Dirty tactics!
Final four Bachelors face off
After friend-zoning, a cheating scandal and three shock walkouts, the country’s first Bachelorettes Lesina NakhidSchuster and Lily McManus finally announced their top four guys!
Doctor Lesina’s The Bachelorette NZ frontrunners are travel agent Logan Carr and high-school food technology teacher Aaron McNabb, while Lily has the hard task of choosing between clothing designer Richie Boyens and bartender Jesse Williamson.
Looking dashing at a secret photo shoot ahead of the bombshell March 30 final episode, the boys of The Bachelorette played it cool, doing their best not to spill the beans on who goes home together. And with all four contestants head over heels, there’ll definitely be some elated lovebirds – as well as broken hearts.
“Waiting, wondering if Lesina is going to pick me is frightening,” says a besotted Aaron, right before Woman’s Day went to print. “If she picks me, this could mean the beginning of my forever after, which would make me so happy. This is probably the hardest position I’ve ever found myself in.”
His biggest competition – songwriting romantic Logan – admits he was pleased when sailor Mike Bullot, 35, walked off the show, landing him in the final two. “It was freeing because the biggest thing you worry about in an experience like this is time,” Logan shares.
“It meant the time only had to be shared with one other person.”
It also gave him the opportunity to take Lesina home to meet his family – the first girl who’s done so in six years! “The last person who met my family I married and that left me broken for a long time after it ended. I’ve picked up the pieces, but deep down I’ve been scared I couldn’t fall in love again. I have hope now, which is exciting and terrifying.”
Hamilton-based Aaron admits he was confident fighting for Lesina’s final rose after Mike walked, telling, “I’d built up in my head he’d be there at the end. I felt awesome when I realised I was in the final two, but the fear of heartbreak is more than ever.”
The guys in team Lily also anticipated the potential of lasting love. “Being in the top two was surreal. It was sad to see Quinn go and surprising, because he’s a fan favourite,” says Jesse, who was bartending in Whistler, Canada, before filming the TVNZ 2 show. “But I was excited to meet Lily’s family because I know they’re important to her. That was the most pumped I’d been.”
Jesse – who took the Bachelorette babe to meet his family in Gulf Harbour, Auckland – says they got on really well, despite how it looked. “My family loved her. The whole conversation around the table was a lot of fun, but none of that got shown. It made it look awkward, which was annoying because my family aren’t awkward at all.”
But the visit helped Lily see the real Jesse. “It solidified what she already knew about me, which was nice because I guess people can get away with being someone they’re not in the mansion.”
Describing his feelings for Lily as “pretty strong”, Jesse admits being up against Wanaka-based tailor Richie worries him. “The chemistry between him and Lily is pretty evident and he’s a smooth dude! Obviously, we haven’t seen eye to eye and that’s mainly because we’re each other’s biggest threat.”
Richie confesses he was unusually insecure during his
time on the show, knowing his crush was on other dates.
“The time we spent together was natural and the way we got to know each other was organic, and if she doesn’t choose me, I’ll be gutted,” says Richie, who blew Lily’s mind with a surprise skydive during his South Island home visit.
“She hasn’t let on to us the whole time about who she’s going to pick, so it has been very stressful!”
Jesse jumps in with some final words, “Lily and I started off with a solid friendship before we even had a first kiss. Hopefully, Richie doesn’t take away my dream girl!”