Last night’s episode of Bachelor In Paradise saw not one but three bachelors sent packing.
Canadian puppeteer Gepetto Daniel was kicked to the kurb after Laurina went rogue and picked newcomer Jarred, while originals Mack and Blake were also left standing without a rose.
We chatted to Mack and Blake about regrets, what didn’t make it to air and which BIP relationships will go the distance.
MACK
How are you feeling after watching last night’s show?
Oh I feel a bit dejected, but not out and out. Im still smiling and happy but at the time it was a bitter pill to swallow. It happened five months who, but its pretty hard to see it again – although I only watched the last 5 minutes last night. But I felt like I knew my time there was coming to an end, it wasn’t a surprise that’s for sure.
You’ve said you regretted giving your rose to Ali, did you have a genuine connection with Leah, or was it more to stay in Paradise and see who else came along?
No it was more about my connection with Leah. Don’t get me wrong I would have been open to that but it was very much to do with Leah. We were mates, definitely friends, she wasn’t attracted to me as much as I was to her, but I think we were trying to work on a few things. I regret giving Ali the rose because it went against something which is really important to me which is loyalty. But that said I thought I had a really good connection with Ali and I thought it was really nice, but the feeling wasn’t reciprocated which is understandable.
What is your relationship status now?
I am happily single.
Were there any Bachelorettes that weren’t on the show that you would have liked to have met?
Yes! Kobe. We’ve connected through social media. Kobe and I have a similar energy I believe and a few people say were quite similar so I would have like to have met her. But I haven’t really watched past seasons. But I had also wanted to see Florence and Leah.
Which relationships are in there now that you see going the distance?
Yeah there’s a few, Sam and Tara have a great connection at the moment. They have a great energy and great sense of humour, they bounce of one another and I see that going the distance. Luke and Lisa are chilled, that’s going quite well on the show. Eden is quite smitten with Nina but whether she feels the same way… and obviously Keira and Jarrod is going along swimmingly – they’re perfectly suited for each other!
Do you think you have been portrayed accurately?
I felt like I was a little unfairly done by in the Bachelorette, I was classed as “the awkward guy” which I don’t think I am, and this time around I haven’t watched the last few episodes but a lot of the feedback I’m getting is pretty positive.
How did BIP compare to The Bachelorette?
If things worked out different it would have been awesome, obviously. To fall for someone and be in paradise with friends and to know I was falling for someone would have been great. But I feel like I was rejected by two girls, not that I’m feeling sorry for myself but its pretty hard when it’s thrust in your face and there for you to see. My time in the mansion was great, getting to enjoy the company of a group of really genuine guys. We had a lot of downtime and getting to know one another which I really loved.
BLAKE
How do you feel after watching last night’s episode?
It really sucks to leave, and there was so much that wasn’t shown. I’m just so glad I left after Daniel left, I’m just so happy he didn’t stick around.
How did you guys feel when the new guys came in
No one wants new competition but I wasn’t really fazed, I got along with Grant really well and Jarred was a really nice guy. When I had that chat with Daniel, he just came across really bad, saying “I’m the god of the Bachelor” and I’m going to steal your women. But the girls here were really smart so they weren’t going to fall for it. But the end result as you saw, we had some smart women they didn’t get blinded by smoke and mirrors.
How is your relationship with Laurina/Lenora now, have you guys spoken?
We’ve sent messages, it’s all good.
You’ve spoken today about a few thing that haven’t been aired one of them being a connection with Megan that didn’t make it to air.
When Laurina broke it off with me it kind of opened everything up. Meg and I had been hanging out as friends and as soon as Laurina was out of the picture and I fell for Meghan pretty hard. I definitely fell in love with her. I couldn’t fault her, she was the best person ever. I don’t know why they didn’t show it.
What is your relationship status now?
I’m single.
Are there any Bachelorettes that you didn’t get to see that you would have like to?
It would have been good to see Simone, we spoke before the show.
Are there any relationships in there that you think will go the distance?
Sam and Tara are pretty close, they just vibe on each other. And you don’t see much of it but Luke and Lisa are really, really close. Ali and Grant were cute by the time we left.
Do you have any regrets (apart from calling Laurina ‘Lenora’)?
Not realising that Laurina wasn’t the girl for me, I was so worried about her feelings and I should have pursued things with Meg more.
Are you still looking for love?
I want to go on Bachelor in Paradise in America! Ha nah I’m just focusing on myself and being happy and blogging and working with Happiness Co on our mental health awareness and Man Enough movement.
Can you tell us more about your work with Happiness Co and the Man Enough movement?
It’s an action based organisation, Happiness Co really get down to the nitty gritty and help men and women deal with how they feel and actually have a plan. We just launched the Man Enough movement because every 8 minutes a male attempts suicide in Australia, and its the biggest killer for men under 45 so the whole idea is to get guys together and uplift everyone and show that it’s ok to talk about our feelings. We all go through problems and make mistakes but there is help out there.
If you or someone you know needs help you can call Lifeline on 131 114 or Beyondblue 1300 224 636.
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