For Brooke Blurton, it’s a case of third time lucky when it comes to finding love. After stints on The Bachelor in 2018 and Bachelor in Paradise in 2019, the 26-year-old happily tells WHO that she’s definitely found The One as this year’s Bachelorette.
“I’m so happy and in love,” she says. “Now I can’t wait for everyone to meet my person.”
WATCH: Brooke meets Konrad on The Bachelorette
It’s the best outcome in what has been a difficult year personally for Blurton. Just days after filming ended for the show, her older sister suddenly passed away. Blurton, who was in Sydney at the time, then had to endure a bureaucratic battle to make it home to WA and plan her sister’s funeral.
“It’s still very raw and I get emotional talking about it,” she says. “But, yes, it has been a very big year. I went from this massive high of falling madly in love on the show, to then receiving the news that no-one can ever prepare for. I’m still processing everything to be honest.”
Blurton says her close-knit family – and her new love – have been incredibly supportive. “I’m really looking forward to the show airing for so many reasons, but one of the main ones is because it’s going to be the lift that we, as a family, need.”
As we prepare for the premiere of The Bachelorette Australia, we catch up with Brooke to chat about her historic role as the first bisexual and Indigenous Bachelorette.
What made you agree to being the Bachelorette?
I think the timing was right. Having done the other shows and not come out of them with what I wanted, a big part of the appeal of doing this was being the one doing the choosing! Also, I’d always said I’d only do it if I could chose between boys and girls.
So production then came to me and said, “We ARE doing this and we’d love you to be involved,” so that and the fact I was going to be the world’s first bisexual Bachelorette got me over the line.
It’s a groundbreaking progression for the show, isn’t it?
Yes, and I love that it’s not playing it by the reality TV rules. It’s never been done like this before globally. Obviously, there have been reality shows around bisexuality – do you remember A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila? One of my massive fears was that doing a bisexual Bachelorette would be a repeat of that, but because I know a lot of the Bachelor production team, I also knew it wouldn’t be anything like it. So I said yes, threw my whole heart into it and I’m so glad I did!
You’re also going to be our first Indigenous Bachelorette. What does that mean to you?
I feel, oh God, I always get quite emotional about that point because it’s such a big thing for myself and my family. I still have moments where I realise the gravity of it all, like if I’d seen someone like me on TV doing this as a young girl, it would be like, “How good?!” Just how good and … about time! To be the Bachelorette and to be able to show my pride in my culture [Blurton is a Noongar Yamatji woman] … it’s everything. It gives my whole body goosebumps. I think things that will be shown on the show will expose people to a lot of things maybe they haven’t seen in mainstream media before.
OK, so how does this season work with male and female contestants?
It runs like any previous season really, in terms of dates, cocktail parties and rose ceremonies. But one of my requests was for the guys and girls to live separately – so the girls have much more privacy. That came from a duty of care point for me. I wanted the girls to feel comfortable. I’m really happy with how the whole thing worked out.
Did any of the other Bachelors or Bachelorettes give you tips?
I spoke to [2019 Bachelorette] Angie Kent and she was super-supportive. I’m close to [2019 Bachelor] Matt Agnew. He was really encouraging, but also really straight with me. He told me to lean into it, get what I want out of it but remember it’s also just a TV show. I’ve had so much support throughout my time on all of the shows, but being the Bachelorette has actually been the most amazing experience I’ve ever had in my life.
And you’ve truly found love?
I have! We can’t meet up at the moment, it’s all Zoom and FaceTime, so I can’t wait to be able to go public. It’s been such a hard year in some ways so this bit of positivity in my life is so great for me, and my family, too, because they get to live in the happiness with me and that’s everything.
The Bachelorette Australia premieres on Wednesday, October 20, on Channel 10.
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