Trigger Warning: This article touches on the topic of suicide. If you, or someone you know, would like to have a free, confidential chat with someone they can trust, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit their website.
After years of us collectively begging Channel Ten to have Brooke Blurton as their Bachelorette, the network has finally taken notice and made it happen.
Yep, the youth worker and mental health advocate is dusting off the roses as she re-enters the mansion she famously walked out of during her first stint on Nick Cummins’ season of The Bachelor in 2018.
And we couldn’t be more excited to watch her find her happily ever after.
WATCH: Brooke Blurton and Abbie Chatfield discuss dating each other
Brooke Blurton, 26, is a proud Noongar-Yamatji and bisexual woman who, according to Channel Ten, is “putting her heart on the line and giving it all when it comes to love” on this season of The Bachelorette.
But this isn’t the first time Brooke has let herself be vulnerable in front of Australia. The social media star began her candid quest for love back in 2018, appearing on The Bachelor as one of the women vying for Nick Cummins’ (aka the Honey Badger’s) heart.
Throughout her time in the public eye, Brooke has been linked with many famous Australian faces as she navigates the dating world. And we’ve investigated all of them.
Nick “Honey Badger” Cummins
Brooke first hit our screens on the 2018 season of The Bachelor starring “I choose no one” Nick Cummins – the former professional rugby player, otherwise known as the Honey Badger.
The now 26-year-old instantly became one of the franchise’s most beloved Bachie babes due to her authenticity throughout the series.
Despite making it to the final three, Brooke made the shocking decision to walk out of the mansion of her own accord.
While, at the time, fans speculated that Nick might have chosen the then-23-year-old should she have stayed, that most certainly wasn’t the case.
“My decision for leaving (The Bachelor) wasn’t exactly how it came about,” Brooked explained when she appeared on Bachelor In Paradise the following year.
“I feel like there’s something I probably should tell you girls.” Brooke told her BIP co-stars. “I thought there was definitely chemistry there (between her and Nick) and we developed something really good and yeah, I thought I’d be that girl at the end. Then he stopped the cameras and smothered his mic, to tell me that he wasn’t going to pick anyone in the end.”
Alex Nation
Despite walking out of the Bachie mansion, Brooke was far from receiving her last rose. A year after her appearance on the reality show, the social media star jetted to Fiji to appear on Bachelor In Paradise Australia. And she struck up quite the romances while there.
Throughout her run on the show, Brooke shared a screen with former Bachelor winner Alex Nation – from Richie Strahan’s season. Sparks seemed to hit all corners of the island with these two and history was made as the pair became the first women to share a lesbian kiss on a reality series.
However, despite all the chemistry we saw on screen, Brooke has since revealed that there was a lack of authenticity that we weren’t privy to.
“That part with Alex, I just think she never really was genuine with her feelings and I could really read through that. I just don’t really value people in my life like that,” Brooke told Who back in 2019. “There’s no bad blood, but I am all about people who bring value into your life and I just feel like I had to let that part of my life with Alex go.”
What’s more, in a following interview with the Shameless podcast, Brooke explained that all those sweet soundbites of her fawning over Alex Nation were actually intended for someone else, also conveniently named Alex.
American Alex
Slightly overshadowed by all the hype around Brooke’s almost-romance with Alex Nation was her chemistry with another Bachelor In Paradise star, former American Bachelor, Alex Bordyukov.
Speaking to the Shameless podcast about her time on the reality show, the reality star confessed she was actually more keen on the American over the Australian, though the editors were doing all they could to keep that under wraps.
“I was more interested in American Alex and everything I probably had said about American Alex they used for Alex Nation,” she explained.
And yet, her feelings weren’t strong enough to keep her on the Fijian island as Brooke departed the show after Alex Nation dumped her for Bill Goldsmith.
At the time, an emotional Brooke said to camera, “It was upsetting to hear that, I thought that I was connecting with Alex. I’m feeling lost. It’s hard to see Alex Nation and Bill develop such a strong connection. I feel like Alex Nation can definitely do better than Bill, I get a sly vibe from him – he’s a snake.'”
