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The Bachelor 2022: Shock twist as second Bachelor is announced

Just one day after it was revealed that professional basketball player Felix Von Hofe had been cast as this year’s star of The Bachelor, a second leading man has been announced in a first for the Australian series.

Thomas Philbin-Malucelli, a 35-year-old former restaurant manager from Sydney, will be handing out roses alongside Felix on the Gold Coast as the joint stars of season ten, according to The Wash.

2022 stars of The Bachelor Thomas Philbin-Malucelli and Felix Von Hofe.
Thomas Philbin-Malucelli is set to star alongside Felix Von Hofe on season ten of The Bachelor. Photos: Facebook / Getty

Thomas, who boasts 11,000 followers on Instagram, grew up in a small town near Florence in Italy and has worked in the hospitality industry for 20 years all over the world.

According to social media, he has previously worked at Walt Disney World and served as Rihanna’s personal waiter when he lived in New York City.

For six years he was employed as a restaurant manager at O Bar and Dining in Sydney, and he most recently worked at SETA SYDNEY.

However, Yahoo Lifestyle can exclusively reveal that he quit his job at the Italian restaurant just last week.

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In 2017 Thomas launched his own health business, calling himself a transformation specialist and lifestyle entrepreneur to help people “create their ideal level of health & generally feel fantastic”, according to his LinkedIn.

He also took part in the 16-week total-body transformation IsaBody Challenge in 2019, becoming the first-ever global champion and earning $90,000 in prize money.

The Bachelor's Thomas Philbin-Malucelli.
Thomas works as a transformation specialist and lifestyle entrepreneur. Photo: Facebook

The leaked announcement comes shortly after the show’s host Osher Günsberg shut down the rumours that the show has already started filming.

The TV star texted Brisbane radio’s Stav, Abby & Matt on Tuesday hinting that Felix and Thomas might be decoy Bachelors.

“I'm still in New South Wales, still to get a haircut and shave properly. I haven't even dinged my wedding ring on a champagne flute, so I don't know what this is,” he wrote.

While Channel Ten are yet to confirm any speculation over a joint Bachelor, it wouldn’t be the first time the franchise has cast two leads after sisters Elly and Becky Miles in season six of The Bachelorette.

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