When The Bachelors’ Felix Van Hofe and frontrunner Tilly prioritised tongue-punching over any kind of meaningful conversation during their recent one-on-one date, it got me thinking about The Bachelor Australia and sex. (As well as the spit-to-chlorine ratio in that pool, of course.)
As far as The Bachelor Australia goes, we’ve never had a televised storyline about a contestant admitting to having sex with The Bachelor or The Bachelorette (unless it happened on Jimmy Nicholson’s season, couldn’t commit to that snooze fest).
That being said, The Bachelor Australia producers and editors sure have toyed with the intercourse storyline, like when Matty J and Elora Murger had an overnight date during Season 5.
It caused a lot of speculation at the time, namely because overnight dates aren’t a common occurrence on The Bachelor Australia — not then, not now. Even though Tilly went back to the “Bach Pad” during her one-on-one with Felix, she still returned to The Bachelor mansion with the rest of the contestants before the sun came up.
I could watch Felix and Tilly get it on or I could spritz some lemon juice in my eyes…#thebachelorsau
— Ira Snave (@IraSnave) January 18, 2023
That’s why Matty J and Elora’s overnight date was very odd (even if they were offered separate cottages to sleep in). So odd, in fact, that Elora wondered whether or not producers might’ve wanted her to spend the night with him. Whether the whole thing was calculated.
“I remember I was taking a bath and was about to go to bed and I kept thinking like ‘I wonder if they [the producers] want me to go’,” Elora told Kyle & Jackie O at the time.
“Because I didn’t have a minder, so I wondered if they wanted me to go over to his cottage and knock on his door.“
Of course we would never, ever see any footage of sexual activity on television if it happened, so both Elora and Matty killed the suspicion by confirming they didn’t have sex.
“We didn’t [sleep together] and I didn’t try at all,” Elora told Kyle & Jackie O.
“[Producers] did ask me if I was expecting a late night visitor and I was like, ‘I would love to hang out with him’ — that didn’t mean I was going to sleep with him.’”
Overnight dates do happen regularly on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette US though — they are called “Fantasy Suites”. During their final three dates the couple is offered a key to either separate rooms or the same room so they can spend time together uninterrupted by cameras.
Does The Bachelor Australia have Fantasy Suites?
Overnight dates or “Fantasy Suites” were offered on Tim Robards‘ season of The Bachelor Australia back in 2013, when his final three included Anna Heinrich, Ali Oetjen and Rochelle Emanuel-Smith.
“I think I did the guys [future bachelors] in because I was the first one to say ‘no overnight dates’ and they followed suit so I think I’ve screwed it up for everyone,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
An ex-Bachelor producer later revealed that Tim knew he wanted to choose Anna very early on.
“We had a problem on Tim’s season because he fell madly in love with Anna quite quickly. ‘Who do you want to go on a date with?’ ‘Anna.’ ‘OK, and who next?’ ‘Anna’ He had to work with us a little bit,” they told Fox FM’s Fifi, Fev and Byron in 2018.
In this sense, it’s understandable that Tim turned down overnight dates with women he wasn’t going to end up choosing. Not just as common decency to the women not receiving his rose, but also because there is a risk that the partner will find out after the fact, if it’s something they would take issue with.
No Aussie Bachelor or Bachelorette has done Fantasy Suites since Tim’s season (unless Jimmy did it, I would not know). It appears to be the only opportunity contestants would have to go further than kissing, which is probably why we don’t have any mid-production penetration confirmation down under.
Is sex allowed on The Bachelor Australia?
“Sex definitely does not happen on the show because there’s a duty of care. On overnight dates, there’s always a producer ‘cock blocking’ them, if you will. They can chat privately, but not even second base,” a producer told Fox FM’s Fifi, Fev and Byron in 2018.
Abbie Chatfield echoed this sentiment after rumours swirled that Matt Agnew had slept with one of the contestants. She told Now To Love that it was “impossible” because they “don’t even get a minute” with the lead off camera.
This was different on the spin-off Bachelor In Paradise Australia, where Abbie revealed that contestants needed to expressly consent to any sexual activity. Speaking to So Dramatic! in 2020, Abbie explained that if producers noticed two contestants getting close to having sex, they’d interrupt them to ask for consent before they could proceed.
Abbie would’ve literally needed to record a video message that said, “I give consent to having sex with Ciarran Stott.” She confirmed that this experience happened with she and Ciarran as they were getting closer, at which point she decided against it.
Let’s keep in mind that no rules stopped The Bachelorette Sophie Monk and her winner Stu Landy. At Stu’s birthday drinks in 2017, she admitted during a speech that they broke the rules to see each other in private.
“We saw each other more than any other couple I think … I’d leave a key downstairs in the garage, he’d just pick it up and come straight to the room. He has that arrogance, he knew he was going to win!” Sophie said, as reported by Daily Mail. “I think that’s what helped you win.”
Are Bachelors in other countries having sex?
In America there are no real secret rendezvous because they’re actually afforded the opportunity to have alone time with Fantasy Suite Week. And they’re at the point in the franchise where people admit to the fucc.
Former The Bachelorette US Hannah Brown infamously got it done four times with her second runner-up Peter Weber during Fantasy Suite Week.
The most recently aired The Bachelor US, Clayton Echard, revealed to his runners-up (during a rose ceremony, no less) that he had slept with each of them in the Fantasy Suites.
The Bachelorette US runner-up Nick Viall told all of America (and other parts of the world if you have a VPN or 9Now) that he had sex with The Bachelorette US Andi Dorfman during their overnight dates, after she had given her final rose to someone else.
“If you weren’t in love with me, I’m just not sure why you made love with me,” he told her during an After The Final Rose special.
Keep in mind that during this conversation she was recently engaged to Josh Murray, who she gave the final rose to (and was essentially dating while she slept with Nick).
“I think that’s below the belt,” Andi responded, obviously taken aback. “I think some things are private and should be kept private.”
The Bachelorette US Kaitlyn Bristowe also slept with Nick when he returned for her season, well before Fantasy Suite dates were offered. The audio was still picked up, which included things like “I want to know every part of you” and literal moaning. It was wild.
Kaitlyn later revealed in a podcast that she slept with three men during her season of The Bachelorette, saying that sex is very important to her in a relationship and if she was going to get engaged at the end of the show, it was a priority to take it as far as she could with the men.
TL;DR
So yes, Bachies and Bachelorettes have absolutely slept with contestants before handing out their final rose.
In America it’s confirmed, in Australia it’s speculation.
In America they’re given the opportunity, in Australia they’re not.
In America it’s the norm and in Australia we freak out over lingerie in the pool.
But given this year of The Bachelors is all about throwing out the rule book, maybe we’ll see someone stay overnight in The Bach Pad. Should they? That’s not for me or you to answer. Sex is between the two consenting adults only. It’s their choices. Their lives.
Should people be able to act on their desires? Of course. Should they be able to test-drive before buying the car? Absolutely! Should they be aware of how their actions may affect other relationships? 100 per cent.
Chantelle Schmidt is a freelance writer. You can follow her here.
