Love is in the air following on from last night’s The Bachelor Australia finale, with Matt Agnew and Chelsie McLeod revealing it’s a “relief” to stop keeping their relationship under wraps.
The happy couple are excited to begin living a “normal life” in Melbourne, following months of secret dates.
“We did have nicknames and secret catch ups. I saved him as impala in my phone, for reason’s explained on Safari in last night’s episode,” Chelsie reveals to TV WEEK.
“And Chels was in my phone as Rose, which is fairly straightforward,” Matt adds.
Though the smitten duo are basking in the post-finale glow, runner-up Abbie Chatfield isn’t feeling quite so joyful today. Understandably, Abbie is feeling a little deflated after having to relive the break-up while watching the finale.
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“It’s hard because [watching the show] pushes you back in to the mindset of when you were filming,” she tells TV WEEK.
Watching the show has forced Abbie to relive her heartbreak.
After the trio crossed paths in Sydney while doing press this morning, Abbie revealed she was keen to meet up with Matt to discuss the split.
“I’d love to have, like, a coffee with Matt, but I don’t think that’s on the cards,” she says. “The thing is, in a normal relationship, you’d go catch up and have a coffee and a chat [after breaking up]. But it’s tough, we can’t do that.
“So it’s, like, the whole time you’re just trying to decipher how he’s feeling [by what he’s saying] in interviews. I have no idea what Matt thinks of me.”
But, there’s a reason Matt won’t be reaching out to Abbie after everything they’ve been through.
Matt hasn’t approached Abbie, out of respect for Chelsie.
“I think for the relationship I have with Chels, it’s not my place to reach out to ex-partners, ex-relationships,” Matt tells TV WEEK.
“Yeah, I mean, I’m friends with Abbie,” Chelsie says. “There’s not many people that can relate to the process we’ve gone through. I don’t think she deserves all the hate that she’s getting.”
Though he doesn’t think speaking with his ex is a good idea at this time, Matt does “100% echo” Chelsie’s sentiment.
“People need to keep in mind that you’re not swinging these insults and comments at a character; you’re swinging at a human being,” he says. “Remember that it lands and it hurts.”
Abbie has been copping a lot of negative attention from viewers.
Of course, Abbie has been shamed for her confidence and sexuality throughout the series. In particular, fans left nasty comments on her account following a flirtatious day at the beach during the second-last episode.
Chelsie admits it “wasn’t easy to watch” the chemistry between Matt and Abbie, but condemns those who are being cruel to her co-star.
“I was very in the know about what was going on. I chose to watch because I was comfortable to do so,” Chelsie says of the episode. “I have been there to support Abbie because I also know that she has been having a rough time.”
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