The Bachelor Australia is a reality television show that is adapted from the popular TV series in the US. Hosted by Osher Günsberg, The Bachelor first came to television screens in Australia on 8 September 2013 on the 10 Network.
Plot
The Bachelor airs for a few months and revolves around a single male who is surrounded by a pool of women – one of whom may eventually go on to become a partner or possible wife.
- Women are filtered out in an elimination-style event during a rose ceremony.
- There are several conflicts within the season between the women or even with the bachelor himself.
- The earlier part of the season starts off with large group dates so the bachelor can get to know his romantic interests and start eliminating the ones he’s not keen on.
- Once the season goes on, women can be eliminated in multiple ways, including single dates, cocktail parties and two-on-one dates.
- The latter half of the season culminates with a visit to the hometown and families of the final contestants.
- There are overnight dates at exotic locations for the last few finalists.
- The final two women have the chance to meet and interact with the bachelor’s family and friends.
- During the end of some seasons, the bachelor has proposed to the winner. But this isn’t always the case with some women receiving a promise ring or nothing at all.
How many seasons has The Bachelor gone on for?
The Bachelor started in 2013 and has gone on for 7 seasons so far with more in sight.
Season 1
- The first season of The Bachelor aired in 2013 between 8 September and 20 November.
- The first bachelor was Tim Robards who was 30 years old at the time.
- He was a chiropractor and model by profession and lived in Sydney.
- The winner of the first season was Anna Heinrich and the runner up was Rochelle Emmanuel-Smith.
- Tim chose Anna during the finale and gave her a diamond ring.
- There was no proposal at the finale, and the couple are still together.
- The couple announced on 24 May 2017 that they were engaged and married in Manduria, Italy on 7 June 2018.
Season 2
- The second season of The Bachelor aired in 2014 between 30 July and 2 October.
- It featured Blake Garvey as the bachelor who was 31 years old at the time.
- He was a real estate auctioneer and came from Perth.
- The winner of the second season was Samantha “Sam” Frost and the runner up was Lisa Hyde.
- There was a proposal at the finale, but the couple are no longer together.
- Blake proposed to Sam at the finale and she accepted.
- On 6 October 2014, just two days after the finale, it was reported that the couple were no longer engaged. Sam commented that she was completely blindsided.
- On 10 October 2014, it was revealed that he was in a relationship with Louise Pillidge, who was the second runner up on the show.
- He confirmed that he and Sam had broken up two weeks before the finale.
- Sam then went on to become the first bachelorette on The Bachelorette Australia
- On 18 April 2016, it was announced that Louise and Blake had broken up after dating for 18 months.
Season 3
- The third season of The Bachelor aired in 2015 between 29 July and 17 September 2015.
- It featured Sam Wood as the bachelor who was 34 years old at the time.
- He was a business owner and fitness guru and came from Melbourne.
- The winner of the third season was Snezana Markoski and the runner up was Lana Jeavons-Fellows.
- There was no proposal, and the couple are still together.
- Sam chose Snezana at the finale and gave her a promise ring.
- They announced their engagement via social media on 14 December 2015.
- Their daughter, Willow, was born on 8 October 2017 and their son, Charlie, was born on 23 July 2019.
- On 29 November 2018, Sam and Snezana married.
Season 4
- The fourth season of The Bachelor aired in 2016 between 27 July and 15 September.
- It featured Richie Strahan as the bachelor who was 31 years old at the time.
- He was a rope access technician and came from Perth.
- The winner of the fourth season was Alexandra “Alex” Nation and the runner up was Nikki Gogan.
- There was no proposal, and the couple are no longer together.
- Richie chose Alex at the finale and gave her a promise ring.
- Richie and Alex ended their relationship and the announcement was made on 7 August 2017 after much media speculation about the couple.
Season 5
- The fifth season of The Bachelor aired in 2017 between 26 July and 14 September.
- It featured Matty Johnson as the bachelor who was 30 years old at the time.
- He was a marketing manager from Sydney.
- The winner of the fifth season was Laura Byrne and the runner up was Elise Stacy.
- There was no proposal, and the couple are still together.
- Matty chose Laura during the finale and gave her a promise ring.
- The couple announced they were to have their first child in June 2019 after a miscarriage in 2018. Their daughter, Marlie-Mae, was born on 19 June 2019.
- Matty Johnson featured as the runner up in the 2016 season of The Bachelorette and lost out to Lee Elliott in the battle to win over Georgie Love.
Season 6
- The sixth season of The Bachelor aired in 2018 between 15 August and 4 October
- It featured Nick Cummins as the bachelor who was 30 years old at the time.
- He was a professional rugby player from Sydney.
- The two finalists were Brittany Hockley and Sophie Tieman but they were both rejected in the finale.
Season 7
- The seventh season of The Bachelor aired in 2019 between 31 July and 19 September
- It featured Matt Agnew as the bachelor who was 31 years old.
- He was an astrophysicist from Melbourne.
- The winner was Chelsie McLeod and the runner up was Abbie Chatfield.
- There was no proposal and the couple are still together.
- Matt chose Chelsie and gave her a memory ring as a way to remember their time on the show.
Format of The Bachelor
The show featured several formats, including group dates, single dates, hometown visits, cocktail parties and rose ceremonies.
Single dates
- The bachelor will go on a date with one woman of his choice.
- On this date, he gets to know the woman more personally in a more intimate setting.
- If the date goes well, the bachelor may choose to give the woman a rose on this date, which keeps her safe from elimination.
- Once the woman receives a rose, there is no chance of her going home in the next elimination.
- If she doesn’t get a rose, it may indicate the bachelor is undecided and may choose to let her go during the next rose ceremony.
Group dates
- During the group dates, the bachelor and a few women take part in some type of activity.
- The activity could be anything, including a competition, with the winner getting the chance to spend more exclusive time with the bachelor.
- If a woman makes the best impression on the bachelor during these dates, she is presented with a rose. This keeps her safe from the next elimination.
Rose ceremonies
- Women who have not been eliminated will stand together in rows with the bachelor on the other side of the room.
- He has a tray filled with roses, which he will be giving to the women who are safe.
- The bachelor calls each woman by her name and presents her with the rose.
- Once she receives the rose, the woman is safe and makes her way to another side in the room.
- When the last rose remains, the bachelor has to choose the final woman who is safe.
- The woman who does not receive any rose is eliminated and is required to leave the show.
Visits to the hometowns of the final four
- The final four women will get the chance to take the bachelor to their hometowns to visit their friends and families.
- This gives the bachelor and the women a chance to get to know each other better in a more personal setting – while offering an insight into the women’s lifestyle.
- At the end of the episode, one woman is eliminated in a rose ceremony. This eventually leaves the last three women.
Finale
- The final two women get a chance to meet the family of the bachelor.
- This gives the women the chance to meet the bachelor is a familiar setting for him.
- At the end of the episode, the bachelor will make his final choice and one woman is declared the winner.
Conclusion
The Bachelor has often been criticised for being too sexist because of its stereotypical portrayal of the way women behave. Nevertheless, it continues to be a popular show with a massive fan following in Australia.
