Before he’d even gotten his hands on the first rose, The Bachelor’s Locky Gilbert was pricked by thorns.
Accused of ghosting his Survivor sweetheart Brooke Jowett, after they’d flirted up a storm during Australian Survivor: All Stars, some fans weren’t happy when he was announced as this year’s Bachelor in February, rather than going to Bali with Jowett as she claimed they’d planned.
“I definitely copped some criticism online,” Gilbert, 30, tells Who. “That was full-on. But I’m a big boy. I can handle it.”
Could this be the most complicated – and hottest – Bachelor yet?
WATCH: The first teaser for The Bachelor 2020 with Locky Gilbert
So what really went on between you and Brooke. Were you dating?
Absolutely not. Brooke and I met on Survivor last September. We were close on the show but it wasn’t anything serious. It wasn’t anything at all. Then we never saw each other after the show wrapped. We never dated, we never hung out outside of the show. Don’t get me wrong, I think she’s an amazing girl and I wish her all the very best, but we were never in a relationship.
Why do you think people were so angry when you were announced as the Bachelor?
I get that, on Survivor it looked like Brooke and I were super-close and then two days after that show finishes, I’m announced as the Bachelor. The timing looked terrible for me but there were actually months in between what happened on Survivor and being revealed as the Bachelor. But I get that it didn’t look that way and fans were quick to let me know they weren’t happy.

Have you spoken to Brooke lately?
Yes, I talk to her in our Survivor group chats, but nothing one on one. We’re all still friends and I don’t think there are any hard feelings.
How did your family react when you told them you were going to be the Bachelor?
My mum and sister were pretty nervous about it. They were worried that there’s all this stuff about your personal life that comes out on The Bachelor and they were worried for me. They were also worried that I’d embarrass them. My mum gets embarrassed super-easily so she was concerned. I think they’re happy about it now, though.
Is that because you’ve fallen in love?
I can tell you right now, with the biggest, widest smile on my face that I’ve fallen head over heels in love. I’m so happy right now.

How hard is it to keep your new relationship under wraps?
It’s OK at the moment. We talk on the phone all the time. We were on a call for three hours this morning and five hours yesterday! Keeping it a secret for now is all just part of the fun of being the Bachelor.
Had you watched the show at all previously?
Not really. I’d seen like three episodes of Matty J’s season and I was aware of the premise of the show.
Did you reach out to any other Bachelors for advice?
Matty J’s a really good friend of mine so I asked him for a few tips. He told me to prepare for really long days, prepare to switch my emotions on and off between each different connection I make with the girls I meet, and be present with who I’m with in each moment.

You’re quite an action man – what are you looking for in your partner?
I want marriage and kids, 100 per cent. But I also want someone who has drive and ambition and who’s up for an adventure – but that doesn’t mean she has to jump out of planes with me!
Are you still based in Bali?
I was splitting my time between Bali, where my adventure company Four Elements is based, and Perth. Then COVID-19 hit so I’ve been based mostly in Australia now. I’m looking to get some businesses up and running here, too, like I want to build glamping huts and have a property where people can come and stay, light the fire pit or jump in the outdoor hot tub and then spend the night in a really cosy hut. I love being outdoors and building stuff myself, so that’s what I’m looking into at the moment.

If the person who receives your final rose lived interstate or overseas, would you be willing to pursue a long-distance romance?
Long-distance relationships are the hardest thing in the world. I don’t want to do that if I’m honest. The beauty of meeting someone through The Bachelor is I’ve been matched with 24 women who mostly share my interests too, so we’ve got a head start on making it work already. If long distance is an issue, we’ll be able to figure it out.
Surely you’ve never had any issues with finding a girlfriend in real life?
I’ve definitely had long-term relationships in the past. But because I’ve been so focused on my businesses, travel and my company, I never gave enough time to make a relationship work. Becoming the Bachelor has forced me to focus on finding The One. I love adventure, too, and there’s nothing more adventurous than looking for love on a reality TV show!