Second time lucky
When Will Dwyer tuned in to Farmer Wants A Wife back in 2008, it was to watch his mate, Rob Hodges, potentially find love. The pair had bonded at the Portsea Surf Life Saving Club; when they’re not on their farms, both men head straight to the beach.
But little did Will realise he already knew the woman who would win Rob’s heart. During his childhood in Melbourne, Will’s next-door neighbour was Joanna Fincham – and his jaw dropped when he saw her arrival on TV.
“Knowing Jo, I knew straight away they’d be a great couple,” Will, 39, tells The Weekly. “And I was right!”
Thirteen years, one wedding and three kids later, Jo and Rob are enjoying their “happily ever after”. So when the casting call went out for the new season of the reality TV series, Jo vowed to help her mate find his own fairytale romance.
“He’s got a beautiful personality, he’s warm, caring, fun, cheeky, and we knew he’d be a great candidate,” she says of her decision to give Will’s details to producers. “He’s one of those guys who, when he hugs you, you know he really means it. And he’s a spunk, too, so that’s a bonus!”
Having been mostly single since his 20s, Will decided the time was right to throw caution to the wind. “If you’d asked me any other time, I would have said, ‘I can’t, I’m too busy’. But when they rang me, I looked at it and went, ‘This is my one chance,’” Will says. “I want this opportunity. I’ve seen it work, so it makes me very optimistic.”
“Rob told Will to just be yourself and have fun,” Jo says. “That’s how Rob approached the show and we had such a beautiful experience. We knew Will would be in safe hands.”
Farmer Wants A Wife is coming soon to Channel Seven and 7plus.