Beauty and the Geek Australia is absolutely the wholesome show we didn’t know we needed during lockdown this year. It makes me feel all warm and gooey inside, like I’m back in high school watching my mates awkwardly interact with their crushes. It’s SO CUTE.
But, do you know what wasn’t cute? Watching my faves Bryanna Reynolds and Kiran Rao get eliminated during Tuesday night’s episode. I am UPSET.
PEDESTRIAN.TV spoke to Bryanna and Kiran about their whirlwind time on Beauty and the Geek. Honestly, it was probably one of the most wholesome exit interviews I’ve ever done.
And I know what you’re thinking – are they a thing? The answer is: I don’t know, and neither Bryanna or Kiran dished.
I’m choosing to believe there is something going on, because if there wasn’t, wouldn’t they just say? Hmm? HMM?
PEDESTRIAN.TV: What were your first impressions of each other?
Kiran: So the first thing I noticed about Bryanna is her smile. Because how can you not? It sort of lightens up the room.
I got off that boat and I saw this beautiful, stunning smile. And I immediately knew I wanted to get to know this person.
Bryanna: They came in on a speedboat, so all of us girls were just standing there on the wharf, and we see this speedboat come around the corner. I’m like, ‘Oh my God, this is straight out of a James Bond movie. And I’m like, ‘I can’t wait to meet my geek.’
And then when Sophie [Monk] called out Kiran and he starts walking down the wharf, he was really cute. He was dressed in a hoodie and then all of a sudden, he sort of started running towards me. And it literally – it felt like a scene out of some romantic movie. And it was just really cute. And I remember I hugged Kiran and then he told me something about like, sixes and sevens or nine – a cute poem, and it meant that he had my back and he explained that to me because I wasn’t sure what it meant. But, you know, in that moment we were just completely ourselves and it felt like we were the only ones standing there on that wharf.
K: Can I clarify what that sixth and seventh of nine thing?
PTV: Of course, go ahead.
K: So they didn’t show it in the episode, but I thought it would be nice to sort of just write a little bit of a statement confirming that I would watch my Beauty’s six, as in six o’clock on a clock. So like, watch your back. But as I said that I received a whole lot of blank stares from 80 per cent of the outdoor area that we were in, and I knew I made a mistake by using that idiom.
PTV: But that was still really sweet! I feel like we were just getting to know the two of you when you were eliminated. What was that last challenge like?
K: So the wrestling challenge – part of me loved it. But I definitely think I probably went a bit overboard [laughs]. And yeah, the elimination challenge – what I noticed straightaway is that there’s not a lot you can do to prepare for those. So it’s kind of deliberately unfair, which is kind of nice, because it stops us from getting too cynical and too strategic about the eliminations or anything like that.
PTV: And so I’ve got to ask you Kiran: did you end up taking Bryanna out on a date?
B: No comment!
K: Yeah, no comment. Bryanna has more media training than I do, so I’m going to follow her lead.
B: Sorry!
PTV: Did you want to say anything about your relationship status?
B: No comment again, sorry!
PTV: Kiran, can you tell me about your makeover then?
K: The makeover was this crazy, wild experience. I don’t often find myself or put myself in positions where the spotlight is put on me. And the makeover day, I think it was like upwards of 60 to 70 people making this event happen. And that’s including the production crew and everyone else – it was a big operation. And it was all for my benefit. And when you’re in the middle of something like that – I don’t know, it raised questions fo what have I done to deserve this? This is the best thing ever. Yeah, it was just honestly – it was just such an amazing day.
PTV: I can imagine! Have you been able to stay in touch with the other Beauties and Geeks?
B: Yeah, all of us! We actually all talk to each other through – we’ve got like a group on Snapchat. It’s really beautiful. And we even had a reunion – I think it was in April, after filming. Everyone flew down to Melbourne, and that was so cute. We all went out, like clubs and stuff, went out to dinner, and just enjoyed that time where, you know, nobody knew who we were. So yeah, it’s been really, really special. And we still talk every single day. We’re all talking to each other, it’s a great friendship group.
K: And like during the New South Wales and Victoria lockdowns, we’ve been doing a lot of stuff over Zoom as well. So we’ve been watching a lot of the episodes together over Zoom, so that’s been really sweet. It’s just such a supporting and amazing group.
PTV: Yeah, that’s so lovely to hear. I think Beauty and the Geek has really surprised us as this super wholesome reality TV show that’s different to others. How has the social media reaction been?
B: From what I can see, people are really [laughs] emotionally involved. And they’re making a lot of comparisons to other shows, and saying that ‘It’s not like that. It’s just joy, it’s in its own league.’ It’s not like what it was before. Everyone knows the old Beauty and the Geek so well, but this one is – it just takes little bits from other shows and creates this amazing, feel-good, positive, show. There’s no drama, no villain, there’s nothing like that. Every single person is as wholesome as what you see on the show. I just wish that the audience could meet every single person and see so, so much more.
Beauty and the Geek continues Sunday, 7pm on Channel 9.
