Bachelorette Australia - Season 3 - Sophie Monk - Media Social Media - *Sleuthing Spoilers*

Bobette wrote:I just watched the Project interview too @Storybook.  Yikes.  A very different vibe between them compared to the FRC, IMO.

Yes they seemed like cast members promoting their show.

I watched the project interview. I thought they did extremely well considering the VERY harsh questioning they got and having Jarrod shoved down their throats again. The hosts insulted Stu and basically called Sophie a hypocrite by not picking a 'normal' guy.

Why can't someone be both normal and rich? That's what I want to know. Personally I think a man who is 44, single, never been married and has no kids is MORE LIKELY to be a douche. Stu is nice, considerate, all the guys liked him, not trying to gain profile, not a narcissist, not insecure, not jealous, has a job, smart and funny. What is 'not normal' about him?

My sister lives with her partner, they are in their 40s. He is still legally married to his ex and has 2 kids and my sister is childless. No one looks at her and tells her that her relationship is doomed. I don't get it.

The media yesterday was disgraceful. No one even asked them what they did when the cameras stopped rolling! It was all about breaking Jarrod's heart and Sophie apparently picking a guy who wasn't what she said she wanted just because he has money. Sophie has said she is not into full on PDA and most of the time yesterday they were in an environment which was quite hostile.

The only interview where I saw them fully comfortable was with Hamish and Andy... and that was purely because of the interview style. It was very obvious that they were enjoying that one.

I think it’s because Sophie herself set the precedent for what she wanted and it was really rammed down our throats with those emotive ads of her tearing up in the beginning. I also think that everyone who is married knows that having children from a prior relationship does ad complexities, although those complexities can of course be overcome. I think we all wanted her to (well I did anyway) to find this dream guy that would just sweep her off her feet, almost like a Lee No. 2 but of course at 37 the pool was narrowed. Having said that though I do think the interviews were harsh and I do want her and Stu to have their happily ever after. JMO

@ssin0547 I have to agree Sophie herself made it clear what type of man she wanted. Unfortunately she didn't elaborate on her definition of normal until after the show had finished.

For me personally, it's not that their relationship is doomed because of what Stu brings into it. I am simply questioning the genuine, deep love Sophie professed to have for Stu on the back of their project interview.

Stu has said many times he came on the Bachelorette for one reason and one reason only, to get Sophie. He got what he came for and I truly hope he can make her happy.

I find myself getting annoyed at all the social media backlash Stu is getting for 'being willing to leave his kids for a girl'. Just because he said he is not tied to Sydney. All of the people saying that are looking at it from the perspective of their own lives and how 'doable' that would be in their situation.

When you don't have a job with set hours... and you are not limited by finances... it is a VERY easy thing to do to have two bases. It's not even worth a second thought.

I will share my own experience as an example of what I am talking about. I live on the beach in QLD, but I worked in Sydney for 15 years. It was nothing for me to just drive to the airport, jump on a plane with no luggage and go to Sydney for the day. At one point I kept an apartment in Manly as well and that made it even easier. I would get on a plane (also with no luggage) get off the other end and a driver would pick me up and take me to my door in Manly. The travel time was nothing, no inconvenience at all.

I had a lot of friends who would look at me and wonder why I didn't do things in a much cheaper way. I had a flatmate in Manly who was there full time... he would ask me ALL THE TIME why I didn't get on the ferry to go into the city instead of getting a driver. I would say "because I don't care how much it costs, it's about the convenience". Money was not a limiting factor for me. I could walk out the front door, get in a car, then get dropped off at exactly where I was going. All without having to look at timetables or worrying about doing the walk at both ends in heels or breaking into a sweat. It was all about the convenience.

Now you take Sophie and Stu's situation. Money is not a limiting factor for either of them. They don't work set hours. They have houses in both Sydney and the Gold Coast. Stu's kids don't live with him. It would be SO EASY for him to just be in Sydney whenever he wanted to be, multiple times a week if he wanted, to do whatever he wanted to do with his kids. It would be SO EASY for Sophie to come with him whenever she wanted. Flight times between the gold coast and Sydney are 1 hour. It's a 1 hour flight. They don't need to check in luggage. You get to arrive 15 minutes before take off, board without checking in (because no luggage) and get off the other end and walk straight out to wherever you want to go. It's quick, easy and convenient.

It would be different if she lived in Perth and they had to deal with a 5 hour flight, but the reality is that there are people who have longer driving commutes every day than the time it would take to fly to Sydney from the Gold Coast.

I also had to have a bit of a giggle at the articles about Stu taking his carry on stuff on the plane with a plastic bag when he has money to buy whatever he wants. I used to be a guest lecturer at a certain Sydney university, as well as a Queensland one... and my students wouldn't blink an eye when I showed up in the lecture theatre still in uggs. I didn't do suits, I liked to be comfortable and I figured I had earned enough respect without having to dress for it. I didn't wear make up either. I've done days where I would fly to Sydney for the day in track pants, uggs, no change of clothes at all... do a lecture and then turn around and fly straight home. I was always late so I reckon I missed my plane at least 50 times. I would just pay a $50 fee and take the next one. Not an issue.

So back to Stu...

He has WAY MORE money than I do so his 'normal' would be even more far removed from the average person than mine. He can base himself anywhere on the East Coast and be a 1.5 hour travel time away from his kids, ready to travel at any time. He and Sophie will divide their time between the two places and it won't be any kind of hardship for them. I'm sure they would consider it just an extension of what they already do.

