After winning hearts all over the country, The Bachelor Australia front-runner Bella Varelis has been the centre of the latest behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the show.
On August 17, former contestant Nadine Kodsi publicly announced that not only did Varelis apparently know Locky prior to the show, but they both made a pact to leave with each other at the end.
Appearing on the So Dramatic! podcast, Kodsi not only called Locky’s season of The Bachelor “the worst one”, but also believes that Bella and Locky were a set couple from the start and that everybody else was just there for the drama.
“I honestly think Bella is going to win and the reason why I think that is because I personally think it was set up,” she told So Dramatic!
“Apparently they met in Bali and she basically made an agreement to go on the show and then they’d be together. Now it’s so obvious because if you were there on the night, I actually said ‘you are going to win’.”
“I asked her ‘did you guys know each other beforehand’ and she said ‘no, I’ve never met him’.”
However, Varelis herself has come forward to claim that the rumours are in fact false.
Speaking to the Herald Sun, Varelis said she was completely confused by Kodsi’s claim.
“I haven’t been to Bali in five years and it genuinely baffles me the lengths people will go to,” she said. “I’d never even watched Survivor.”
She continued, “I didn’t even have a conversation with Nadine. I don’t listen to it [podcast] because 99 per cent of it would be complete bulls**t.”
Varelis went on to explain her connection to other people from The Bachelor franchise, due to speculation that her Bachelor-specific dating history could mean that she’s not on Gilbert’s season for the right reasons.
The relationships in question was her connection to Sam Johnson from Georgia Love‘s season of The Bachelorette and former contestant Dean Michael Unglert from the U.S. version of the franchise.
“Sam and I dated prior to The Bachelorette and when he did it that’s when I got introduced to Matty J and Laura [Byrne] and Courtney [Dober],” Varelis shared.
As for her connection with Gilbert, Varelis said it was instantaneous.
“Straight away as soon as I met him it wasn’t just a physical connection, it was emotional as well,” she said.
The Bachelor Australia airs Wednesday and Thursday nights at 7.30pm on Network 10.
