Ten announces Bachelor in Paradise star Ali Oetjen as next Bachelorette
Ten has used the finale of the first season of Bachelor in Paradise to reveal Ali Oetjen is giving the franchise a third shot, and will star as The Bachelorette later this year.
Oetjen appeared in the first Australian season of The Bachelor, competing for the affections of Tim Robards in 2013, and came back to the network this year as a star of Bachelor in Paradise.
We’re delighted to announce that Ali Oetjen will be Australia’s next Bachelorette! #BacheloretteAU pic.twitter.com/4Sq6XRwgrG
— The Bachelor Aus ? (@TheBachelorAU) April 30, 2018
As the network was summarising the status of this season’s remaining relationships, it revealed Oetjen’s Paradise dalliance had failed to go the distance, but she was going to give love another shot – returning as the fourth Bachelorette.
The series starring Oetjen will screen after former Wallabies star Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins tries his hand as The Bachelor.
Network Ten chief content officer Beverly McGarvey said the nation had been “captivated” by Ali’s search for love.
“Warm, down-to-earth and honest, Ali is Australia’s sweetheart and we can’t wait to seethe country’s most eligible bachelors compete to win her heart.”
Oetjen said she was looking forward to returning once again to the program.
“I have had my heart broken, but I’ve picked myself up and I’m ready to put my heart on the line again. I’m absolutely thrilled to start this new adventure,” she said.
“I’m looking fora man who is light-hearted and kind, a genuine and down-to-earth man who will sweep me off my feet and love me for me. And I’m looking forward to offering that love back to him in return.”
Oetjen’s season will have the difficult task of emerging from the shadow of last year’s iteration starring Sophie Monk – which was the local franchise’s most successful season.
The finale of Monk’s season pulled 1.640m metro viewers and 2.204m nationally, after debuting with an audience of 951,000 metro viewers.
By comparison, Georgia Love’s season of The Bachelorette in 2016 attracted 655,000 metro viewers for its premiere and concluded with an audience of 790,000, which climbed to 972,000 for the final moments and the winner reveal.
The most recent iteration of The Bachelor featured Love’s second-placed ‘Matty J’, who had 846,000 metro viewers at the start and 1.116m for the final.
In the mean time, Ten will be pinning its prime-time ratings hopes on the return of Masterchef – which kicks off on Monday after revealing its season 10 brand partners this week.
topics
Ali Oetjen
Bachelor In Paradise
television
Ten
The Bachelorette
The Bachelorette Australia
TV
