We’ve seen some true bromances form on The Bachelorette Australia over the years. But it seems it’s every man for himself right now, with Sydney builder Charlie warning Ali Oetjen, 32, about the show’s frontrunner, Bill.
“He reminds me of her ex, Grant [Kemp],” Charlie, 31, tells TV WEEK.
“I don’t trust him. I can see through him. He’s not being honest with Ali and he’s saying what she wants to hear.
“Out of everyone, he’s the only one who hasn’t shared his story. To me, he’s hiding something.”
But plumber Bill hits back, claiming it’s not him but Charlie who’s causing trouble.
“He didn’t make the effort and I even told him he was the only person who hadn’t asked me about my past,” Bill, 31, says.
“He was just using it as an excuse to be sh***y with me.”
Bill has quickly become a show favourite after receiving Ali’s coveted Wild Rose, which gives him the opportunity to steal somebody’s date whenever he chooses.
But Bill says Charlie’s reaction to him receiving the rose was telling – and cemented their rivalry from the get-go.
“He never said, ‘Well done’ or shook my hand,” Bill says. “He showed his true colours pretty early on.”
“He was very jealous, and every time someone came back from a single date, he wouldn’t speak to them for, like, a week.”
“Charlie is an alpha male − to him, only his opinion counts. In the end, he was almost trying to father Ali and act like her spokesperson.”
Bill and Charlie aren’t the only two contestants to butt heads on The Bachelorette Australia.
After Nathan and Paddy’s bust-up last week, Bill admits there was a split in the mansion – and that several men, including Charlie, packed their belongings and changed bedrooms.
“It’s definitely a lot more competitive this year,” Charlie says.
“There’s a lot more drama. At the start, it was all about the bro code, but it wasn’t long before people realised there was some good competition.
“I’m here to meet Ali – not to make friends,” Charlie continues. “And if you’re not here for the right reason, there’s the door. It’s wasting my time and everyone else’s who are here for the right reasons.”
On troublemaker and self-professed ladies’ man Nathan, 23, he adds, “I’m cautious about him. He’s maybe there for himself rather than Ali.”
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