Earlier in the week, a nasty rumour that The Bachelor hopeful Alex Nation dumping her disabled ex-boyfriend Tom Barbour to chase reality TV fame went wild.
Reports that Alex applied for the marquee Channel 10 show while still dating Tom – her long-term friend of ten years – also claimed the 25-year-old’s supposedly jilted ex was travelling abroad to avoid watching her romance unfold on national television.
Thankfully, those rumours were quickly dispelled by Tom himself.
“No, these stories are not true at all — it was me that made that decision,” the university student told Kyle and Jackie O on Tuesday morning, citing that caring for Alex’s son Elijah was made difficult in a wheelchair.
“We did break up in September [2015] but she had not yet applied to the Bachelor. It was a peaceful split. We were just on different paths, different stages in life.”
On Thursday morning, Alex spoke to the KIIS hosts about the fictitious story for the first time.
"Are you frustrated when you see articles like that?" prompted Jackie.
'Yeah, I am, but when I first saw the article I knew wholeheartedly that it wasn't true,' the mum-of-one responded.
'[I was more upset by] the backlash I received from people who read it, who were just believing everything that they read. I received nasty messages and comments, so that was quite overwhelming for me.'
LISTEN: Catch up on last night's episode with Bach Chat, where we were joined by last season's runner-up Lana. (Post continues...)
Ultimately, Alex said she is thankful Tom - who severed his spinal cord in a construction site accident in 2012 - is still her close friend despite their split late last year.
'Thankfully Tom's an amazing guy and he jumped to my defence and I was really, really appreciative and grateful for that,' she said, adding: 'I'm very grateful for the friendship that we still share.'
'He is an awesome guy.'
Who wins The Bachelor will be decided tonight at 7.30pm on Channel 10.
Have you read Rosie's latest recap? Get up to date here.
These Movies Will Immediately Fix Your Life
The Spill
