Ever since the very first season hit our screens back in 2013, we’ve seen an array of *interesting* characters enter the Bachelor mansion.
Even the former contestants know that they’re being given a certain edit to stir up the drama and create that narrative arc.
“Obviously, they’re making a TV show and you hear that quite often,” season six contestant and incoming Bachelorette Brooke Blurton previously told WHO.
“You’re basically characters in a show and you have to conform to be that character. If you don’t conform, they [producers] are quite aggressive with how they speak to you. I didn’t necessarily conform… and the manipulation is definitely there. I think they wanted me to be the angry black girl, but I was not that.”
So who are these characters that appear every season? Let’s examine them in detail.
1. The Wife
Unsurprisingly, there has to be a winner and the signs are all there as soon as they enter the mansion.
Gorgeous, approachable and instant chemistry – these are the mothers of the Bachelor’s future children and you can spot the Wives from a mile away with contestants Anna Heinrich (season one), Snezana Markoski (season three) and Laura Byrne (season seven) being among the most obvious examples.
Former wifey winner Chelsie McLeod even predicted it during season eight when Irena Srbinovska arrived on the scene – and could tell just by the music.
2. The Wife That Got Away
Similar to the wife, there’s an instant connection between these ladies and their respective Bachelor that strengthens as the series goes on.
But be wary, these ladies often get a lot of air-time straight up so that we’re full of hope and will therefore be crushed when they are inevitably dumped. Not sure we’ll ever get over Richie Strahan for breaking Nikki Gogan’s heart…
At least the bright side for these women is that they’re almost certainly going to be offered the Bachelorette gig a la Sam Frost and Elly Miles.
3. The Comic Relief
What’s The Bachelor without a few laughs? These women are the goofballs, the class clowns and the party animals of the mansion.
Granted, they’re pretty much friend-zoned as soon as they arrive, but the rare few end up going far into hometowns week like Tara Pavlovic on Matty J’s season.
You’re also bound to see these funny femmes on Bachelor in Paradise and it’s usually not until then that we’re able to see their romantic and vulnerable sides like Brittney ‘Litney’ Weldon from Nick Cummins’ season who starred in two seasons.
4. The Stage Five Clingers
All the girls in the mansion swoon over their respective Bachelor, but these girls take swooning to a new level.
Whether it’s with a sneaky attempt at a kiss on the first night like Ali Oetjen (season one), reading a heartfelt extract from their diary like Cass Wood (season six) or simply proclaiming that they love love as Emma Roche (season seven) did, they’re not afraid of making a grand gesture.
Funnily enough, the clingers usually make it to final three or four so no matter how cringe-worthy they’ve been on the season, we always end up feeling for them when that tearful elimination no doubt occurs.
5. The Cuties
You can spot the cuties pretty quickly judging by their high-pitched voice, dainty behaviour and possible fairytale complex.
Cutie by name, cutie by nature, this hopeless romantic is ready to find her Prince Charming and is basically the polar opposite to the “sexually-aggressive psycho” (we’ll learn about them later).
These girls, like Janey Birks (season four) and Cobie Frost (season five) are also fans of making a grand gesture on the red carpet when they first meet the Bachelor but alas, they never work out too well.
6. The Princesses
Some may call them high-maintenance, but these women know what they want and aren’t afraid to admit it. Especially if it’s a Louis Vuitton bag like season eight’s Laura Calleri.
You can almost certainly bet the mansion’s most glamorous residents will be chucked into a scenario that involves sport, mud or a less-than-impressive date like Laurina Fleure back in season two.
“Everybody else gets Ferraris and super yachts and private jets and [I] get a dirty street pie,” remains one of the show’s most iconic phrases for a reason.
7. The “Sexually-Aggressive Psycho”
Now before you say this title is too intense, it was in fact coined by Dani Sanby back in season one who was “mortified” by her hyper-sexualised, villain edit.
“The whole show, I just had fun, and I’d make jokes. But as I learnt with editing, they can twist things, and make them look a lot nastier than how I had actually delivered them. It was probably a lot harder watching the show than it was filming, for me,” she confessed to Pop Sugar.
More recently, we also saw Abbie Chatfield get the same femme fatale edit during season seven when she confidently expressed sexual interest in Matt Agnew, and even called out Channel Ten for their double standards.
“We can’t choose our edits but I find [Bella’s kiss with Locky] really interesting. It also happened in our season as well when Helena kissed Matt in the orchard in a red dress with red lipstick on. It was a cute and quirky, but when I did it.. .music really changes things.”
8. The IDGAF Villain
Last but not least we have the old school classic villains, the ones that are most likely to say: “I’m not here to make friends.”
Much like Queen Keira Maguire (season four) or Vanessa Sunshine (season six), these women have no filter and aren’t going to be fake to get themselves a guy. Plus, you can guarantee there will be many an eye roll.
Much like the Comic Relief ladies, they’re sure to rock up on a season or two of Bachelor in Paradise. The Queen didn’t get her title for no reason, after all.
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