Richie’s Been Named As The New Bachelor And Just Used It To Back Marriage Equality
COOL BANANAS.
After winning over most of the nation last year (but losing The Bachelorette to the most Australian man on television and a real-life vampire) Richie Strahan is back. Channel Ten have announced this morning he will be the new Bachelor for their fourth season when the show premieres in a few months time.
I'm absolutely thrilled to tell you that Australia's newest Bachelor is @richie_strahan. #thebachelorau He's a good… pic.twitter.com/67uqn9PxeJ
— Osher Günsberg (@oshergunsberg) March 9, 2016
In case this means nothing to you as you didn’t watch former Bachelor contestant Sam Frost “find herself” by completing a glorious nationally televised revenge circle on her ex-fiance Blake Garvey (and likely don’t even know what any of that means), you only need to know one thing: Richie is a sublime human. At least in the reality TV stakes.
He is a rope technician access worker, which sounds vaguely like he might be a spy. He is an enormous dork who incessantly says things like “cool bananas” and “let’s rock it”. And, on one of the coveted one-on-one dates in which people usually feed each other strawberries in helicopters and practice their orgasm faces, Richie dressed himself and Sam up as old people, crashed a bingo day at an RSL club, and did some breakdancing.
He is heaven.
Though Richie initially resisted the fans’ calls to take up the next series, he’s told media this morning that he’s been having a tough time dating off the show.
“Crikey,” he told The West Australian in perfect form. “I took a girl on a date and I had five people come up to me and ask for a picture or want to have a chat about the show. It was really sweet that they came over but it did make it difficult.”
When the paper asked him what his dream woman would be like, Richie then said
“they need to have a beautiful personality”. “If a girl loves me for me, I would be pretty chuffed with that.” Chuffed. The new Bachelor says the word chuffed. This is great.
His best quote yet however has come from an interview with news.com.au. Drawing attention to the reality TV turducken The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have both found themselves in with former contestants-turned-stars, they asked him who he would like to see on the next show.
“When Obama came out and said, ‘Love wins’, that statement echoed so immensely,” he replied. “I think that was just fantastic and I’m definitely pro that kind of thing. A same sex Bachelor or Bachelorette certainly would command a massive audience and show our Australian politicians that Australia backs equality.”
Oh, Richie. “That kind of thing” is probably not the best way to talk about millions of people’s ongoing struggles to have their loves and lives recognised with the same respect you get for dating women on reality TV, but the overall message is still pretty cool bananas.
Let’s celebrate with some of pictures of you shirtless and/or with dogs.
–
Cruisin with this one. #greatdane #gorgeous #landrover #sunday
A photo posted by Richie Strahan (@richie_strahan) on
–
–
Rex- What a little champion! ? #BacheloretteAU @bacheloretteau #saveourstrays
A photo posted by Richie Strahan (@richie_strahan) on