In last week's episode of Farmer Wants A Wife, Farmer Bert finally revealed that he would be leaving the show... alone. The episode came after weeks of speculation, despite a seemingly strong connection with frontrunner Karli.
“Coming into this experience, I was looking for someone to share my life with," Bert said after making his decision in the episode. "I think all the girls are wonderful, but I don’t have what it takes to be in a relationship right now. I just don’t have the emotional time to be the person that people are deserving of. That’s the reality of it.”
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“Goodbyes are pretty hard for me," he continued. "It always hurts but I know that deep down that it was the right choice for me to make. I was fully open to the idea of falling in love."
Farmer Bert cited multiple stressors for his decision to leave, including the workload of managing both filming and the everyday maintenance of the farm. "The farm never stops taking," he said "There’s always more work to be done. Before I start a relationship with somebody, I want to be happy with the farm, happy with my life, and I guess happy with all of it.”
Since leaving the show, fans have wondered whether Farmer Bert is still single. Despite rumours that he may be dating the Lauren, it seems that all is not what it seems. Here's what we know.
Is Farmer Bert Dating Lauren From Farmer Wants A Wife?
After Farmer Bert's departure, the rumour mill has been in full swing, with one insider making an explosive claim: Farmer Bert is dating Lauren!
According to Yahoo! Lifestyle, an insider has revealed that Farmer Bert was secretly dating Lauren McNeil, who chose to leave the show earlier in the season.
"The show was filmed late last year and while viewers will have their own ideas on who he might have genuinely liked they will be surprised to know he has been romancing one girl who had already left," the insider said, adding that the pair are likely to go public after the show finishes airing.
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"Farmer Bert is a good guy, and he will have no problems finding someone once the show finishes," another 'close friend' told the publication. "But he has gotten closer to Lauren and they have been keeping things quiet. I’d say he was fed up with production, and knew he made a mistake letting her leave and was waiting to reconnect."
"He has been in contact with some of the others but it will be Lauren that he picks moving forward," they continued. "It’s not Karli Hinkley or Caitlin Crank, who many viewers will know he had been spending more on-screen time with."
Lauren Speaks Out About Farmer Bert Dating Rumours
However, Lauren has since come out and slammed the 'insider' claims.
"I left the show on my own accord in April, but rumours have been swirling that Bert and I are a couple," Lauren wrote on her Instagram.
"I know this will be disappointing for some to hear, but we are not together. Though Bert and I still talk and are friends, we have not seen each other since I left the farm that night."
Lauren then went on to confirm that she is indeed, still single. "I am still very much single, knowing that my person is out there," she said. "I wish B all the best!"
But before signing off, Lauren went on to slam alleged 'insider' sources. "Don't believe everything you read," she wrote. "Most 'insider' sources are people not known to us/looking for a payout."
In an interview with Refinery29 Australia, Farmer Bert said that watching Lauren leave the show was incredibly "tough" for him.
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"It was awfully tough for Lauren," he told Refinery29 Australia. "I didn't know she was leaving so it definitely caught me off guard and was pretty upsetting."
"I really like Lauren and having her just pack up and leave was really tough," he added.
Farmer Wants A Wife 2024 continues 7.30pm Monday and Tuesday on Channel 7 and 7plus.
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