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Bachelor 2020 finale: Irena Srbinovska wins Locky Gilbert's heart
Locky Gilbert’s journey to find true love is finally over, with the 31-year-old declaring his love for nurse Irena Srbinovska in Thursday night’s highly-anticipated finale of The Bachelor.
“I’m so in love with you and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you,” the adventure tour guide said to Irena, 32, as the couple stood hand-in-hand in a beautiful country garden, surrounded by purple flowers.
“The moment I met you I saw myself here,” Irena admitted before embracing the man of her dreams.
Locky presented his lady love with a custom-made commitment ring by Larsen Jewellery thought to be valued at a cool $30,000.
It features a striking 6.14ct pear shape purple Tanzanite gemstone accentuated by two pairs of diamonds.
Locky was reportedly ‘very engaged’ in designing the ring, in particular the setting which is shaped in the form of a shell.
Bella’s heartbreak
Sadly, Locky and Irena’s fairy tale ending meant heartbreak for marketing coordinator Bella.
Upon seeing the 25-year-old walk toward him he burst into tears before telling Bella that even though he was in love with her, he didn’t see a future together.
“I just don’t know if I can see us working,” he said.
After a tense few moments, a stunned Bella asked if she could leave before turning on her heel and walking away.
Bachie fans react
Of course, Locky’s decision was met with a mix of support and criticism from viewers on social media, with many voicing their opinions loud and clear.
Many were happy to see him end up with Irena, with one fan tweeting, “Irena was my very first pick from the very first group photo.”
Locky’s double love confessions made several viewers feel rather awkward.
“Oof yikes imagine being Irena and having to watch Locky confess his love for Bella. Awkward,” one wrote.
“If you’re in love with two people, you’re not in love with anyone,” remarked another.
Others couldn’t get enough of Bella’s blunt reaction to being rejected.
“Bella’s reaction was priceless! Not taking shit,” wrote one.
Some just wanted proof that the couple were still just as loved up today as they were in the finale.
“Waiting for the video to see if they’re still together....” tweeted one.
Their wish was Channel 10’s command, with the network releasing a sweet video of Locky and Irena gushing over one another shortly after the episode aired.
We've got a very special message just for you from Locky and Irena! We can't even with these two 😍 #TheBachelorAU pic.twitter.com/9e8XgbqaA2
— The Bachelor Australia 🌹 (@TheBachelorAU) September 24, 2020
Locky’s final two
After weeks of romantic dates, drama-filled cocktail parties and forced separations due to COVID-19, Bachelor Locky was left with a difficult choice between two amazing women.
Both Irena and Bella formed strong connections with Locky over the course of the season, with Bella earning the honour of the coveted first date after enchanting the ex-Survivor star on the red carpet.
Irena, too, left her mark on Locky right from the get-go after setting his heart racing with a stethoscope on night one. The pair continued to deepen their bond on action-packed single dates including fencing and a camping trip.
In the end, it was Irena who won Locky’s heart.
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Finale rumours were true
While the winner is always a closely guarded secret, an age-old fan theory about the positioning of the final two women in promotional pics for the finale had many certain that Irena would be the last one standing — and they were correct.
Others believed that Locky himself may have dropped a hint as to which contestant he ends up with in a pre-finale chat with New Idea.
He told the publication that, despite the rumours, he was still “110,000 per cent in love” with his chosen lady and was “beyond excited” to reveal her identity in the finale.
“I'm so happy and all I want to do is tell people how great she is,” Locky said.
It might not sound like much but Locky’s high praise had people thinking that he was talking about Irena, who has been working as a frontline nurse in Melbourne during the coronavirus pandemic.
Sportsbet also had Irena as the odds-on favourite to win at $1.30 while Bella was tipped to be the runner up at $3.30.
Bella appeared to pull out all the stops to win her man in the penultimate episode by donning a head-turning 'naked' dress featuring a sheer skirt.
She shared a snap of the dress — by bridal and red carpet designer J. Andreatta — to her Instagram account ahead of the episode, sending her followers into a spin.
“Is the dress a subtle hint...?” one wrote alongside several bride emojis.
“Wifey material or what, I'll be in complete shock if Locky doesn't choose you,” another added.
In contrast, Irena went with an understated yet no less stunning black floor-length gown with a thigh-high split.
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