The one other point I want to touch on is the huge backlash he is getting for saying this is the happiest he has been for 20 years... when he has kids. HE STILL HAS HIS KIDS!!! It's not like he has lost them? He now has his kids AND Sophie. So 'happiest he's been n 20 years' seems like a very natural thing to say?

Lastly, I am sorry if I offend anyone with what I have said. I have been dealing with people not understanding why I do things the way I do them for years and years. Sometimes I feel like I am on repeat saying "It's not about the money, its about the convenience". Watching people on Social Media judging Stu for things that they can have no understanding of, is really getting to me because it's the same thing I deal with. Blurgh.

All JMO of course. Love you all. Sorry if I come across as entitled or pretentious.

@Stoneleigh I have enjoyed reading your perspective all season and thank you for providing some background to it.

IMO The Project last night was a classic tall poppy reaction, saying that Sophie had followed a "typical woman" path because she did not know her own mind I found condescending to her and all women. I agree, I think money will give this relationship a greater chance of success. I have heard Sophie say she would move to Sydney but as you say they could have multiple bases.

I did buy that they had begun to fall in love at the finale and thought both of them were very emotional and passionate. This negativity won't be easy on the relationship and Stu's daughters. Normally the bachelor couples who succeed do so because they get out of the spotlight. Sophie with her job cannot do that.

AEF wrote:@Stoneleigh I have enjoyed reading your perspective all season and thank you for providing some background to it.

IMO The Project last night was a classic tall poppy reaction, saying that Sophie had followed a "typical woman" path because she did not know her own mind I found condescending to her and all women. I agree, I think money will give this relationship a greater chance of success. I have heard Sophie say she would move to Sydney but as you say they could have multiple bases.

I did buy that they had begun to fall in love at the finale and thought both of them were very emotional and passionate. This negativity won't be easy on the relationship and Stu's daughters. Normally the bachelor couples who succeed do so because they get out of the spotlight. Sophie with her job cannot do that.

Thanks AEF.

I really feel bad for Stu because there are two types of rich people that I come across... the ones that flash it around and look down their noses at people... and the normal ones who mix with normal people, treat people normally and maybe come across a bit eccentric at times because they use their money for comfort and convenience. Stu is very definitely the second kind.

The second richest person I know (100s of millions rich) drives around in an open top beach buggy thing worth about $800 and wears a singlet, stubby shorts and thongs. You would never in a million years think he had money unless you went to his house... which is obviously worth millions and millions. Me personally, I would be considered a bit eccentric by some. I go down to the shops in cut offs, croc sandals and a cheap T-shirt, because I wear that most days, hair in a messy bun, no make up. I have a handbag that looks 10 years old and ratty (because it is) simply because the internal pocket system works best for me. Then I pull out a Dior wallet (which I am sure the check out ladies think is fake) because they work best for my cards and money set up.

Before I had kids, I used to shout my best friend on overseas holidays every year. We went skiing in Canada, Italy, etc. She is a normal person with a normal job who can't afford the holidays I want to go on, but I don't want to go on a shoestring budget when I don't have to... so after a LOT of convincing she just let me pay. One year we spent a month tripping around Italy and France, all 5 star. I shouted an extra friend to come with me that year simply because I knew that I would have days that I just wanted to rest and I wanted her to still have someone to do things with. People did NOT understand why I would spend a couple of hundred thousand dollars to do that. For me, it was about making it easy for ME. I didn't want to stay in backpackers. I didn't want to feel guilty taking a day off and having her having to do things by herself. The money was not a consideration. It was all about convenience. Unless you have experienced it, or have had someone point it out to you... it's not something that people consider as a valid perspective. It's hard to talk about without coming across obnoxious too.

I consider myself a very normal person. I have previously said I'm crafty and have a cat. I like to stay home. My friends are all normal people. I had kids in an unconventional way (IVF using donor) because I could. My idea of a good relationship is having a man who has his own house and goes home to it... . I like my own space. I have friends who are friends with Stu and I have met him once (as previously stated). He is VERY normal and it annoys me to see him judged just because he has money. He has boats and cars because he likes them. I have a nice car too... I like driving. I have a 6 speed manual, turbo rally car that has a nice luxury coating. I like to take the racing lines when driving and pretend to be a race car driver sometimes...

It's just a different perspective. I hope they make it because they are really well suited. I'm sure yesterday was highly uncomfortable for both of them and I would not be reading anything into any of the stories.

Apologies if I come across obnoxious... again.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/entertainment/tv/were-calling-it-there-is-no-way-sophie-and-stu-are-still-together/ar-AAu97x4?ocid=spartanntp

Who knows what's going on with them but ....

source

iamreal2u wrote:Who knows what's going on with them but ....

source

Ha hah - without seeing Sophie's face she sounds like a 75 year old chain smoker at a gallery opening, IMO. Best wishes to them both.

It was very fortunate Jan happened to approach a complete stranger to her and Sophie film their meeting (completely off-the-cuff of course), or I would still have doubts Sophie and Stu are together.

I would have preferred to see a genuine 'loved-up' snap of them, smiling and happy posted to Instagram. But sadly not to be.

So did that Jan lady go up to them and say something and then Sophie asked Jan to say it again and then recorded her?