The Bachelor 2022: Contestants 'mad and confused' after major change

It was previously announced that season ten of The Bachelor Australia will star three leading men in a world-first for the franchise, but that’s not the only major change coming to the show this year.

Yahoo Lifestyle can reveal that instead of the season starting with its usual first night cocktail party, Felix Von Hofe, Jed McIntosh and Thomas Malucelli actually hand-picked which girls made it to the mansion.

A show source tells us: “To really mix things up, Felix, Jed and Thomas all went on a series of blind dates at the start of the season and chose which girls then make it onto the show. They were filming multiple dates a day, before then finally getting to the first cocktail party.

“A lot of the girls are pretty mad about this and confused. When they were told they'd made it onto The Bachelor, they thought they'd be moving into the mansion and get plenty of airtime, but in reality, half of them got a five-minute date in a park before being sent home.”

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One of the contestants, Leash Jewal, has now come out and slammed the new format after she had a picnic in the park with drummer Jed.

Speaking to The Wash, the 25-year-old said: “I went on a blind date with the Machine Gun Kelly-looking dude. I wasn't happy, I thought I was being pranked!

“He was nothing what I asked for in a person. There's nothing wrong with him, he's just not my type – he wore denim on denim, which is my most hated fashion no-no! I just feel like my whole experience was robbed because I thought I was being pranked the whole time.”

The Gold Coast mansion

The major change comes shortly after Yahoo Lifestyle revealed the $14.5 million luxury mansion on the Gold Coast that has been selected for filming this year.

The 2390m² two-storey mansion is located in Broadbeach Waters along the Nerang River with both waterfront and skyline views, as well as four bedrooms, five bathrooms, a gym and an outdoor pool.

It’s been described online as a “Beverly Hills-inspired masterpiece”, featuring an “ultimate alfresco entertaining centre” complete with an inbuilt wet bar, barbecue and open fireplace.

The property also includes an open plan kitchen lounge and formal dining area to create a “grand entertaining space”, and the second floor has an impressive wrap-around balcony.

‘We're so excited’

Channel Ten confirmed in May that season ten of The Bachelor will star three leads: basketballer Felix Von Hofe, drummer Jed McIntosh and restaurant manager Thomas Malucelli.

Speaking on The Project around the announcement, host Osher Günsberg described the upcoming season as both “fascinating” and “electrifying”.

“We’re so excited,” he said. "We are doing a world first. No one else in the world has ever had three Bachelors, so therefore the way it works and the way everyone gets to know each other is very different this year, but you will see that as we go.”

Osher went on to hint that the number of Bachelors isn’t the only change this season, suggesting that the show won’t even feature any candles or fairy lights as it has in the past.

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