In the penultimate episode of The Bachelor Australia, fan-favourite Chelsie McLeod was declared the “winner” when Matt Agnew revealed he was in love with her.
“My heart is fluttering and even though it could get broken in to a thousand pieces it’s time to take the plunge and tell you how I feel. Chelsie I love you,” Matt said, while the women of Australia swooned.
One woman who wasn’t quite so thrilled by the revelation was, understandably, runner-up Abbie Chatfield.
The 23-year-old property analyst has been questioned numerous times over the course of the series, with some contestants wondering if she was “genuine”. Despite the accusations, Abbie has been steadfast in her claims that she is there because she has a connection with Matt.
Abbie didn’t get her happily ever after.
In tonight’s finale, when Matt’s best friend Kate questioned her intentions yet again, Abbie teared up. She told the cameras she was “tired” of being accused of having false intentions and commented that Kate was being “possessive” over Matt.
Later in the episode, just moments before she met with Matt for the last time, Abbie told host Osher Günsberg: “I’m definitely in love with Matt. Matt is absolutely the man of my dreams.”
But, when Matt revealed his “heart belongs to someone else” there was a sudden shift. After questioning why he had chosen Chelsie over her, and why he hadn’t sent her home earlier, Abbie left with a cold goodbye.
“As long as you’re happy that’s all that matters,” she said, kissing him on the cheek and swiftly walking away.
Getting in to the car as she left, Abbie said to the crew: “Get me the f— away from here. I want to go home.”
Then, she let it all out with an emotional rant.
“I feel fine I’m mostly just mad about the flight home now,” she began. “Honestly maybe I don’t love him, I’m not even upset.”
She “loves” him, she “loves” him not…
“I’ll get over it as soon as it airs,” Abbie continued as she drove away.
Revealing she was “embarrassed”, Abbie began to tear up as she continued talking to producers and processing the split.
“I don’t… it’s really hard and I think I feel silly for thinking it would work out with Matt. I will get over this and I’m so resilient, Matt. I never thought I would feel this way from this experience.”
As Abbie would say, her response was… a lot.
Though she was visibly shocked by the result, Matt tells TV WEEK that it wasn’t easy for him to do.
“It’s enormously challenging,” he says. “You’d have to be void of compassion to not find that challenging. It’s an emotional rollercoaster, because you’re going from all these horrible emotions running through and being quite distraught, to then having to put a bottle in it, and move on to the complete other end of emotions.
“It’s an enormously challenging day. It’s just part of it, that has to be done.”
Matt chose Chelsie over Abbie.
Fans on Twitter we’re quick to point out how suddenly Abbie had gone from “I love you” to “maybe I don’t even love him” after she was rejected…
But, Abbie says her reaction in her exit interview was due to shock. Shortly after the episode aired, Abbie took to Instagram to share a statement with her followers.
“The only way I can describe this moment is complete and utter shock,” Abbie wrote of her final moments with Matt. “I was numb. I couldn’t and didn’t want to feel anything. I had felt for weeks that what Matt and I had was real and I trusted him wholeheartedly when he told me how he felt about me.
“From Hometowns, I forgot the cameras were there. It didn’t feel like we were filming a show at all, it felt like we had this real relationship built in a little bubble of “The Bachelor” and we would be out soon and able to live a normal life.
“Hearing Matt say “my heart is with someone else” reminded me that we were filming and that Matt had to make a difficult decision, and he did not see in me what I saw in him. I felt silly for ever imagining Matt would love me. It was like emotional whiplash. I was so confused and it felt like I was in a dystopian reality.
“The second the cameras turned off, I sobbed. I screamed. I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t think think this would be how we would end. I spent weeks crying about this relationship that had almost no closure. I still haven’t fully healed from my relationship with Matt, but I know he and the gorgeous woman he is with are happy, and that’s all that matters.”
Good luck to Abbie in the next phase of her life! We’re sure she’ll find her perfect man soon.
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