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You had a good run. Are you happy with the way you were ultimately portrayed on the show?
I am, yeah. I try not to take the way they’ve edited it very seriously. I’ve got no complaints. There’s definitely another side to me that hasn’t been shown, which is a bit—not upsetting, but I do wish you’d gotten to see it
Did you go into the mansion with any kind of strategy or approach?
Before I arrived, everybody told me the same thing: just be yourself. So I was… myself! [Laughs] That’s definitely me, just a bit amped up and edited for reality TV. Editing and situations make it look more dramatic than it really is. But there was definitely no strategy. I mean, it’s not like a competition where you’re actually trying for a prize. If she liked me, awesome. But it wasn’t winning or losing.
Isn’t that what Georgia ultimately sensed, then? In your final chat with her, she confronted you about your reasons for being in the house. Did you feel cornered?
I definitely approached it as maybe my last chat with Georgia. So I wanted to be open and honest and tell her the reason I was there, how I was feeling, go over my past and discuss my future. I spoke about parents, the way I was raised, and my plans. I think I said exactly what I needed to say.
In this week’s issue of WHO, Georgia says she had indications you were just doing this to further your modelling career and potentially become a TV presenter.
I’m an electrician by trade, working now as a sparkie. So when this came up I had no real reason to say no. I thought about it a long time—it was a great opportunity to have fun and meet some awesome guys. In the best case scenario, I made 15 good guy mates and met a girl I could spend some time with. Worst case? I made 15 good mates and Georgia became my friend as well. So there were really no negatives. But I certainly didn’t do it for the publicity. That didn’t cross my mind at all.
You didn’t get a chance to go back to the mansion and say your goodbyes. On the other hand, you didn’t have to be booted in a rose ceremony. How do you feel about that?
Those rose ceremonies can get pretty brutal! It’s silent in that room. Everyone’s nervous, quite anxious, waiting for their name to be called. It’s a bit of a relief. It would have been hard for me to say goodbye to Georgia and the boys in that situation. So I’m not upset and I’m not embarrassed.
So what can you tell us about your relationship with Rhys that we don’t already know?
Look, we got stuck in that house with no distractions. It can get quite tense. Rhys and I shared a room. We weren’t the best of mates, but we were friends and we still chat. There are no hard feelings between usHe would give me a bit of stick, I knew I could handle it and so I gave it back. It was quite amusing at the time. He’s a great guy, but he’s quite weird.
Rhys and Sam as they went to head-to-head in a sudden death date with Georgia.
Courtesy of Network Ten
Aside from Rhys, who do you still talk to from the mansion?
I keep in touch with everyone, even Rhys. I would say my best mates are Matty J, Jakey, Clancy and Courtney.
And who do you want to see Georgia end up with?
All the guys in the house are great, I really like them all. I’d love to see Georgia with anyone really, but probably one of the guys I just mentioned. It would be great to see one of my mates happy because of her.
What did you learn about yourself through this process?
You know, maybe I got too comfortable. Maybe I was a bit too loud and opinionated. But if I did the show all over again, I would do everything exactly the same way. I don’t regret one thing.
What has the public’s reaction been like since the show went to air?
People understand this is reality TV. They come for a chat and a photo, mostly wanting to see if I’m really like that. Even guys whose girlfriends or wives make them watch the show have told me that I’m entertaining, that I make the show bearable.
And what can you tell us about your dating life going forward?
Seeing as I was still on the show until last night, everything was quite limited. I’m not looking to go through something this intense again. But I’m definitely ready to start meeting and hanging out with girls again. That’d be cool. You can put my status as ‘currently single.’
For more on this story, pick up a copy of WHO on sale now.