Spoilers ahead. The Bachelor Australia is set to return in 2023, and the Channel 10 dating franchise is mixing things up — big time.
Last year, the franchise faced fizzling numbers with Jimmy Nicholson's season marking the show's lowest ever premiere, with 482,000 metro viewers tuning in. And while Brooke Blurton's Bachelorette saw a similar response, the season was groundbreaking in many ways — she was the first Indigenous and queer Bachelorette, not only in Australia, but the world.
Quelling whispers about the show's cancellation, this season is already sizzling with revelations about the upcoming cast and curveballs coming their way.
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Who Is The Bachelor Australia 2023?
The big question on everybody's lips has of course been, who is our new Bachelor?
Like we saw in 2020 with Bachelorettes Elly and Becky Miles, Channel 10 has confirmed there will be multiple Bachelors, and we're talking not two, but THREE eligible men looking for love. Host Osher Gunsberg revealed this is a world-first for the global dating series, and it will be called The Bachelors.
Felix Von Hofe, Jed McIntosh and Thomas Malucelli are the Bachelors, and were officially unveiled to audiences on The Project on Monday, May 23.
Melbourne-based basketball player-turned Victorian marketing manager Felix Von Hofe was previously snapped on what appeared to be a date with a blonde woman reportedly named Ella, a rose in his hand.
During the interview on The Project, the 27-year-old joked about feeling like the older bachelor and out of touch with modern dating.
"I wanted to jump in here because I felt I may have been born 10 years too late," he said. "I am not using the dating apps, I like to talk to people face-to-face."
Opening up about what he's looking for in his next relationship, he said, "For me, the most attractive quality a girl can have is a good sense of humour.
"My dream date would be anything where it ends up hurting to laugh, because if we’re both laughing the whole time then it can’t get much better."
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Jed McIntosh is a drummer for Melbourne-based alt-pop band Mood Monroe, and said he'll use his musical abilities to his advantage if he has to.
"When you are standing next to two of the biggest, best looking blokes in Australia, I have to get something out of my pocket," the 25-year-old joked.
As for restaurant manager Thomas Malucelli, he's the Italian stallion of the bunch who was born in a small town outside Florence in Italy.
"The idea of finding the love of my life in a context that is so out of my comfort zone really excites me," he said.
The 35-year-old's LinkedIn profile states that he "found a company that speciali[s]ed in natural nutritional products and detoxification" which led him to his present-day career of "work[ing] with fitness and personal trainers, health professionals and everyday individuals — empowering them to change the quality of their health and lifestyles".
Watch the full interview below:
.@TheBachelorAU's back for its tenth season and it's bound to bring more love than the series has ever seen. We meet this year's Bachelors. All 3 of them. #TheBachelorAU #TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/2FgtMYb0jx
— The Project (@theprojecttv) May 23, 2022
Who Is In The Cast?
Tilly, 24 (VIC)
Matched with: Felix
Follow Tilly on Instagram here.
Update: Tilly was eliminated on January 23.
Krystal Thomas, 26 (QLD)
Matched with: Felix
Follow Krystal Thomas on Instagram here.
Tash Candyce, 31 (VIC)
Matched with: Jed
Follow Tash Candyce on Instagram here.
Update: Tash left the mansion on January 16, before returning on January 18 — but then Jed told her to leave again.
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Leah Cummings, 32 (SA)
Matched with: Thomas
Follow Leah Cummings on Instagram here.
Jessica, 25, QLD
Matched with: Felix
Angela, 25 (VIC)
Matched with: Jed
Abby, 21 (NSW)
Matched with: Jed
Update: Abby was eliminated on January 11.
Abigail, 26 (NSW)
Matched with: Felix
Alésia Delaney, 28 (NSW)
Matched with: Jed
Follow Alésia on Instagram here.
Aylin Sakaci, 25 (QLD)
Matched with: Thomas
Follow Aylin Sakaci on Instagram here.
Update: Aylin was eliminated on January 11.
Bella Johnston, 27 (NSW)
Matched with: Jed
Follow Bella Johnston on Instagram here.
Update: Bella was eliminated on January 23.
Caitlin, 25 (QLD)
Matched with: Jed
Follow Caitlin on Instagram here.
Update: Caitlin was eliminated on January 10.
