Last night, Sophie Monk ripped Australia’s heart out when, in a shock twist, both fan favourites were in the rose ceremony bottom two, before nice guy James Trethewie was sent home.
No one was more shocked than James himself, especially given Sophie provided him with no explanation.
“It completely caught me by surprise,” he tells marie claire, before revealing that he’d spoken to Soph at the cocktail party and everything had seemed normal.
“You see some guys get taken outside and I thought ‘haven’t I at least earned that?’ It just made it really hard because you walk away with no closure. I went home and had no idea what had happened.”
“The guys in the house had pegged me to go all the way, those were the conversations happening, and I thought ‘oh, well, we’ll see’ but I thought I’d at least make the next rounds and hometowns. All the signs were there of that happening, it was going very well.”
The reason for his elimination
“I felt like it must have been the compatibility test, which is funny because it’s not like I’m that serious at all. I was the one dressing up as Friar Tuck and always having fun.”
James says that though he may be a little tidier than Soph, he could see their relationship working in the real world. “Based off how our connection felt, and watching it back you can see it there, I genuinely do [think we would work]. But at the end of the day, you don’t know exactly how someone is feeling, maybe she’s already made her mind up.”
James hadn’t yet heard this morning’s radio interview, where Sophie broke down in tears over the backlash she’s experienced since last night’s episode aired but says he has been blown away by how much Australia got behind him. “It goes to show that Australia does want a nice guy,” he says.
Best friends forever
“As time went on I spent a lot of time with Lukie, Mack and Apollo. Apollo and I got really close because we realised we were so similar and really connected over the same stuff. We ended up hanging out all the time.”
“I’m going to see him in a couple of weeks and we talk a lot. I see Lukie all the time, he’s become a best mate as well.”
The biggest connection with Soph?
“It’s hard to say. I think Apollo because they did look at each other and got on really well. When Stu got out of the chopper, I was like ‘I’m in trouble here.'”
“All of a sudden you go from having these everyday people to him and his completely different life stage, much more established and set up. And when you know they have a preexisting connection, of course, it’s a threat. Everyone was comparing it to dinner – you go on a date and have a meal, you have a massive conversation, but in the mansion, it’s kind of like you’re only getting to an entree because you have such limited time.”
“Also Apollo, they’re in the same industry. They can support each other and move around, all that kind of stuff you do in the entertainment industry.”
On looking for love
“I’ve been very low-key and haven’t really been open to that, just working through all of this. You come out of it and try to move on with normal life but you can’t yet.”
“I’m ready now to move on and open myself out there.”
Perhaps on another reality TV show?
“I wouldn’t do something like Love Island or Bachelor in Paradise but it’s (The Bachelor) come up a lot, and if Australia wanted it, and I was single at the time, I wouldn’t rule it out.
