Jessica Taylor Yates

Sep 18, 2020

In this franchise, it's fine to break up with the winner - as long as you're The Bachelorette.

Updated: Sep 25, 2020

With our male bachelors though - you have to stay with the winner, or you are out.

Source: Huffpost

Going on The Bachelor franchise can be a real gamble. By Season 8, we as the audience feel we know the ropes - there's a villain, a favourite, a crazy one, a Stage 5 clinger - but what about the actual Bachelor? How are they received? By looking at some anecdotal evidence, it's clear that by becoming the Bach, Australian audiences have a formula of our own if we want you to succeed. With our male bachelors - you have to stay with the winner, or you are out. We're not so strict on our female bachies though - they can do what they want, it seems. Let's take a look at those who didn't end up so lucky in love, and how the public responded:

Blake Garvey

Source: Channel 10

Blake was the second Bachie after the fairytale that was Tim and Anna, and the first to not give us our happy ending - and Australia hated him for it. After famously picking Sam Frost then dumping her for second runner up Louise Pillidge, he states he became "The most hated man in Australia" and underwent periods of depression, anxiety, and disappearing from public life. Even though we loved Sam, they weren't to be. He hasn't really had a media career, and has a private relationship with a woman named Tania Mondon.

Sam Frost

Source: Mamamia

When Sam Frost, bitterly broken up with in front of the country, came back as our first-ever Bachelorette, whoops and 'Hell yeah's!' were screamed across the nation. Picking the favourite Sasha Mielczarek as the man for her heart, it seemed to go swimmingly, until they broke up 18 months later. However, the break-up hasn't appeared to affect Sam's career - she now stars on Australian flagship drama Home & Away.

Richie Strahan

Source: Yahoo News NZ

Despite viewers falling for Nikki, Bachelor Richie Strahan shocked when he presented Alex Nation with a 'promise ring' at the end of his season. The relationship didn't last, and neither, did it seem, did Richie's big career in the spotlight. Whilst he had a stint on Bachelor in Paradise to argue it out with Alex, the rope access technician is currently dating a woman named Jenayah Thompson, away from the prying eyes of tv.

Angie Kent

Source: Noosa News

Although Angie's relationship underwent a similar timeframe to Richie, we seem to be more forgiving. Already cementing her face in the spotlight after star turns on Gogglebox and I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Angie chose Carlin Sterritt in her season of The Bachelorette. Although the relationship ended, our love for Angie hasn't - she's currently starring in ads for eBay, and we will next see her on Dancing With The Stars.

Nick 'Honey Badger' Cummins

Source: Mumbrella

This one hurt. Love him or hate him, the 'Honey Badger' certainly was a character. Gracing our screens as the 2018 Bachelor, we fell in love with the former professional rugby player's ocker colloquialisms such as 'Nervous as a long-tail cat in a room full of rocking chairs!' and 'Holy strewth!' Perhaps that's why the finale hurt so much, where he famously rejected both contestants and chose no one. The backlash was so severe that he fled for Papua New Guinea, and revealed that his time on the show made his 'soul go dark' and he would run away to the bush for clarity. Safe to say, he has no desire to return to reality tv any time soon.

Ali Oetjen

Source: E! Online

I have to admit, I was pretty surprised Channel 10 went with Ali, considering she was never really a fan favourite and the explosive cheating allegations that Grant Kemp dropped before her season. After choosing Taite Radley in her turn as The Bachelorette, the couple broke up after a two-year run. Even after all this, the public still has support for Ali and her new healthy living business.

Matt Agnew

Source: Nova

So, full disclosure, I was mates with Matt back in the day and can see why he has avoided the reality-tv life so far. As he had an actual job as an astrophysicist before the program began, Bachelor Matt chose to enter a relationship with Chelsie McLeod. However, it did not last, with Matt suffering severe anxiety about putting out a statement for fear of public backlash. However Matt - I see you've got that blue tick on the 'gram, so we may not have seen the last of Dr Matt Agnew just yet!

Sophie Monk

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Ah, the nation's fav. Media personality Sophie Monk put her heart on the line in her search for love as our first celebrity Bachelorette, and Australia was with her 100% of the way. Even though it didn't work out with winner, Stu Laundy, this hasn't dampened our love for Soph - in fact, it grew stronger, and her career has gone from strength to strength, with stints hosting Love Island and the upcoming Beauty and the Geek.

Locky Gilbert