In 2021, it’s out with the old and in with the new, at least when it comes to The Bachelor Australia. While the competition premise and its long-running host Osher Günsberg remain the same, the show is seeing some major, welcome changes.
In the coming months, Australian viewers will be blessed with both The Bachelor Australia and The Bachelorette Australia. Not only will The Bachelorette feature the series’ first-ever Indigenous and bisexual woman to lead the show, but the love stories will be backdropped in a brand new mansion.
The previous Bachelor Mansion was a $2.3 million property situated in Oxford Falls in Northern Sydney. It had a Hamptons aesthetic and was the setting for Locky Gilbert, Matt Agnew, Angie Kent and Ali Oetjen’s seasons of the reality TV show.
But Jimmy Nicholson and Brooke Blurton‘s seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette will now be filmed at a Le Chateau in Dural, NSW. The French country-style mansion sits upon a five-acre estate, has five bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, plus an indoor pool, spa, gym and tennis courts. If it looks familiar, it’s because it’s previously appeared on-screen for past seasons of Beauty and the Geek.
The luxurious dwelling is described as a “romantic fairy tale made visible” by The Bachelor‘s art department. The team tells The Latch: “The last mansion had a Hamptons vibe and was one storey, it was great for something different. This new mansion has more of what our Bachelor family has come to expect, large grounds, lots of rooms, beautiful outdoor spaces and of course a big fountain.”
The team drew inspiration from iconic on-screen love stories that include Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet and Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette. The result is a whimsical-meets-royal vibe that’s as romantic as it is extra.
In true Bachie style, this season will show no lack of candlelit styling and rose petals. In fact, the team tell us that it would take one person 60 hours to light all the candles used throughout one season. Thankfully, the art department has a team of people to look after this crucial job.
The Bachelor Australia will premiere Wednesday, 21 July at 7.30pm on 10 and 10 Play.
Read more stories from The Latch and subscribe to our email newsletter.