LIFE & CULTURE

Everything You Need To Know About ‘The Bachelor’ 2018

Prepare to see a lot of ‘butt taps’ this season

With the highly anticipated return of The Bachelor almost upon us, it would be an understatement to say that we’re excited. After all, this season will feature former Wallabies legend Nick Cummins (aka ‘The Honey Badger’), who is beloved for his famous one-liners (anyone remember “You’re as tough as woodpecker lips”?) and hilarious humour.

If there’s anything that we’ve learnt from the new promo videos – which features a nude Nick Cummins in a bed of rose petals – it’s that this season will have plenty of laughs as well as love. But it wouldn’t be The Bachelor without some kind of controversy. Cummins has been subject to significant backlash ever since he was announced as Australia’s newest Bachie including allegations of a romantic past with a contestant.

Nevertheless, the 30-year-old is thrilled about the prospect of finding “the one”.

“The past 10 or so years has been on the road playing rugby or working on my projects, so I’m very excited to be part of a show that is centred around love and good times,” Cummins said previously in a statement.

Here’s what we know so far.

1. The Premiere Date

The Bachelor Australia 2018 premieres on Wednesday 15th, August at 7:30 pm on Channel Ten. It’s predicted that Cummins’ season of The Bachelor will see an exponential increase in ratings due to his celebrity status (and not to mention his incomprehensible catchphrases). Cummins is the second celebrity rose-bearer after Sophie Monk, who broke rating records last year on her season of The Bachelorette with an average of 952,000 viewers for the premiere.

2. What To Expect From The Contestants

When Cummins spoke with The Project he threw a few hints about the type of girl he’s after, stating that he doesn’t have ‘a type’ and prefers “good vibes” over good looks. So, if the contestants are anything like Cummins himself, it’s safe to say that we’re in for a treat.

In a recent interview, the upcoming ‘Badgelor’ said the show’s producers had chosen the ladies for his season “really well.” Earlier in March, photographs emerged on The Daily Mail of rumoured contestants who were spotted in Sydney prior to the show commencing filming. 

Here, meet all of this year’s contestants.

3. How Much Nick Cummins Will Be Paid

 Last year it was rumoured that former Bachelor Matty J pocketed an estimated $200,000 from his time on the show while Sophie Monk was awarded $300,000 for her quest for love. The Honey Badger already has an estimated net worth of $700,000 so we can expect his salary to be somewhere in between Matty’s and Sophie’s, or perhaps even more. 

4. There Will Be A Lot of “Butt Taps”

The show’s host Osher Gunsberg has defended Cummins after recent backlash, stating that viewers can expect to a see different side to the quirky sports star. 

“He’s a wonderful man and it’s a real opportunity for him to show the kind loving man that he is.”

 Gunsberg also went on to reveal the odd way he would communicate with Cummins on set.

“There’s a lot of butt taps this season because I was working with a professional footballer. I had to learn the right way to communicate with him so I discovered that a tap tap on the butt was the way to let him know it was time to move. But my hand is broken actually because he does a lot of squats! The ladies were loving it”

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