ANNIKA BAKER and AMELIA ROACH review each season and rate its leading man from best to ‘least best’.
Another season of the addictive Australian series of The Bachelor has ended, leaving fans a little bereft.
There have been extraordinary triumphs and epic fails. Every season is a gamble not only for the contestants but for us viewers as well.
Will they get the happily-ever-after we desperately seek?
These seven Bach’ years will take you down memory lane, recapping the scandals, cringeworthy chocolate baths and awkward tear-filled rose ceremonies. So grab your tissues gal pals and popcorn to peg at the screen.
1. Matty J
Matty J is arguably our most beloved Bach of all time. After watching him graciously accept defeat as the runner up to Georgia Love, women (including us) across the country swooned at the humble lad’s love for family, down to earth nature and ever glorious six pack. So it goes without saying that when Matty was announced as the 2017 Bachelor, viewing parties began to form in his honour. Although audiences were devo for runner up Elise Stacy, our hearts burst knowing Matty had finally found love with Laura Byrne in the tropical Santhiya resort in Koh Yao Yai. Skepticism emerged after the airing of the finale, however the couple have smashed all questions with their Fiji engagement and newborn Bub. Matty was a marketing manager prior to being the Bach, but he is now a known voice in radio and face on television
2. Sam Wood
Hailing from Tassie, Sam Wood is our humble hunk. Now, a fun-loving dad-of-three girls, married with a booming fitness career. Sam’s season had few scandals. After the tragic loss of his mum, Sam was seeking to create a family of his own by first finding true love. On many a group date, Sam was seen sneaking Snez off for private moments away from the other girls. On their romantic vineyard date, the two shared the first kiss of the season. Watching it back, it’s obvious Sam was totally smitten and we couldn’t help but sigh in adoration. Fast forward four years, Sam and Snez are enjoying married life with their three children and we couldn’t be happier.
3. Tim Robards
The chiropractor and part time model was our introduction (in 2013) to the joys of watching The Bachelor and one of the four successful love stories that have emerged from the show. Tim was a major hit from day one; his intellect, charm and ultra-buff-bod made him one of the most popular Bachies to date. Tim’s now wife Anna Heinrich was a hit much the same. Never involved with any of the drama on the show Anna was the clear favourite. She had to leave her job as a criminal lawyer to pursue her quest for love and it worked in her favour, when the couple announced their engagement in 2017. They married in Italy on June 8, 2018. Tim set the bar pretty high for any future Bachies.
4. Matt Agnew
Our most recent bachelor, Matt Agnew, has taken the 4th spot on our Bachie podium. Not only was he some good looking eye candy but he also showed his smarts the entire season as an astrophysicist. With a drama-filled season of bitch fights, and one girl giving her phone number to a producer of the show. The fan favourite Chelsie and the villainess of the season, Abbie, reunited with Matt in South Africa going head-to-head for the final rose. Matt broke Abbie’s heart and declared his love for the chemical engineer, saying: “Chelsie, I love you.” The two have since declared their official romance and oxytocin for each other on social media. They shared a selfie together showing that they’re still a couple and after the final episode aired the intellectual love birds said that they’re “excited to be out in the world together and ready to start a normal relationship”.
6. Nick Cummins
Nick Cummins, better known as the “honey badger” had one of the most controversial seasons to date. But boy oh boy he made a GREAT first impression; The down-to-earth Aussie Rugby Union player had our hearts in his hand with his curly locks and didily hang (rhyming slang). Nick’s exquisite bod also deserves a mention, many a shirtless date or challenge had the girls in a drooling daze. After all the awkward group dates and intense rose ceremonies the finale finally arrived. Sophie got out of the car first and in usual Bach tradition we all figured Brit was the one who had his heart. When the overly ominous music came on as Brit walked toward Nick we all frowned in confusion, isn’t this meant to be the happy ending part?! While women and men across the nation dropped their jaws, Nick did something never before down in Bach history… he didn’t choose either of the girls. While we were all shocked and confused Nick’s decision was one of the most honest moments in Australian TV history.
6. Richie Strahan
The next on our list is our 2017 bachie, Richie Strahan. After being the runner-up on Sam Frost’s season of The Bachelorette, Richie, the fan favourite was soon to be the next Bachelor on his journey to find love. The season was full of roller derby group dates, zorbing, the infamous chocolate bath and of course the rose ceremony that left one of the girls dumping Richie! The final two came down to fan fave Nikki and single mum Alex, with Richie not only breaking Nikki’s heart but our hearts too! His choice left us shocked and disappointed. However their relationship lasted longer than any of us could have expected. PDA instagram photos and Logies attendees, the couple made it until their sudden split in 2017. Richie and Alex were both shocked to see each other appear on the 2018 season of Bachelor in Paradise, where the ex-couple awkwardly reunited. For the pair to continue in their journey on finding love they had to face a controversial conversation early on in the show surrounding the speculation of an abortion.
7. Blake Garvey
Branded “Australia’s most hated man” Blake Garvey is by far our least favourite Bach of all time. Although his Pinocchio ways didn’t reveal themselves ’til later, we were always a little suss. His TV persona couldn’t be faulted, however we were all aware it was a facade and his sense of humour lacking. In the extravagant South African finale, Blake proposed to Sam Frost, (now a beloved Home and Away star) with a $58,000 engagement ring. National outrage burned for weeks after it came out that Blake had broken Sam’s heart only days after the finale aired. The topless waiter turned Perth real estate agent claims his intensions were true but Sam’s accounts of how he ghosted her after the show finished beg to differ.
– @annikakbaker – @ameliaroach_