The latest season of The Bachelor Australia has been called out for allegedly recognising the wrong Indigenous people in the first episode’s Acknowledgement of Country. We joke that The Bachelors is a cursed show but it’s really ringing kinda true as the season rolls on.
Osher Günsberg kicked off the new Gold Coast-based season by acknowledging the Yugambeh people as the traditional custodians of the land on which the reality show was filmed this year. Solemn music played in the background as Bachelors Jed McIntosh, Felix Von Hoffe and Thomas Malucelli nodded sagely.
“I want to acknowledge the Yugambeh people, the traditional owners of the land we are standing on this evening,” he said.
“I want to pay my respects to their elders past, present and future, members of the longest-living culture on earth, and I hope that it’s on these abundant lands that we see the thrill of first connections.”
After the premiere aired, a First Nations person from the Gold Coast area claimed the show’s filming location is not Yugambeh country at all.
Kombumerri man and TikToker @kombumerribee said the acknowledgement was “disenfranchising” to the people The Bachelor paid its respects to.
@kombumerribee #bachelorau #bacheloraustralia #osher #kombumerripeople #kombumerricountry #kombumerri
“That was pretty sad to see that you acknowledged the wrong people,” he said.
“I’m not Yugambeh, I’m from the Gold Coast. I’m Kombumerri Ngarahngwal. My language, I speak Ngarahngwal.
He then said The Bachelor‘s acknowledgement paid respects to the language of the people from country around the Logan and Albert rivers, which are inland from southeast Queensland’s coastline.
“That’s not our people,” he said.
“That’s sad that youse have done that to us. That’s disenfranchising that youse have done that to us.”
A spokesperson for The Bachelor‘s Warner Brothers production team said acknowledgement of country is a “relatively new area” and consulted with knowledge holders to script the premiere’s acknowledgement.
“We are continually learning and attempting to improve First Nations’ visibility within our productions,” the spokesperson said.
“This is a relatively new area for us, and for production companies generally. We aim to do this through appropriate acknowledgements, the inclusion of First Nations perspectives, cast and consultation with communities in relation to locations and storylines.”
Warner Bros was aware there are issues with custodian contention in the area and respected the man’s feelings about the omission of his people in the Acknowledgement.
“We do understand that there is contention in some areas relating to custodianship. In this instance, we did consult with local corporations and knowledge holders and used the information provided to us.
“We are grateful for the feedback and regret any upset caused by our Acknowledgement. We are continually reviewing our processes to include broader consultation in order to recognise potential complexities.”
