When Elly Miles made her grand entrance on The Bachelor in 2019, Australia was smitten.
Yes, even Matt Agnew himself was a little rosy-cheeked as the then 24-year-old walked from the limo, and it didn’t take long for the rest of the country to listen up to this striking blonde.
A nurse from northern New South Wales, Elly quickly proved to be a force to be reckoned with.
With a wholesome background having grown up in Parkes, which has a population of just 11,000, she admitted to the 2019 Bachelor that she was “a big softie with a kind heart”.
With a portfolio like hers, we were hardly surprised when we later heard Elly was officially our next Bachelorette.
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Yep, in July 2020, the announcement came with a fizz and a bang – not least because we also learned that in a Bachie first, Elly would be joined by her sister Becky in a double Bachelorette extravaganza.
Of course, we scrambled to know more – namely, how would a duo Bachelorette format work? (More on that here) Who is Elly’s sister? (Again, more on that here).
But most pressingly, we strained to remember exactly what went down with Elly on the 2019 season of The Bachelor – how did it all go wrong between her and Matt?
Well, look no further, we’ve taken a look back at Elly’s biggest moments on the show – the perfect background research before we tune into the binge-worthy new season of The Bachelorette.
Elly Entrance
Elly made an impression on Matt from day dot. During the premiere episode, she quickly bonded with the astro physicist while roasting marshmallows over a bonfire. While chatting, the pair found common ground over a beloved spot in Elly’s hometown – the Parkes Observatory, famed for its prime telescope opportunities.
Elly Gai Waterhouse
She was also one of the first ladies to get a solo date with the elusive Bachie. In episode three, Elly and Matt headed to Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, where they met Australian icon Gai Waterhouse.
Kiss
And you can bet your bottom dollar the pair shared a steamy smooch during the one-on-one.
Kiss 2
But wait, there was more! At the subsequent cocktail party, Matt stole Elly away for a quiet moment, and shared a second cheeky kiss with her. Sparks were flying left right and centre at this point.
Elly meets Kate
In episode eight, Elly met Kate, Matt’s protective BFF and the gal to impress if she wanted to stay in the game. Unsurprisingly, the nurse charmed the pants off Kate, who told Matt she was his best bet.
Elly gets pick of the bunch
The feat earned Elly a sure-fire rose – and catapulted her to the top of the favourites to win the whole thing.
Kiss 3
Things heated up in episode 9 – Elly was asked on a second date with Matt (cue wild jealously from the other contestants), with a romantic marshmallow roasting sesh turning into a full-blown pash sesh. That’s kiss number… three? Jeepers, time to get a room?
Acrobatic date
In episode ten, Elly joined Mary, Abbie, Emma and Helena on a unique acrobatic date with Matt. It became quite clear to the others during the joint escapade that Elly and Matt had a strong connection. The feat sparked action from Abbie, who made an extra effort to stand out from the rest, prompting Matt to choose her for some extra one-on-one time. Was this where the cracks began to show…?
Episode 11
In episode 11, Elly was faced with a slight curveball when Osher appeared at the cocktail party with two date cards up for grabs, revealing that Matt would give a rose to one of the ladies who nabbed him for some of the coveted one-on-one time. Abbie convinced Elly to give her the card, telling her she needed a deeper chat with him.
Abbie and Elly
Elly gave in to Abbie’s request, but quickly grew suss upon discovering that Abbie hadn’t talked about anything deep when she spoke to Matt. Tension between the pair grew in episode 12 when Elly decided that enough was enough – a storm was brewing…
Elly tells Matt about Abbie
With the stakes at an all time high, Elly boldly broke up one-on-one time between Abbie and Matt at the cocktail party, taking Matt aside and telling him she didn’t believe Abbie was there for the right reasons. Matt then turned the tables on Elly, asking her if she was there for the right reasons. “Yep, I sure am,” she confidently responded.
Episode 13
But the biggest twist came in episode 13, when Matt and Elly had even more one-on-one time. Things were getting tense with only five women remaining – so Elly put everything on the table at the date, telling Matt she didn’t think Abbie was being honest with her feelings for him.
Matt confused
The conversation threw Matt off again, with the Bachie left questioning why Elly kept bringing up her suspicions about Abbie when the two were supposed to be spending quality time together.
Elly and Abbie final confrontation
Elly then approached Abbie, telling her she had told Matt about her suspicions – to which Abbie was unsurprisingly disgusted with.
five remain
While Elly was full of confidence at the rose ceremony, she, and frankly all of Australia was left shocked when Matt didn’t give her a rose.
Eliminated
Yep, he’d chosen Abbie over Elly, leaving her (and the entirety of Australia) reeling with the blindside. Alas, the Bachie stint was officially over.
Final pic
Well, it was until Elly secretly made plans for her grand comeback – on The Bachelorette…
Elly Bachelorette
Yep, nine months after that fateful Bachelor journey, Elly is heading in for round two… with her sister in tow! We can’t wait to see how this one pans out. Matt, eat your heart out!
