In a world-first, The Bachelorette Australia will feature two Bachelorettes that are also sisters in Elly and Becky Miles when The Bachelorette Australia premieres on October 7 at 7:30 pm on 10 and 10 Play.
The Australian series will be unlike the American season in 2015 where the men chose between the two Bachelorettes in the first episode with one of the ladies being sent home immediately. It will also differ from the New Zealand season earlier this year where a second Bachelorette joined after the show was already underway, with both sisters here starting the show together on the red carpet and continuing their journey together to the final rose.
The format will work with the same number of male contestants as a regular season of The Bachelorette with both women able to date and give roses to whoever they want in that group. The pool of men aged between 24-35 is made up of an even number based on the profiles of both Bachelorettes but they aren’t assigned or locked into either woman.
The Bachelor Australia’s executive producer at Network 10 Hilary Innes told Mediaweek the reason for the choice was to be authentic and to react to the mood in the community. When talking to Elly Miles from season seven of The Bachelor the jigsaw pieces began to come together.
“We stay in touch with these people and see how they are going and what they are up to, and she talked to us about her sister and the more we talked the more it felt really wonderful.
“They are not too far away in age and are very good friends, it is a very relatable idea with the siblings with the support you could offer each other, and interesting how they would react to finding love together on The Bachelorette.
“These girls are perfectly cast for the world that we are in at the moment. They are really joyful bubbly and authentic young women. I know Elly has been on The Bachelor before, but they are both really real and relatable and it feels like fresh air.”
Innes said that one key component to the show that hasn’t existed before is the close bond between the Miles sisters as they go on this journey together. Which also means there isn’t much conflict or competition between them.
“These girls are not only sisters, but they are best friends and they are very supportive of each other. Becky talks about watching Elly on The Bachelor with Matt Agnew and how hard it was to see her younger sister heartbroken. If one girl early on signalled interest in one guy the other one will support her. We never got the sense that they would go after the same guy. The men are very definite too and you will see that quite quickly in the series.”
This is the second season in The Bachelor/ Bachelorette universe that has been impacted by Covid-19 after the mid-season shut down of The Bachelor with Locky Gilbert.
“There were small compromises here and there with activities but not as much as in Locky’s season.
“The main area that it affected production is in terms of where people live, with more people from interstate in this season. When you get to the hometown episodes that is where it impacts you because you just can’t travel. We have more hometowns in this season of The Bachelorette due to doubling up.”