'I fall in love with a soul.' 9 Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants who came out after the show.

The Bachelor might be over and out (for now, at least) but thankfully, the show introduced us to countless reality stars who still occupy our hearts and Instagram algorithms. 

Throughout the many seasons of The Bachelor and spin-off The Bachelorette that aired in Australia, quite a few of the contestants have spoken openly about their sexualities, with some beginning same-sex relationships after their season. One former contestant even went on to become the first bisexual Bachelorette. Brooke Blurton, we don't deserve you. 

So, who are all the wonderful Bachie alums to have come out since their season? We've rounded up all the biggest stars. 

Brooke Cleal.

Brooke Cleal was introduced to viewers on The Bachelor, competing with eventual winner Holly Kingston for Jimmy Nicholson's heart in the 2021 season. Fast-forward to August 2023, Brooke hard-launched a new relationship she started since moving from Melbourne to London, with a woman named Alyssa Viktoria.

"This post is not only opening up about one of the most loving, liberating, empowering relationships, but also the struggles I have experienced behind the scenes and the progression I've made within myself and my sexuality in the last two years," Brooke began.

"I've been so torn between excitement and fear for months, mostly worried of rejection and scrutiny for the second time in my life. The suppression of my feelings caused sleepless nights and significant frustration and questions. As soon as I met [Viktoria], she had this energy so individualistic, I just magnetised. Full of fun, charisma, intellect and wit continuing to leave me speechless."

Brooke Cleal hard-launches new girlfriend. Image: Instagram/@brookecleal. 

More recently, Brooke opened up about an experience the couple had with homophobia. 

"We were seated next to a family of four: two kids, husband and wife. The daughter was taking Snapchats of me and Alyssa holding hands and kissing through our entire entrée," she posted in an Instagram Story. "At this point, I was eating with a phone directly in front of us with them laughing and screaming 'lesbians', 'get them on Snapchat.'"

The Bachelor star said she called out their behaviour but staff had to get involved. "When I confronted them to stop they recoiled, so I flagged it with one of the staff members who should be commended on how wonderful she handled the situation," Brooke shared. 

Angie Kent.

Angie Kent became one of the most iconic leads on any season in The Bachelor franchise when she fronted the series in 2019. She left the series with Carlin Sterritt, but it wasn't meant to be. 

In 2020, Angie Kent opened up about her sexuality during a chat with The Kyle and Jackie O Show. She revealed that "I've always said since I was younger, I fall in love with a soul rather than a gender."

To this, Jackie O asked "would that make you pansexual then?" and Angie agreed "Yeah, there you go."

Angie Kent rose to fame on Gogglebox. Image: Instagram/@angiekent_.

In February 2023, Angie admitted on the Two Girls One Pod podcast that she was casually dating a woman. 

"I have met this beautiful... she's a girl, so she's a lesbian, a woman. In the past I have dated non-binary [but] this is the first time I have been with someone who identifies as a woman," she said. 

"I didn't know how I would go with it, because I'm very attracted to masculine energy, but the more I date a woman, the more I'm like, I'm not that attracted to masculine energy [anymore], I just thought I was. I really love the feminine energy." 

Abbie Chatfield.

Since her unforgettable debut on The Bachelor in 2019, Abbie Chatfield's career has skyrocketed to unprecedented heights and she's been open about identifying as queer.

Chatfield initially came out as bisexual when she appeared on Bachelor in Paradise in 2020. Upon her exit from the series, she wrote on Instagram "FYI I'm bi so… women also pls dm me?" 

Abbie Chatfield speaks candidly about her dating experiences on podcast, It's A Lot. Image: Instagram/@abbiechatfield. 

In another Instagram Story, she clarified that she prefers to be known as queer. "I no longer go as 'bisexual', I'm now 'queer'. I had a revelation when I was with [podcaster] Rowdie Walden on the weekend so just letting you all know," she said.

"I guess it doesn't mean that much tangibly. You can call me bisexual if you want to but just letting you know I've evolved." 

Chatfield has since spoken openly about her experiences dating women on her podcast It's A Lot. The FBoy Island host is currently dating Aussie musician Adam Hyde, who is one-half of DJ duo Peking Duk. 

Konrad Bien-Stephens.

Konrad Bien-Stephens became a fan favourite on Brooke Blurton's The Bachelorette before he went on to date Abbie Chatfield for a short time. Back in 2022, he answered a Q&A about his sexuality when one fan asked him: "What's your sexuality? Are you bisexual?"

In response, the carpenter said "Everyone always asks me this question. It's an interesting one. To be honest, I have not met a man that I am attracted to sexually... yet," he noted. "Maybe I will one day. Who knows? Maybe I never will. I'm not going to say I'm not bi; I’m not going to say I'm heterosexual."

Konrad Bien-Stephen was the breakout star of The Bachelorette. Image: Instagram/@konradbien. 

Then in November 2022, he opened up further in an interview with The Daily Telegraph about his sexuality.

"I have been thinking about it a lot lately and I would probably say I was pansexual if I was going to say anything," he told The Telegraph.

