The bar is set dangerously low for good looking men on the internet. What can we say? It’s a thirsty place. So, when former NRL played-turned-Bachelor star Luke Bateman joined TikTok to chat about his love for fantasy books and smutty little fiction novels, the internet, to no surprise, lapped it up.
While there are countless women and female-identifying creators on the platform discussing their love for romantasy books, Bateman proved an endearing anomaly… to most.
Some lamented at trying to grow their following only for a straight, white man to trump them with a single post – his first video amassing an eye-watering 2.1million views. But mainly, it was adoration.
Only further propelling Bateman’s growing profile (for better or worse) has been the recent controversy around the creator landing a book deal. The news swiftly divided BookTok, some have calling it ‘white, male privilege’ while others rationalising the publishing industries methods.
No matter which camp you find yourself in, you may be wondering, what’s Luke Bateman’s story?
Luke Bateman Was On The Bachelor
That right, this isn’t Bateman’s first brush with fame. The book-lover previously appeared on the 2023 season the The Bachelor which saw not one but three men look for love concurrently.
Fans of the series may recall Bateman chose Ellie Rolfe in his finale. The relationship wasn’t fated to last however, with the couple splitting in early 2024.
“Ellie and I have separated and would like to keep our relationship private. Ellie has a soul that lights up every room she walks into and I will sorely miss it in my life,” he told Yahoo! Lifestyle at the time.
He Played In The NRL
Before TikTok and his reality TV stint, Bateman was a rising NRL star. A former Queensland under-20s State of Origin representative, he played for the Raiders between 2015 and 2019. Ultimately, he was forced to give up the sport following a knee injury.
What Is Luke Bateman’s Age?
Bateman was born in January of 1995, making him 30 at the time of this article’s publishing.
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