’ve always been a romantic.”
What makes you laugh?
“I think to be honest – it’s my old boy. He’s the driest, funniest human. He’s not even trying to make jokes, but says things that just creams me.”
What are you looking for in a partner?
“I’ve had this question 100 times. It’s easy to sort of, you know, say things like, ‘Oh, I want them to be intelligent and funny and good looking …’. But, I mean, honestly, at the end of the day, I just want someone who loves me and just wants the same things.”
What’s a move you like to whip out at parties?
“I usually go up to a girl and say ‘if you had a time machine, where would you go?’. And then they’d say, ‘Oh, I’d go here or like anywhere in the future or past.’ And then they say ‘if you had a time machine, where would you go?’ And I say ‘I wouldn’t go anywhere because this moment is perfect’.”
Who’s your celebrity lookalike?
“Nah, I’m not good looking enough for that. Wes said he reckons I look like Channing Tatum but I genuinely don’t agree and I don’t support that statement.”
Cheeseboard or dessert?
“I’m an ice cream man all the way. I will pound tubs of ice cream every day. Cookies and cream has to be cookies and cream.”
Ben
What do you reckon are your three best attributes?
“Generous, loyal and I’m ambitious, I guess. Genuine – oh wait that’s four.”
First crush?
“It was in Grade one in primary school. Her name was Kelly. And I would write cards. I gave her a kiss on the cheek one day at recess. And then I got into trouble. The teacher’s like you’ve got your whole life to do that. This is not the time to be running around kissing girls just now.”
Do you have an icebreaker line?
“Nah – Hi, I’m Ben. Yeah. So no smoothness.”
Celebrity lookalike
“I get Matthew McConaughey sometimes. And the young Paul Newman.”
What are you looking for in a partner
“Someone who’s genuine, loving and who has goals, and is motivated. I’ve definitely dated people in the past that haven’t been very driven. It definitely drove a wedge between us because then they’re obsessed with social media. I think it’s important that they have some drive.”
Dessert or cheeseboard?
“I’m a huge sweet tooth. Huge. American sweets aren’t great – so when I go to England, I’d spend 50, 60 pounds at the store to fill the suitcase up with all the chocolate. I do the same in Australia, I get the Allens lollies and the Natural Confectionery ones. I love the Darryl Lea raspberry chocolate bullets.”
The Bachelors Australia, Sunday, 7.30pm, Ten
Where are the rest of the Bachelors now?
Let’s take a look back at what happened once the cameras stopped rolling.
The franchise has proved a mixture of hits and misses, with more than a handful showing it is possible to find lasting love and a drama-free relationship away from the intense spotlight of TV.
Season 1, 2013
Tim Robards & Anna Heinrich
It was a promising start for the global franchise when the pair fell head over heels. They married in 2018 and daughter Elle was born in November 2020, with another daughter due next year.
Season 2, 2014
Blake Garvey & Sam Frost
The pair split before the finale even aired, with Garvey hooking up with Louise Pillidge who came third. They split in 2016. Garvey has pretty faded from public life. He hasn’t been publicly active on Facebook for years and doesn’t appear to have an Instagram account. Frost went on to be the first Bachelorette Australia, before finding lasting love with fiance Jordie Hansen. The pair welcomed their son Ted in March.
Season 3, 2015
Sam Wood & Snezana Markoski
Wood swapped his promise ring for the real thing just six months after the show. And they’ve lasted, marrying in 2018 and welcoming three daughters together Willow, 6; Charlie, 4 and Harper 18 months to join Markoski’s daughter Eve, 18, from a previous relationship.
Season 4, 2016
Richie Strahan & Alex Nation
They parted ways in August 2017. Strahan has been linked with a few women since then, but the only woman to feature recently on his Instagram is his mum Kate. Nation is engaged to Carson Jory, who is step dad to her eldest son Elijah and the couple share two children Son
Maxwell, 2 and daughter Pearl who was born in April this year.
Season 5, 2017
Matty J & Laura Byrne
The couple married in November 2022, and have two daughters Marlie-Mae, 4, and Lola, 2.
Season 6, 2018
Nick “the Honey Badger Cummins”
Cummins infamously chose neither of his final two – Brittany Hockley and Sophie Tieman. He has since found love, “hard-launching” girlfriend Alexandra George in March 2021. The pair welcomed their “little badger cub” Billy George October last year.
Season 7, 2019
Matt Agnew & Chelsie McLeod
The pair lasted six months, before splitting in November 2019. McLeod moved on with model Ricki Dehaan. While Agnew has been linked with a series of people from croissant queen Kate Reid, Real Housewives of Melbourne star Kyla Kirkpatrick and, even, MasterChef favourite Khanh Ong.
Season 8, 2020
Locky Gilbert & Irena Srbinovska
After a somewhat inauspicious start, the couple married in a surprise, intimate ceremony in Melbourne earlier this year, and are expecting their first child early next year.
Season 9, 2021
Jimmy Nicholson & Holly Kingston
They moved into together just three months after filming wrapped and wed in a small ceremony at Nicholson’s parents’ Palm Beach home in August.
Season 10, 2021
Felix Van Hofe, Thomas Malucelli & Jed McIntosh
While it looked like the bold reinvention of the global franchise was a resounding success with two proposals, none of the couples went the distance. Von Hofe and Jessica Navin, Malucelli and Leah Cummings, McIntosh and Alesia-Françoise Delaney called it quits not long after the finale aired. At least one of the trio has gone on to find love elsewhere with McIntosh “hard-launching” girlfriend Tori Tabbit on his Instagram in August.
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Originally published as The Bachelors 2023: Luke Bateman, Wesley Senna Cortes and Ben Waddell spill their secrets
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