Fans were quick to suggest that perhaps Joe’s casting was intentional by Ten, or even by the pair themselves, as part of a pre-filming arrangement.
“Elly is following Joe but already was (it’s not recent) so both being from Newcastle, clearly know each other. He’s also followed by Josh from MAFS who is from here [Newcastle] too,” one fan wrote on Facebook.
“Elly already follows him?? Pre arranged perhaps? Or well known man about town?” another commented on a fan forum.
While some expressed disappointment over the casting, others said it could just be a coincidence, given both Elly and Joe are from the same city.
“Ahhhh! Come on Channel 10/Warner Bros. Can we at least pretend we are being genuine? Let’s try and cast a season properly and give it a real shot,” one fan lamented.
While another said: “They are both from Newcastle, of course they know each other 😂”
Elly and her sister Becky are about to make TV history as Australia’s very first “double” Bachelorettes.
The 25-year-old nurse first shot to fame on Matt Agnew’s season of The Bachelor.
“I’m ready to find love, but this year, things are going to be a little different. I’ve decided to bring my sister Becky along for the ride,” Elly said the show’s first teaser trailer.
“These boys have no bloody idea what’s coming for them!”
Fans of the show are divided over the new format, with hundreds taking to the official Bachelorette Instagram page this week to voice their thoughts.
“Very unsure about this,” one fan commented, while another said, “Hmmmm I’m not really feeling it at all.”
Others expressed confusion about exactly how the new format will work.
“So they’re sharing the boys? This is going to be saahhhhh confusing!” one person wrote.
“But what if they like the same guy?” another exclaimed.
Many others voiced similar concerns, with one fan commenting, “I still don’t get how this will work ... what if they want the same bloke, or if the blokes only like one and not the other.”
Another wrote: “I JUST CAN’T WORK OUT HOW THIS WILL WORK?!”
While Channel 10 is yet to reveal exactly how the new format will work, it’s clear that nothing will come between Elly and Becky’s close relationship.
In the teaser trailer, Elly refers to Becky as her “best friend.”
“This is a once in a lifetime thing and nobody gets to do this with their best friend, their sister, by their side,” she adds.
When Elly broke her silence on the announcement via Instagram recently, she again referred to Becky as her “best friend”.
“Crikey, this is actually happening! So bloody lucky to have my best friend right there along with me,” Elly posted on the social media platform, alongside Ten’s official promo image of the pair.
Becky also posted a sweet tribute to her sister, writing on Instagram: “I can't be more proud of you sis, and of us - what an amazing ride. I'm excited for you all to join us on our search for love!”
