A blanket of doubt was cast over this season of The Bachelor when it was revealed a record six contenders had been linked to acting agencies.
While fans were shocked by the discovery – with many questioning the legitimacy of some of Locky Gilbert’s hopefuls – Woman’s Day can reveal the Survivor star has his own hopes of conquering the small screen!
According to a source close to the show, Locky, 31, has made no secret of the fact that he aspires to work in TV, and has long dreamed of becoming Australia’s answer to adventurer Bear Grylls!
“He has often admitted he enjoys being in front of the camera and was looking forward to more TV opportunities centred around the things he likes, like travelling and adventure,” dishes the source.
“He jumped at the chance to do Survivor: All Stars, and it was around then he realised he could take it further.”
Interestingly, an on-set spy reveals there was constant chatter about Locky’s TV future during filming, with many of the girls believing the star had landed himself a spot on the network’s breakfast show Studio 10.
“Some of the girls were saying he booked in a stack of appearances on the show once The Bachelor was over, and he was using the dating show as a jumping point to become a TV presenter,” says a source.
“It caused a lot of issues with the girls – they were divided, some felt it was fine and others didn’t want to become collateral damage for someone who just wanted to add to his acting reel,” adds the source.
Speaking to Woman’s Day, a Ten insider confirmed the Perth local’s future on the network looks “very bright”, noting that the widespread budget cuts “give rise to available and reasonably priced talent like Locky”.
“He’d fit in very well – he’s charming and TV-tested, has fans and wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg like some of the presenters on there,” the source quips.
It’s not the first time – former Bachelorette stars Matty J, Georgia Love and Angie Kent have all taken turns on Studio 10, and Angie came under fire after appearing on a stack of shows – Gogglebox, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and Dancing With The Stars.