CJ, 30 (WA)
Matched with: Thomas
Update: CJ left the mansion on January 16.
Courtney Mustac, 33 (VIC)
Matched with: Jed
Follow Courtney Mustac on Instagram here.
Eboni Burling, 29 (QLD)
Matched with: Felix
Follow Eboni Burling on Instagram here.
Update: Eboni was eliminated on January 18.
Emma Lewis, 25 (VIC)
Matched with: Felix
Follow Emma Lewis on Instagram here.
Update: Emma was eliminated on January 11.
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Jacinta Daher, 30 (NSW)
Matched with: Thomas
Follow Jacinta Daher on Instagram here.
Update: Jacinta was eliminated on January 10.
Jasmine Absolom, 24 (QLD)
Matched with: Jed
Follow Jasmine Absolom on Instagram here.
Update: Jasmine was eliminated on January 23.
Jenae Weston, 29 (VIC)
Matched with: Thomas
Follow Jenae Weston on Instagram here.
Jess, 24 (WA)
Matched with: Jed
Update: Jess was eliminated on January 15.
Kristen (KiKi), 38 (QLD)
Matched with: Thomas
Lauren Whybird, 28 (QLD)
Matched with: Thomas
Follow Lauren Whybird on Instagram here.
Lou Bellbowen, 31 (NSW)
Matched with: Thomas
Follow Lou Bellbowen on Instagram here.
Update: Lou was eliminated on January 22.
Marjorie Griffiths, 25 (NSW)
Matched with: Thomas
Follow Marjorie Griffiths on Instagram here.
Update: Marjorie left the mansion on January 16.
Marnie, 28 (QLD)
Matched with: Thomas
Follow Marnie on Instagram here.
Update: Marnie was eliminated on January 15.
Mikki Silberbach, 26 (NSW)
Matched with: Felix
Follow Mikki Silberbach on Instagram here.
Update: Mikki was eliminated on January 10.
Naomi, 24 (NSW)
Matched with: Felix
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Update: Naomi was eliminated on January 18.
Yuri, 21 (NSW)
Matched with: Felix
Update: Yuri left The Bachelor mansion on January 15.
Zara Jekyll, 27 (NSW)
Matched with: Felix
Follow Zara Jekyll on Instagram here.
Update: Zara was eliminated on January 17.
What Is The Air Date?
The Bachelor will premiere on Monday, January 9 on Channel 10 and 10 Play. The show reportedly began filming on May 15, 2022 and wrapped up a few months later.
It comes after The Real Love Boat, The Challenge and The Traitors air in late 2022, and ahead of Channel 10's Survivor: Heroes Versus Villains premiering in February 2023, I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! airing in April, and popular cooking show MasterChef Australia: Secrets & Surprises airing after I'm A Celeb wraps up.
Where Is It Being Filmed?
2023's season of The Bachelor Australia was filmed on the Gold Coast in Queensland in 2022. Located in the Gold Coast suburb of Broadbeach Waters, the four-bedroom, five-bathroom mansion is worth $14.5 million and has stunning views of the water, and also the bachelors themselves.
When Is The Finale?
The Bachelors 2023 finale will air on Sunday, January 29 6 at 7:30pm on Channel 10 and 10 Play.
What Else Is New?
This year each of the three bachelors have an engagement ring on hand. Does this mean a proposal is on the cards at the end of the season?
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There are also rumours that Australia may be getting 'fantasy suites'. As seen on international iterations of the Bachelor, fantasy suite episodes are when cameras disappear and the last three contestants all have the opportunity to stay overnight with the Bachelor or Bachelorette in a lavish suite.
"My bestie is auditioning for The Bachelor Australia and has made it through to the next round," one source told So Dramatic. "Best news, apparently this year there will be fantasy suites."
A first-look promo has also teased some of the drama that will go down, including one contestant turning down a rose and another revealing she's in an open relationship on the outside. Watch the promo below:
Meanwhile another promo has given a further sneak-peek into each of the Bachelors' motives for going on the show.
"I've never been in love, that's why I'm here," says Felix while holding a basketball.
"I'm so ready to find love," Jed then says in another scene as he plays a set of drums. "I don't want to be single anymore."
"I just want someone I can spend the rest of my life with," adds Thomas while striking a yoga pose.
Watch the video below:
And there's more, with yet another promo being released as we count down to the premiere:
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