It’s been a long and winding journey to love for Jimmy Nicholson, but in tonight’s finale episode of The Bachelor Australia he had just one message for Holly Kingston: it’s always been her.
The Sydney-based pilot bestowed his final rose upon Holly in a tear-jerking finale that kept fans on the edges of their seats.
“Holly, when I think of a future with you it’s exciting, it’s fun and it’s passionate. You make anything we do incredible and you light up any room you’re in,” Jimmy told Holly in his emotional speech. “Hol, I want you to know I am in love with you and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us.”
“I love you,” an ecstatic Holly responded, after breaking down in tears in the car on the way to meet him.
Declaring her love for Jimmy in the penultimate episode, Holly had been left waiting to hear if her feelings were reciprocated.
“There’s so much weighing on today. There’s not much time left in this and there’s no reason for me to hold back now,” the 27-year-old told Jimmy in the second-last episode.
“A big realisation for me recently has been that you are the last thing I think about when I go to bed and the first thing I think about when I wake up. For me, that’s a massive indication of where my heart’s at and I want you to know that I’ve fallen in love with you.”
Though he was unable to respond in kind, Jimmy’s wide smile and look of love indicated that he was feeling the same way.
In the finale, the 32-year-old was finally able to share his feelings with Holly.
The emotional moment left fans in tears, with Jimmy giving Holly a stunning bespoke, hand-crafted champagne-coloured diamond ring from Larsen Jewellery.
“For me, love is getting home from a day at work together and cooking,” he said.
“It’s me leaving a note on your pillow if I know I’m not going to be there when you get home. It’s having a fight, making up and growing from it. I can’t wait to experience all of these things with you. And that’s what this ring represents.”
“I’m so happy,” she responded as she held back tears of joy.
Their romantic connection has been clear from day one, with the marketing manager from Sydney being declared an early favourite of the season.
“It just feels like talking to an old friend,” Jimmy told the cameras of his laughter-filled first encounter with Holly at the cocktail party. “An old friend that’s really attractive.”
Their obvious connection, combined with the SportsBet prediction and dress theory, meant many fans were expecting to see Holly win in the end.
However, the finale kept viewers in suspense with runner-up Brooke Cleal and Holly both declaring their love for Jimmy – who seemed genuinely unsure about which contestant to choose.
“I’ve got two incredible women here with me and I’m torn,” he told a stunned-looking Osher right before making his choice at the final rose ceremony.
In the end, Jimmy told a broken-hearted Brooke: “It breaks my heart but I have to say goodbye.”
“You made this whole experience real for me… But whenever we spoke about the future it was always really difficult for us. You are perfect in every way and I would never want to change you but we are two different people,” the star told his runner-up, who had been hesitant about moving away from her family to be with Jimmy.
Earlier in the day, Brooke had addressed their “hurdles” in an emotional Instagram post.
“It’s not easy to pack your life up and move for someone… Even in the context of dating someone for years and still moving,” she wrote.
“It’s very scary, I love my family, my girlfriends, my job, and my Melbourne life so much! I’ve lived and breathed it – that’s all I’ve ever known.”
“Great relationships are not great because they have no problems. They are great because both people care enough about the other person to find a way to make it work,” she finished off her post.
Regardless of any hurdles, in the end, Holly was the one for Jimmy.
With their love for one another officially declared, Jimmy and Holly are free to be together in public! Though the question remains, are they still an item?
The Bachie star recently confirmed he was happy and in love with his girlfriend, who we now know to be Holly.
“I’m really, really happy to say that I’m in love and I met someone who I just absolutely adore,” the star told us. “I took a leap of faith and it all worked out.”
“We definitely both want a family,” Jimmy added, “But we’re both realistic, we’ll take it at a realistic pace. I’m 32 now so I’d like to have a family in the next five years.
“For now we’re both really excited about hanging out with each other in public.”
Congratulations to the latest Bachie success story, Holly and Jimmy!