We’re just two weeks into the latest season of The Bachelor Australia and armchair experts seemed convinced they already know who the winner is.
Enter 25-year-old digital marketing exec Bella Varelis, who has received a very favourable edit presenting her as potential winner.
From her fateful first meeting on the red carpet with Locky, to landing the first date and kiss, Bella and Locky’s chemistry is palpable and fans are certain she’ll be the last woman standing.
But according to the show’s resident “boss babe” Areeba Emmanuel, there’s no way Bella is the winner as that outcome would be “too obvious.”
“Where is the suspense?” In all honesty, if I was making the show and Bella won, I would be like, ‘oh okay,'” the home loan officer explained in a new interview with The Daily Telegraph‘s Sydney Confidential column.
In fact, the 25-year-old thinks there’s another front-runner tipped to win.
“I think Irena [will win]. I think Bella is too obvious, there is way too much connection already. Irena is a sweet girl,” Areeba told the publication.
Instead, Areeba thinks 30-year-old Irena will win.
(Image: Channel 10)By his own admission, Locky falls in love with two women this season and is forced to make the gut-wrenching decision of picking just one to end up with.
Just hours ahead of the show’s premiere, Locky confessed that deciding which woman to choose nearly broke him.
“When I got down to the end, it was one of the hardest decisions of my life,” the 30-year-old told KIIS FM’s The Kyle and Jackie O Show this month.
“People say you can’t be in love with two people. But I definitely think you can and in the Bachelor world it’s definitely possible,” he added.
According to the latest Sportsbet odds, Irena is sitting in the top spot to take home Locky’s final rose with $1.80 odds, while Bella follows shortly behind at $2.15.
“Where is the suspense?” In all honesty, if I was making the show and Bella won, I would be like, ‘oh okay,'” Areeba explained to the Daily Telegraph.
(Images: Channel 10)Indeed The Bachelor has been known for delivering some of the most nail-biting finale twists of all time.
Apart from The Honey Badger’s shock decision two years ago to pick no one, one of the other biggest Bachie twists came on Sam Wood’s season’s of The Bachelor in 2015.
At the time, viewers were convinced the personal trainer was going to pick Lana Jeavons-Fellows but like all good reality TV show finales, there was a massive plot twist and his final rose went to his now wife, Snezana Markoski.
The following year on Georgia Love’s season of The Bachelorette, fans were shocked when front-runner Matty J was pipped at the post by Lee Elliott.
Never forget: Back in 2015, the nation thought Lana was a shoo-in to win Sam’s heart.
(Image: Channel 10)
