Another day and another Bachelorette drama has reared its ugly head.
This time, betting company Sportsbet have opened betting that the show will not be returning next year.
According to the punters, viewers are turning off The Bachelorette in their droves and have set the odds at $3.50.
“More people are watching random people trying to win The Chase than The Bachelorette, which shows viewers are just not interested in who Ali catches,” said sportsbet.com.au’s Will Byrne.
“Unfortunately the writing is on the wall judging from the odds and the axe looks ready to be swung.”
On Wednesday, a former Network Ten executive has admitted that leading lady Ali Oetjen should have been dropped before filming began due to those, ahem, rumours.
On his podcast TV Blackbox, Rob McKnight, who previously worked on Studio 10, admitted that he was shocked the 32-year-old wasn’t replaced.
“I was genuinely surprised Ten didn’t drop her. I believe filming hadn’t begun [when the cheating scandal broke],” he revealed.
A former TV executive has claimed that Ali Oetjen, the 32-year-old Bachelorette, should have been “dropped”. (Image: Network Ten)
“Obviously, it would have been a huge deal to recast but they were some pretty damning headlines for a franchise that they try to sell as a friendly sort of franchise,” he added.
“How that relationship ended and broke up, yeah it was pretty icky.”
The “relationship” he was referring to was of course, with ex Grant Kemp, Ali’s American suitor who she met on Australia’s first season of Bachelor in Paradise.
Back in May, just days after the announcement was made that the South Australian sales manager would be Australia’s newest Bachelorette, she was accused of cheating on Grant at a house party in Los Angeles.
According to Woman’s Day, Grant and Ali broke up because of the proposition of a ‘threesome’.
“Ali travelled to LA to see him after the show, because she was considering moving there and really thought it was going to work out,” a source says.
“But he tried to make her have a threesome with one of his mates and so she got scared and came running home.”
But after the news broke, Grant came out swinging and accused Ali of cheating on him with his housemate.
The reports were then confirmed by a close friend of the American Bachelor, despite previous reports Ali had broken up with the model because of that threesome proposition.
“He said Ali only dated him for fame, because he has a bigger profile [in the US]. I didn’t think it made any sense at the time but I guess now she’s going to become the Bachelorette, it makes sense she wanted to stay on the show.”
Ali with her ex-boyfriend Grant Kemp from Bachelor in Paradise. (Image: Network Ten)
As Grant continued to throw the punches with shock claims, Ali was inundated with hate.
She was branded a cheater and a liar, as thousands of fans even demanded she have the opportunity to look for love on the show revoked.
In text messages obtained by Woman’s Day, Ali’s BIP castmates didn’t seem surprised at the news.
Text messages between the Bachelor In Paradise cast confirmed the rumours. Source: Woman’s Day
Last week, mere hours after the premiere episode of The Bachelorette, more text messages emerged, obtained by The Daily Mail.
In them, Ali is begging for forgiveness, and said “there was no excuse” for her behaviour – referring to her alleged sexual activities on the stairs during a party at Grant’s house.
WATCH: Bill gets the first kiss on The Bachelorette. Story continues after video
Text messages obtained by The Daily Mail of an exchange between Ali and her ex, Grant Kemp. (Image: The Daily Mail)
To make matters worse, Ali’s season of The Bachelorette has suffered a blow with the worst ratings the show has ever seen.
Only 631,000 people tuned in to watch the first episode and a whopping 92,000 viewers switched off the next day.
The new season has been met with mixed emotions – including a ‘queerbaiting’ incident where viewers were led to believe one of the shows contestants, Bill Goldsmith (an early contender) is transgender.
Bill Goldsmith rolling his eyes during the first week of The Bachelorette. (Image: Network Ten)
After the ratings debacle, Ali has broken her silence with an Instagram post – showing that nothing is getting her down.
“Affirmations don’t make something happen, they make something welcome,” she captioned the post.
“Stay positive and connect with every feeling good & bad. I used to put a ceiling on my joy so that people would feel more comfortable around me! What the!!? We’re all born with pure, raw, happiness, watch any 4yr old, so release your inner kid, smile at strangers, do cartwheels, skip down the street & laugh loud.
She added, “There is no such thing as having too much fun!”
Seems like there is such a thing as having too much fun, Ali!
WATCH: Ali gives Robert a cheeky smooch at the second Bachelorette cocktail party.
