They were the unlikely couple from Bachelor In Paradise that always had the odds stacked against them.
But despite all the women who fancied Apollo Jackson, we somehow always wanted it to work out between him and Simone Ormesher.
In this exclusive exit chat, the British blonde bombshell reveals the real reason they split, why it didn’t work out with Jarrod Woodgate and her exciting next chapter.
Simone, what an explosive episode! What happened?
Apollo and I had gotten really close, me and Elora had made up again. We were on good grounds, we’d hung out all day and then it got to the cocktail party and I was sitting with Apollo and she just came and took him without having a chat with me.
I was just left there sat on my own, she took him away on a private date which she never told me about so I was pretty upset.
And that caused a big blow-up between you and Apollo?
I don’t know what it’s come across as? We didn’t really have a fight, it was just a conversation, we figured it out and that was it.
I told him how I felt, that I was upset, tell Elora, put her in her place and that he’s not interested and he’s too nice.
He did seem super nice and cautious not to hurt anyone, but you’re there for love. Did it get frustrating that he couldn’t tell these girls to go away?
Definitely! He’s just so nice and humble and he’s not got a bad bone in his body but at times it’s challenging because this drama would not go away and it did tarnish our time in there because he just wasn’t saying anything to her.
It could have all been ended if he just had a chat with Elora.
Simone says she and Apollo dated for a month during her visit to the Gold Coast but distance and his hectic schedule got the better of them.
So then you guys decided to leave Paradise together to give things a go in the real world.
Yeah, we’d just had enough! It just came to us, like what’s the point in staying? In that environment it just wasn’t right for us, with the cameras there was just more pressure.
We just decided to leave and go.
What happened with Apollo once you’d left BIP?
I went to the Gold Coast and I was there for a month, cause my family’s there as well. I went down there to try and give it a go.
But I don’t want to move to the Gold Coast and he doesn’t want to leave his mum and things like that. He’s very busy with his career and I just don’t think there’s time for me! We talk still every day on the phone, we’re still close and always speaking but he doesn’t have time at the minute.
Once you were dating in the real world, when did you decide to break-up?
We didn’t really break it off, we still speak. When I came back to Melbourne, I’ve never lost contact with him but we just became more friends.
We’re really close friends and we do talk all the time, we never said this is it. We never finished it, it’s just a friendship.
Are you still single or have you met anyone special?
No, I’m still single… unfortunately!
“He’s very busy with his career and I just don’t think there’s time for me!”
How do you feel about Apollo now?
I adore him! I have so much time for the guy. He’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met.
It is unfortunate, he’s someone that I could potentially see in my life but he is so busy and I’m not willing to move states. I just can’t! I’ve got my job and I’m happy here but you never know what would happen in the future because we do get along.
Are there any BIP boys you’d like to get to know now the cameras have stopped rolling?
No! I think this time around, I want to meet someone who is not in that circle or in the public eye. I want someone normal!
Where are you at with Elora now, are you two mates?
No, we’re not friends!
She ruined my time in there and she wasn’t nice in there, I don’t need someone like that in my life. If we ever see each other, we’ll be amicable but we’re never going to be friends.
You and Elora famously fought on the show over Courtney Dober, with Elora claiming you and Courtney did the deed on her couch. What the hell happened there?
It’s just a pack of lies! I was in Sydney and we both went to the Maxim party. She’d never met him before and we hung out with him and me and Courtney got along, we had a kiss and stuff but nothing came from it.
That wasn’t the reason that we feel out, we fell out because we kept on arguing when we were staying at her house.
We’re two different people, I would never let a guy come between our friendship but it obviously did.
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You also hit it off with Jarrod Woodgate for a brief moment after sharing a very romantic kiss, why do you think things didn’t go any further?
It got cut out of the show. Jarrod is so lovely and not what I expected but he was just too full-on and that didn’t get shown.
It got shown that he wasn’t interested in me and I don’t know if that was the case. The day after we had our date because it was just too full-on. I’d be having a chat with Michael [Turnbull] and he’d come and sit with us, it was just too much and too intense!
I pulled away and then Apollo came in.
Who do you think gets engaged?
Jarrod and Keira! And obviously Sam and Tara but I can see Jarrod doing something like that.
What would you have said if someone tried to drop a knee on national TV?
I don’t know, I probably would have said yes then run away. I’d be so embarrassed!
What’s next for you?
I’m focusing on my fitness and looking to build that up. I’ve got Simmy Fit on Instagram and trying to focus on it and help girls with body issues.
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No bad blood here! “I adore him! I have so much time for the guy.”
