Ah, The Bachelor Australia. The show we tune into for the romance (or lack thereof), but ultimately end up staying for the ICONIC Bachelor villains who’ve stuck in our minds to this day.
Of course, we absolutely do not condone some of the behaviour these girls have exhibited. But who woulda thought a trip down memory lane could ever feel so b*tchy!
From being high maintenance to not respecting the “girl code”, here are eight of the most memorable The Bachelor Australia villains that kept us talking!
8. Stephanie Lynch – The Bachelor Australia 2021
From her embroilment in #C*ntGate to a very awkward dinner with Jimmy Nicholson‘s sister, Stephanie Lynch was the chaotic villain who just kept on giving.
The pilot-hating Twitch streamer wasn’t afraid to throw girls under the bus and had the best exit we’ve seen on the show.
“Am I okay? Yeah, dude. I’m f*cking ecstatic. I would marry my ex a thousand times before I would get with Jimmy,” she told producers when she was booted from the show. Ouch!
Then she went rogue and spilled all the tea about her time on The Bachelor.
In episode 143 of the So Dramatic! podcast, Steph sat down with host Megan Pustetto to spill what really happened behind the scenes, and what it was like being a TV villain.
Since the show, Steph has returned to normal life and honestly, good for her.
Jimmy, who?!
7. Abbie Chatfield — The Bachelor Australia 2020
Abbie Chatfield is arguably one of the most famous faces to come out of The Bachelor Australia franchise. However, remember when the rest of Matt Agnew‘s 2019 cast HATED her?
During the airing of the show, Abbie received a tidal wave of hate from audiences who brandished her as a “bully”.
In fact, fans of the show were p*ssed that Abbie revealed to Matt that Monique Morley had referred to him as a “dog c*nt” and a “disrespectful pig”. Looking back now, who was the real villain here?
However, lest not forget Abbie’s brutal feuds with Sogand Mohtat and the nation’s favourite sweetheart of the day, Elly Miles.
“I don’t like talking ill about people but I just don’t think Abbie is taking this thing very seriously… I don’t know if she has the most pure intentions,” she told Matt at the time.
However, in a first for the show, Abbie, who was 23 years old at the time, and Australia’s most-hated Bachelorette, ended up in the final two with Chelsie McLeod.
Since the show wrapped, however, the “Gemini” has only gone from strength to strength.
Following the show, she was crowned Queen of the Jungle on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2021.
Abbie later landed two plum gigs as a TV host: the first being Love Island Australia After Party in 2021, then FBOY Island Australia in 2023.
She’s also the host of her own national radio show, Hot Nights with Abbie Chatfield and is now a panellist for The Masked Singer Australia.
Who said being branded a villain was all bad?!
6. Rachael Arahill — The Bachelor Australia 2019
The self-described villain of Matt Agnew’s season, Rachael Arahill (the one who showed up dressed as a bride), was arguably the unofficial “sh*t stirrer” of the 2020 season.
This was best exhibited when she embroiled herself in the whole “who called Matt a dog c*nt” drama. Plus, she was also accused of slipping her number to a producer. Naughty, naughty!
Rachael also continued to provide plenty of “scandalous” entertainment value even after leaving the show.
Most notably, she reportedly dated ex-contestant Vakoo Kauapirura. PLUS, she went rogue on Instagram live AND in episode 19 of our very own So Dramatic! podcast.
5. Romy Poulier, Cat Henesey-Smith and Alisha Aitken-Radburn — The Bachelor Australia 2018
Considerably portrayed as the worst of all The Bachelor Australia villains to date, Romy Poulier was one-third of the so-called “mean girls” trio that appeared in Nick Cummins‘ season of the show.
Romy was criticised for appearing to gaslight the other contestants, making her scenes deeply uncomfortable to watch.
Her right-hand woman and one of the alleged “mean girls” was Cat “I’m from Bali” Henesey-Smith, who was also portrayed as using controversial tactics to get ahead on the show.
Like Romy, she also came under fire for her alleged drama with the other contestants, followed closely behind by Alisha Aitken-Radburn, who miraculously climbed out of the hole she dug herself in, during the second season of Bachelor in Paradise.
Now, Alisha is DEFINITELY one of our fave stars to come from the franchise. She even has a book, titled The VIllain Edit, debuting in August!
4. Leah Costa —The Bachelor Australia 2017
One of two “antagonists” from Matty J Johnson‘s season of The Bachelor Australia, Leah Costa was a villain of the “I’m not here to make friends” variety.
While she was mostly just a bit cheeky, viewers may remember when she was unceremoniously dumped for her topless waitress past (which, for the record, was completely unfair). Considering all the OnlyFans careers reality TV has spawned since then, we think she was actually ahead of her time.
However, she also chose to disclose fellow contestant Simone Ormesher‘s very similar past to Matty J, which many felt was not her story to tell.
She did, however, tell TV Week that she and Simone made up after leaving The Bachelor mansion.
“Simone and I have put water under the bridge and explained why we did what we did. We’re friends now and it’s all resolved,” she said.
After her stint on Bachelor in Paradise in 2018, Leah started an OnlyFans which saw her making bank as a top content creator. Nowadays, she’s working in the mining industry in Western Australia.
“It’s been a wild ride and I’m grateful for the support, looking forward to putting my finances into new and exciting business ventures,” she told the Daily Mail in 2021.
3. Laurina Fleure — The Bachelor Australia 2014
One of the most entertaining “villains” the show has ever seen, Laurina Fleure is most famous for calling iconic Sydney restaurant Harry’s Cafe De Wheels a “dirty street pie”.
During a date with Blake, Laurina rocked up in high glamour only to be taken to a bowling alley and pie shop.
“Everyone else gets Ferraris, super yachts and private jets, and I get a dirty street pie,” she said, with the comment quickly going viral.
While the series tried to make her out to be an impossible diva who was hard to get, for the most part, Laurina was just a self-assured woman (“I don’t need a man, but that doesn’t stop me wanting one”) and very straight-forward about the reality of the situation.
“He’s dating, like, 20 other women, so it’s not like I’m emotionally invested,” she said. QUEEN.
Nowadays, Laurina is the founder of Beauty Aqua, a pure sparkling Australian spring water-infused water brand.
She is also in a relationship with James Price, whom she shares son Bastian Bear with.
2. Dani Sanby —The Bachelor Australia 2013
She was the original villain before it was a thing in Tim Robards season in 2013. However, poor Dani Sanby seemed more a victim of bad editing rather than just being a cold-hearted b*tch.
While Dani did start some drama, branding herself a “sexually aggressive psycho” didn’t do her any favours among the cast.
Just as the horned-up Abbie Chatfield was unfairly given villain status, Dani was hated by the other girls for being overly sexual.
1. Keira Maguire — The Bachelor Australia 2016
And the award for number one Bachelor villain goes to… Keira Maguire!
Easily one of the most memorable show characters to have ever graced our screens, Keira’s signature saltiness, sass and filter-free lines (who could forget her “peasant” and “game on, moll” moments?) make her the gold medal winner of the Bachie “villain” Olympics. Case closed.
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