The Bachelor
Matthew Agnew on life & love
As Australia’s latest man given the honour of handing out the roses, Melbourne-based astrophysicist Matthew Agnew will spend the next few months opening up his heart to some of the country’s most eligible women. In a chat with Woman’s Day, Matt talks about his past relationships, revealing that he didn’t feel the need to let his exes know about his new TV role. The 31-year-old also reveals what he thinks about taking over the role after last year’s disastrous finale with Nick “Honey Badger” Cummins...
Going on a dating show to find love is unorthodox – tell us about your dating history...
I’ve obviously dated in the past, via friends of friends, through work, Tinder and Bumble – lots of different ways. To me, this was just another way to meet a potential partner. I’ve certainly had some serious relationships in the past. For whatever reason, they just didn’t work out... [but they] led me to this point in my life and I’m now hoping that everything’s about to change.
No crazy exes to worry about?
Look, I’d be surprised if that was the case. They’ve all been really lovely relationships.
Did you feel obligated to let your former girlfriends know you were going on the show?
It definitely crossed my mind and eventually I decided not to. It came to a point where I realised that most of them have moved on, so it just seemed unnecessary to poke my head in again.
A big part of being the Bachelor is cutting off girls who don’t fit the bill. How have you found that part of the “journey”?
It’s probably the uncomfortable part of this process – knowing that you are going to be hurting people throughout. I don’t think anyone’s good at it. With this you need to just be – and I certainly will – as compassionate as you can be.
What’s been your go-to approach to breaking up with someone? Are you the type to dump someone via text?
It’s a discussion that always warrants a face-to-face. I think the key thing is to let people react however they feel they need to. If they just want to completely cut myself out from [their life] or want to ask questions or be angry... people will deal with it how they want to.
How did your parents react when you said you were Australia’s next Bachelor?
They were quite cautious. Being parents, they went straight to protective [mode] – what are the bad things that could happen from this? Once the initial shock wore off they were very supportive and excited for me.
Are you the kind of guy who would be wary of dating someone who has cheated on a former lover?
I think when someone is open with you about that from the start, it means that they’re putting it on the table to acknowledge their mistakes and that they want to grow and move on from that. It’s a tough one and it’s something to keep in mind, but
I like to make my decision based on my interactions with someone [rather than their past].
As an astrophysicist, are you looking for a partner whose career and intellect match your own?
I don’t have a checklist in terms of career. The thing for me is just passion about what they do. One of the things I’m excited about is that I’m probably going to meet a complete range of women from all different backgrounds that I might not ever have had the chance to have met. There are no must-haves for me.
Does your job seem intimidating to women?
It sounds a lot more impressive than it is! It’s often something that previous partners have found interesting, but I think everyone’s job is interesting when they explain it in a passionate way.
‘You definitely need to be as open and honest as possible’
Last year, the Honey Badger refused to pick someone at the end – and fans weren’t happy. Did that add pressure to not disappoint again?
There’s certainly no pressure, but you definitely need to be as open and honest as possible. I have every faith that when the time comes, I will make the right decision.
THE BACHELOR
premieres Wednesday, July 31, 7.30pm, Ten