Last night’s debut episode of season four of The Bachelorette has conjured up more questions than answers: Why does Benny Adamson look so much like the Honey Badger? Is Todd King showing up as a knight the epitome of cringe or cool? Can Charlie Newling ‘build a bridge’ to Ali’s heart? And will Nathan Favro get punched in his pretty face before the season’s end?
While many of these can’t be answered yet, there’s one important question about Australia’s newest Bachelorette that has stumped us and we thought we’d get an answer for …
How do we pronounce Ali Oetjen‘s surname? We’re all confused. Oetjen … do we say oooeeetjen or oh-et-jen? Or is it ooootjen with a silent ‘E’?
The Now to Love team approached The Bachelorette host Osher Gunsberg for clarification and his authoritative knowledge on how we should be pronouncing Ali’s surname is, well, surprising.
Ali Oetjen found love with American Grant Kemp on Bachelor in Paradise but their relationship quickly tanked. (Image: Network Ten.)
Disregard everything you’ve ever learnt in English class, folks, because this tricky surname can’t be nutted out phonetically.
Osher told Now to Love that we should all be pronouncing Ali’s surname as oh-Chen – that’s right – no ‘e’ or ‘j’ sounds here, thank you very much.
Oetjen is a German surname in origin, so it should come as no surprise that the 32-year-old blonde bombshell springs from Adelaide, where large numbers of German immigrants have made their home over the last century or more.
Another clue in Ali’s origins reveals itself in her distinctive Adelaidean accent. If you listen closely, you’ll notice our girl doesn’t speak with an eastern Australian twang. Ali has a tendency to lengthen her vowels; she’s all ‘daaarrnce’ and ‘chaaahhhnce’, daaarhhhling!
Ali is no stranger to the TV franchise; the ‘healthy lifestyle motivator‘ and former Miss Universe South Australia contestant made her controversial Bachie debut back in 2013 in the first ever series, placing in Tim Robards top three.
And she certainly brought the drama by breaking her leg spectacularly and attempting to steal the first kiss of the show.
Earlier this year, Ali returned to our screens for Bachelor in Paradise, where she found love with fellow contestant American Grant Kemp, moved to LA to be with him and live happily ever after.
But that’s actually not how it worked out; the couple’s relationships took a fast nose dive after the cameras stopped rolling. Ali returned home brokenhearted but determined to find her soulmate and announced she was giving it another shot by starring in this season of The Bachelorette.
The Bachelorette contenders may look friendly but they’re all vying against each other for Ali Oetjen’s heart. (Image: Getty Images.)
“I have had my heart broken, but I’ve picked myself up and I’m ready to put my heart on the line again,” Ali says of her casting as The Bachelorette. “I’m absolutely thrilled to start this new adventure.”
With 18 suitors lining up to win her over, it’s possible that Ali’s dream of meeting Mr Right and starting a family may very well be realised this time.
“I’m looking for a man who is light-hearted and kind, a genuine and down-to-earth man who will sweep me off my feet and love me for me. And I’m looking forward to offering that love back to him in return.”
Ali Oetjen is looking for love. (Image: Network Ten).
Last night, in what has been described as one of the most dramatic first episodes ever of The Bachelorette, Ali was presented with 18 extraordinary contenders who did not disappoint.
There was a giant teddy bear, terrible dancing, awkward chat, stirring of the pot and possibly the most self-absorbed contestant we’ve ever seen on the franchise. It was delectable smorgasbord and we’re totally here for the binge!
You can read Now to Love‘s recap of the first episode here.
