COUNTRY CUPID
A fresh crop of bush bachelors are looking for ‘the one’ in a new season of FarmerWantsaWife, writes Holly Byrnes
NATALIE Gruzlewski loves playing cupid to the bush bachelors on Farmer Wants a Wife,
but her role as host on the new Seven reality series goes well beyond matchmaker.
Besides coaxing a few bashful types to make their moves on the original dating show, the former Getaway presenter has to play camp counsellor as soon as those stage lights and cameras blaze into action. For suitors who have spent large parts of their lives isolated on remote properties, sharing only the company of their parents, perhaps a few siblings and a herd of cattle or sheep, walking onto the TV set for the first time makes for an almighty culture shock, Gruzlewski says.
“Harry was the first farmer to walk on set and he whispered to me, ‘It’s like walking into a slaughterhouse,’” she recalls, with a laugh. “I was trying to calm his nerves – and the others’ – but pretty soon they fi nd their feet and it’s on with the show.”
While shows like The Bachelor and the more manipulative Married at First Sight manufacture the drama and cast for chaos, Farmer has prided itself on handing over the reigns to the five men brave enough to search for love, with the whole country watching on.
Once the farmers were chosen, their profi les were posted online and open to applications; with the men whittling the thousands of lonely hearts down to just eight each. In the fi rst episode, each farmer is introduced to his chosen ones, and given a day to get to know them all, before making the difficult decision to send four home.
While there are those who are quick to tears, when the sparks fly it makes for magical TV.
“There are so many dating shows these days but Farmer was one of the originals and its heartwarming stuff,” she says.
“It’s exciting and the results have been amazing … nine marriages and 20 kids and counting.”
The lucky five offer different life experiences and a variety of prospects ahead. Farmer Alex, 29, is this year’s self-confessed “love virgin” – struggling to fi nd a better half as he works the family sheep and cattle farm in Cunnamulla, south west Queensland.
Seemingly the shy type, he comes out of his shell when he takes his fi rst potential bride home and she proves to be Lady Luck – breaking the drought and bringing the rains with her.
Farmer Harry, 29, has the ladies swooning straight up, showing his soft side when one woman’s nerves get the better of her and she bursts into tears at the sight of him. The grapes, cotton and sheep farmer from Goolgowi, NSW, is quick to talk about his feelings and make all those around
him feel comfortable. He’s also a natural comic, telling producers he
“would love to have kids but I don’t want to rush the fun part of trying fi rst.”
Farmer Neil, 43, a merino sheep farmer from Crookwell, NSW, has three kids, aged 14-17, from his first marriage, and has made it clear he’s not keen to have any more; but doesn’t mind if his new partner comes to the relationship with her own family. His maturity sees him send one woman home quite soon into the series, knowing they are better off friends than lovers.
Farmer Nick is one of the dream dates this series, tempting his would-be wives to his vineyard in the picturesque town of Deviot, in Tasmania.
The 44-year-old lived in Los Angeles for 27 years, as evidenced in his hybrid accent, but has planted roots back here – building a log cabin for romantic nights ahead.
Farmer Sam is this year’s youngest bachelor, at 28, and has his Italian mother cook for his first date back on the family’s fruit farm in Innisfail. Citing his interests as tractors and farming, he might be in for the greatest education when the city girls come to town.