Sonia Kruger in 'bidding war' as Channel 9 makes a move for Golden Bachelor reboot

Sonia Kruger may soon be set to take on a surprising new role, with an insider telling Yahoo Lifestyle that The Voice host could soon be set to head to a different network. With the recent news that Channel Nine is set to introduce Aussie audiences to a local version of The Golden Bachelor, there is speculation that Sonia could be the one to take the helm.

Reality fans were saddened earlier this year to learn The Bachelor wasn't coming back to our screens again in 2024, with Channel 10 not continuing with the series after 11 seasons. However, an Aussie version of The Golden Bachelor (a format that took off in the US last year) could be just the thing to mend their broken hearts.

Australia's very own Golden Bachelor

TV Blackbox reported that Channel Nine would be announcing The Golden Bachelor at its annual Upfronts event in October, and Yahoo Lifestyle understands that the network now has eyes on Sonia Kruger to jump ship from Channel Seven and host the series, replacing long-standing Bachelor host Osher Gunsberg.

The first series of The Golden Bachelor in 2023 was a huge success in the US, and saw 72-year-old Gerry Turner (yep, that guy in the photo above is 72!!) step into the Bachie shoes, with his finale drawing in 6.1 million viewers in the US, making it the biggest episode of The Bachelor in three years.

Will Sonia Kruger host The Golden Bachelor?

Sonia previously left Channel Seven in 2011 to take on Nine's reboot of Big Brother Australia, with the move considered a "huge risk" at the time.

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"The word on the street is that Sonia could reboot The Golden Bachelor on Channel Nine in 2025," a source told Yahoo Lifestyle. “Channel Nine loved working with Sonia and everyone would welcome her back with open arms. There is a real bidding war which will see two networks keen to lock her services down in the new year.”

Channel Seven is yet to announce what's in store for them in 2025, but with Big Brother cancelled, our TV insider says there is a "hole" in Sonia's contract.

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While Osher Gunsberg hosted every season of The Bachelor on Network 10, our source said changing hosts is a "real statement" and that the network would want to get it right.

"The Bachelor is going to look very different to how Network 10 has been making the show," the insider told Yahoo Lifestyle, saying Nine wanted the show to look more 'lux' and that executives are interested in the "class" Sonia would bring to the series.

"The ambition is to appeal to a wider audience and make it a yearly feature on the network. There is no reason it won't be as big as MAFS in a couple of years."

“The Channel Seven star is yet to hear what the lineup for 2025 will look like if she stays with the network but with Big Brother cancelled there is a hole in her contract that will need to be fixed if she is to be picked up again," they said.

Yahoo Lifestyle previously reached out to original Bachelor host Osher Gunsberg last week about The Golden Bachelor news, but has yet to hear back.

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