Nick Power
Despite having already appeared in two Bachie franchises, fans of the mental health advocate were holding out hope Brooke would make it a hat-trick and return for The Bachelorette. However, in bittersweet news, the option for Brooke to front-run the show was swept magically under the rug as she went official with her new boyfriend, Perth pilot Nick Power, in April 2019.
“So happy to announce that I have found love and its with a beautiful beautiful man who I can not express how friggen lucky I am to have in my life,” Brooke penned on Instagram.
The happy couple dated for around a year before Brooke sadly announced their split in February 2020 via an emotional social media post.
“If you haven’t noticed, I have been MIA on social media,” the shattered Bachelor In Paradise star wrote. “I’ve been grieving a breakup and I just haven’t been able to build up the courage to speak about it online and openly just yet.”
The R U OK? ambassador then went on to bravely speak about youth suicide prevention.
“I know there are so many more important issues out there and there is one thing in particular, I do want to talk to you guys about, if you’re and OG follower, you’ll obviously know that I’m hugely passionate about Suicide Prevention.”
“This post is simply an ask from you guys, my followers, the people who support me. If you could help someone today or another day, would you? Start a conversation. Spark a small reminder to check in with someone. Help me, help end youth suicide.”
G-Flip
After Brooke’s devastating split from her long-term boyfriend, fans of the social media influencer were curious as to whether she would now take up the post of Bachelorette.
But hopes were soon crushed as rumours of new love interests started circulating the media sphere.
In February this year, the 26-year-old was linked to Australian musician Georgia Flipo, otherwise known as G Flip, after the pair exchanged flowers on Valentine’s Day. A day later, Brooke donned a shirt with the pair’s faces enclosed in a heart to her Instagram, writing, “The people have spoken gee 💛 @gflip 🌹🌻 @sweaterclubaus made us these CUTE AF shirts 💖”.
Following that, Brooke and G Flip were spotted attending Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras together. All of these sweet moments, not to mention G Flip deeming Brooke her celebrity crush in an Instagram Q&A, suggested that a romance was surely in the cards.
However, Brooke confirmed the pair were not dating in May.
Abbie Chatfield
Now THIS is the Bachie power couple we would’ve loved to have seen. And so would’ve Brooke at a time.
The youth worker confessed to having asked out bisexual Bachelor star Abbie Chatfield, who appeared on Dr Matt Agnew’s season of The Bachelor, twice on her podcast. In the same interview, Brooke revealed that the I’m A Celeb queen has left things up in the air both times.
“I’ve asked Abbie on a date twice, and she’s not politely declined nor accepted,” Brooke said on Abbie’s It’s A Lot podcast back in March this year.
The body positivity activist, however, was quick to deny the accusation, clarifying “I said yes babe; when you asked me on a date, I said yes. But at the time, there was something called Coronavirus happening, and you couldn’t go to Western Australia.”
She then joked: “You live in Perth… WA has been closed for 14 million years since the dinosaurs roamed the earth.”
Oh, what could have been.
Jed Bews
While Brooke and Abbie fans were still mourning the pair’s almost relationship, the 26-year-old sparked new rumours when she was spotted cheering on Geelong Cats AFL player Jed Bews in Melbourne (where she moved earlier this year).
Brooke, however, quickly shut down any dating rumours, telling the Herald Sun she and Jed were merely “good friends” and she attended the game to support her cousin, midfielder Quinton Narkle, who plays for the same AFL team.
“You be photographed with a footballer or with any girl, like I was with [singer] G Flip, and people want to assume you’re automatically linked. But I’m not dating,” the Bachelorette told the publication.
While we would have loved to see Brooke find her happily ever after with one of her past relationships, we’re more than happy to see the 26-year-old return to our screens on The Bachelorette.
It’s about time the franchise heralded diversity; showcasing a proud Noongar-Yamatji and bisexual woman on one of Australia’s biggest networks is hopefully a step in the right direction to permanently changing the television landscape.
And it certainly seems like the experience was a positive one for Brooke, who recently told Who that she found “(her) person” on the show.
“I’m so happy and in love,” she said. “Now I can’t wait for everyone to meet my person.”
For your own fairytale romance, sign up for eHarmony.
If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is always available.
Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit their website.
Call Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or visit their website.
If you’re under 25, visit Headspace or call them on 1800 650 890.
If you are in immediate danger, call 000.
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