So, how long have you been talking about yourself this morning?
Oh, God. A lot! But it’s fine.
Let’s get right to it, then. In the end, do you think Richie was just too scared of your father?
Oh, no. He was fine. I think it was just kind of that we weren’t on the same page – with the Perth and Sydney situation, he kept saying we were going to be travelling back and forth every two weeks. And I was like, yeah, that’s definitely not going to work. It was hard for me to put my foot down and pull him up on the things he was saying to me that I didn’t really believe. I wanted to be real about it. I wasn’t going to lie to him, and I was hoping he wouldn’t lie to me. I just didn’t see it working out.
When did it become clear to you that it was going to be an issue?
I spoke to Richie about it at the start, and he told me it was all about compromise. So we left it at that. And I totally agreed, because, you know, it’s Perth. It’s not that far. But when it came down to my family, they said, look—we don’t think you’d want to leave Sydney to move to Perth. And that did make me question a lot. Was it the right choice for me?
What prompted you putting your foot down so late in the game? Was it because it was down to final 3 and there was a real chance you’d be chosen?
He just wasn’t giving me anything. I was asking a lot of questions, and he was just so general with his answers. I was like, this is just complete b.s.! I don’t believe any of this! I had to pull him up on it.
It’s funny you say that, because you were the one criticised for being too general in the beginning.
Yeah, I was pretty open with him. Pretty full-on. We had great conversations. But they just played me out to be the cute, quiet girl that sits in the background and just watches people fall in love. But that wasn’t the case. I really did have feelings for him, and we had great conversations on- and off-camera. It’s how they want to portray you on the show, though, so when it came down to the end, I just started bursting with worries. It prompted me to want to leave the show.
You said you had feelings for Richie. But would you say you ever loved him?
No. I couldn’t say ‘I love you.’ I could not say those words. So I didn’t want to lie to him. I told him, actually, when we were on that couch in Bali, that I was sorry but I couldn’t say the words ‘I love you.’ I told him: I don’t love you. It’s a shame they didn’t show that, too, because I wanted you to see his reaction. He ran really fast. He ran away from me, yeah!
Did you even want a rose anymore by the time this ceremony came around?
No, I didn’t. I wanted to go home. I knew I wasn’t right for Richie, and I knew Richie wasn’t right for me. The other two girls had told him they loved him. They had those feelings for him. I liked him. I didn’t have enough time … I’d only seen the guy like five times. How can you fall in love with someone that you’ve seen five times in, what, three months? How crazy is that? No way. That’s never going to happen! You have to be a really emotional person to build those feelings up, and I’m just not one of them.
It also seemed, in your final talk with Richie, like you were laying out all the reasons he shouldn’t give you a rose.
Yeah! That’s kind of true. I wasn’t going to lie—I just didn’t think it was going to work. And I knew I wouldn’t get a rose after that conversation. I’m not dumb. He wants security, somebody to give a little bit more than what I did. He was looking for an “I love you” and some strong emotions. I couldn’t give that.
But what if Richie had given you the rose and you ended up in the final two?
I was 100 per cent certain I wasn’t going to get the rose. But look, if I thought I’d had a chance to get one of those roses, I probably would have walked out. I knew I wasn’t the one for him. Those two others? One is definitely a perfect match for him.
Yeah, you have spoken to WHO in the past and said you think Alex is the one. Do you still?
I’m definitely Team Alex. All the way. She’s a very passionate person. She has a lot of emotions. She’s in love with him. Look at her! She’s completely head over heels for him. And I’ve said it before … I don’t think he would drag her all this way, it would be silly to do that when she has a kid. But he does have an amazing relationship with Nikki. And he could end up picking her. It’s hard to call.
Will you be watching the finale tonight?
Oh, are you kidding? One hundred per cent. Me and my family will definitely be watching.
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