Bachelor Australia - Season 4 - Richie Strahan - General Discussion - *Sleuthing - Spoilers*

Can't be long now before we start hearing some whispers. Surely

I believe Sam was announced late February/early March last year, so I'd expect us to find out in a couple of weeks if it's Richie or not.

Osher said on his radio show this week that he is meeting the Bachelor this week... so filming should be starting soon (if memory serves I believe Sam Wood started end of Feb with filming first episode beginning of March and ended the end of May?)

Radio interview Osher talking about the Bachelor
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Also interesting that there may be fantasy suites introduced? (I hope not though)

Oh no! No FS please! If it isn't broken, don't fix it!

Thanks AAL, then it seems it's just around the corner!

IA with you GA... if it ain't broke. I really liked that they didn't have FS... but maybe now they are heading in that direction? I really hope not but Osher seemed to suggest that is what they will do.

Also, [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] posted in Richie's thread but it doesn't seem like Richie will be the Bachelor... almost sounds like he may have turned it down? I just don't see Richie as the type who would want to do overnight FS dates? Will see but I am thinking they are going to go with someone new and take the show in a different direction maybe... even more so now that the show is now produced by a different parent company (Warner Bros instead of Shine) so Warner Bros is with the US Bach too I think? So maybe they are making the format more like that? If there's FS I wonder if engagements will be brought back in too?

What? Richie is possibly NOT the next lead???
If it is true, Nothing in the Bachelor land is more disappointing than this. :bigsigh:

IA it is disappointing... I understand though if Richie turned it down but still...

I'm not too concerned about them introducing fantasy suites this season. Remember, Art had overnight dates with his F3 but was very clear about not sleeping with them. Hopefully the AU lead this season will follow his example and set clear boundaries with his final girls 

I wonder if they will go back to having an engagement at FRC like they did for S2?

If they have FS dates I could see them doing this, especially since S3 Bachelor is engaged to his F1 now anyway and also having Ben's US season airing hours after it airs in the US the audience may be ready for the engaged ending with Fantasy Suites in Australia?

Tim in his first season did get the FS cards but declined so maybe they want to bring those back and have someone willing to do FS and not turn them down like Tim did (and not someone like Art either who made it clear nothing would happen during FS - 2nd season the BachelorNZ may do differently this year?)...

It's also worth noting that the Bachelor US is actually shown on the 9Life channel which shows overseas reality TV shows - owned by the Channel 9 network. Although the US version is showing in Australia, it didn't get introduced by Channel 10 so maybe even if they are introducing fantasy suites this doesn't indicate a total shift towards a US format...
Also, Channel 10 have budget issues - we've seen that in the last 2 seasons especially - won't fantasy suites = $$? I guess Warner Bros might help with funding now (maybe that's why they changed?), not sure how that would work.
I had my doubts about Richie as the lead and it's so hard to find clues linking Richie to the Bachelor but here are a few extra things:
- I did some digging on Facebook that indicates Richie's friends have been watching/following Ben's season - doesn't tell us if Richie's the Bachelor or not but an interesting bit of info considering they're quite blokey guys who wouldn't usually watch that stuff. Basically, his friend Alana McLean posted about Olivia talking about her cankles after Ben was dealing with those deaths in his community. Daniel Jambanis commented something like 'haha' and it was liked by Peter (guy who asked Sam if she was over Blake on hometowns). So they've been following Ben's season a bit and that was in January. Might mean nothing but you never know.

- The Bachelor Instagram account only follows 15 people, most of them magazines, former constants and a few other women...but one guy they follow is involved with the Bondi lifeguards.
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We know that Richie recently stayed with the Bondi guys as part of Channel 10's swim team and did a bunch of events with them...maybe that was organized or suggested by this guy linked to the Bachelor. Andrew Reid is involved with 'Bondifit' which focuses on triathlons and ocean swims as well.
Again, this could mean nothing but it's a bit of a coincidence that out of 3 men that the official Bachelor account follows (apart from contestants/Osher), one of them is so heavily involved with the lifeguard team and swimming events. And they only follow 15 accounts. Andrew Reid isn't followed by the Bachelorette account so if he's responsible for Richie teaming up with the lifeguards, it was through the Bachelor show, not the Bachelorette.
Richie's conveniently timed absence from SM also suggests that he might be filming right now. It's all speculation of course but these things link him to the Bachelor.

Thanks laurarose! Richie's friends following Ben's season is a huge clue!

UM. OK. I'm getting excited about this: This lifeguard that the Bachelor Instagram follows has actually done the Rottnest swim before. He's tagged in this throwback (I think) photo along with all the guys Richie was staying with. He's also a lifeguard on the Bondi Rescue show.
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To me, it looks like a few of the lifeguards weren't able to participate in this year's swim due to various reasons so the channel 10 team had some spare places. The Bachelor has communicated with Andrew Reid about getting Richie to help out and that's what they've done, along with getting the Neighbours guy and the Studio 10 guy.
Why on earth would the Bachelor follow him otherwise? They don't just follow anyone, only 15 people. There's no other reason for him to be in contact with that account...he isn't linked to the Bachelorette, it's specifically the Bachelor. It's just too much of a coincidence that Richie did this event! Guys...I think Richie could be the Bachelor.