"For me, all of my relationships have been with females. It is hard to say because I want to be respectful in saying it but I guess I haven't met a guy yet that I have wanted to date or sleep with in a sense. It is only a new thing for me to think about and navigate. Within the building industry, it is an interesting territory to navigate."

Konrad is currently dating Australian musician, Thelma Plum. 

Alex Nation.

Alex Nation rose to fame as the single mother who won Richie Strahan's heart on The Bachelor. After their split, Alex  started dating her AFL teammate Maegan Luxa.

On Bachelor In Paradise, she briefly dated Brooke Blurton. 

In an interview with WHO magazine, Alex said she didn't identify with a specific sexual identity. "I'm just Alex, I don't label myself as gay, lesbian, bisexual – I am who I am and I connect with who I connect with, and that's just the bottom line," she shared. 

Alex Nation is now a mum of three. Image: Instagram/@ alexandranation.

In 2023, Alex Nation welcomed her second baby with her partner Carson Jory which rounds out their family along with Alex's first son, Elijah. 

Megan Marx.

Megan Marx became the first contestant to turn down a rose on Richie's season. Then after the show, it came out that she had started dating fellow contestant, Tiffany Scanlon, with the women briefly moving to Bali together before splitting.

Back in 2017, Megan spoke to Confidential about the public's response to her sexuality. "I don't feel like people take my sexuality seriously… being bisexual or sexually fluid, people automatically think it is a publicity stunt," she said. 

"Look at some of the most ­famous people in the world, people like Kristen Stewart or Cara Delevingne or Amber Heard, they've all struggled with this where they have a relationship with a woman and people question it."

Megan Marx has since modelled for Playboy. Image: Instagram/@megan.leto.marx.

In 2021, Marx penned an essay for SBS where she wrote about some of negative experiences she endured while dating Tiffany. 

"The existing problems in our relationship were exacerbated by the reproval of our cast peers, the lack of public acceptance and workplace tolerance, and the media onslaught. We were constantly propositioned for threesomes, asked why we'd go on a show when we were clearly gay, mocked by people we thought were friends, groped, and pulled by arms and waists for photos as if we were things, not people," she wrote.

"Many women approached me at bars to win bets with their mates, or to 'see what it would be like' to be with a girl. I went on a date with a woman who I had liked for years, only for her to call the paparazzi for her own publicity. I went on a date with a woman who went home with a man." 

Tiffany Scanlon.

In 2017, Tiffany penned her own essay for her blog about the experience dating Megan under the public eye. 

"You may or may not know that I was a contestant on The Bachelor Australia in 2016 where I met and eventually fell in love with another female contestant from the show," she penned.

"It was my first relationship with a woman and it was hard enough trying to find my way through that, let alone with the constant onslaught from media, fans and haters." 

Tiffany has since pivoted her Instagram page to post self-worth advice under the umbrella, the Worthy Women Society. 

Brooke Blurton.

Brooke Blurton famously told Nick Cummins on the 2018 season of The Bachelor that she was bisexual. But it turns out that coming out on national TV was never something she planned to do. 

Brooke revealed on Abbie Chatfield's podcast It's A Lot that she felt pressured by the other women, including by frontrunner Brittany Hockley.

"That spread like wildfire around the house," Brooke told Abbie. She began hearing "little whispers" that she had an obligation to tell the Honey Badger about her sexuality.

Brooke Blurton became the world's first bisexual Bachelorette. Image: Instagram/@brookeblurton. 

Brooke said she confronted Brittany about the whispers. "I had a couple of wines because I was like, I'm so over this, this is annoying, it's getting on my nerves, really. Because it's not a thing. If I want to tell him, I want to tell him. If I don't, I don't," she said. 

"[Brittany] got so defensive about it. It was a pathetic discussion. It was a conversation that I didn't really wanna have... I'm here on a show, dating a Bachelor, a male. It doesn't really matter if I break up with him and I get back together with a girl, who cares?"

Brooke went on to become the first-ever bisexual Bachelorette around the world. 

Jamie-Lee Dayz.

Another contestant on the Honey Badger's season, Jamie-Lee entered as an intruder and failed to make any real connection, but would go on to appear on Brooke's season of The Bachelorette to see if she could find a spark with her 2018 co-star. 

In 2018, Jamie-Lee responded to rumours she was bisexual, telling WHO that “My sexuality is just who I connect with, I don't really put it down to a gender— it's about connection to me," she said.

"I don't really think that it defines me; I don't think I need to disclose that to anyone."

Jamie-Lee Dayz explored her unfinished business with Brooke Blurton on The Bachelorette. Image: Instagram/@jamieleedayz. 

Jamie-Lee and Brooke formed a tight friendship after their season, which turned romantic on The Bachelorette.  

"There were so many times in the mansion where I would want to sneak over to your bed, but I just didn't know," Jamie-Lee told Brooke. "It was scary because if I had put my feelings out there and you ended up with Nick, then I would’ve lost you as a friend."

Brooke reciprocated the feelings. "I'm going to be honest with you, I had feelings for you in the house. Just know that,” Brooke replied.

Brooke and Jamie-Lee briefly dated on the show but they didn't go the distance. 

Feature image: Instagram/@abbiechatfield/@brookecleal/@brookeblurton.