Snezana Markoski from Perth has won the heart of Australia’s third Bachelor, Sam Wood. The 35-year-old fitness adviser talked up his affection and connection with an “intruder” contestant, Lana Jeavons-Fellows, but sent her packing on Thursday’s finale of the dating show.
But the real winner of the night might have been the New South Wales premier, Mike Baird, who had the Twittersphere in stitches with his 140-character zingers.
Apparently down with the “man-flu”, the premier tweeted his daughters had “hijacked the TV and are watching The Bachelor. Going to be a loooong night.”
He seems very sincere for a guy who is two-timing, live on TV. This is only a 30 minute show, right? #TheBachelorAU
— Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) September 17, 2015
In one of his many wry observations, Baird noted that “Gladys” – presumably the NSW treasurer, Gladys Berejiklian – “has been declining meeting invitations on wed and thurs nights. Coincidence?”
He ended his live twitter stream with: “I can’t take any more. Off to bed. Key learning: Cabinet decision making might be a lot simpler with a rose ceremony process.”
He wasn’t the only viewer having fun on social media:
The Bachelor was the most popular program on television on Thursday night, with 1.5 million viewers in the five capital cities. It gave Ten the top two programs of the night as the 90-minute show was divided into two segments, The Bachelor Australia – The Final Decision and The Bachelor Australia – Finale, and eclipsed Seven’s The X Factor, which attracted just 902,000.
Markoski, 34, earned the nickname “Parmigiana” on social media after Wood found it difficult to pronounce her name. The gushing Bachelor said he was in love with her. “I have fallen madly in love with you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Snezana, I really do,” he said.
Moments earlier Wood had shown his affection for the other Bachelor finalist, Jeavons-Fellows, who arrived partway through the series. “I really do feel with Lana I rise up to her level, she makes me feel better,” Wood said to camera. “She’s a beautiful, smart, gregarious girl. I just love being with her.”
But in their final meeting he told her: “I really do feel like you’re the perfect girl – I don’t know if you are the perfect girl for me and my heart has taken me in another direction.”
Markoski’s nine-year-old daughter, Eve, was frequently mentioned throughout the series, and played up in the show as a possible challenge for the pair’s blossoming romance. During their final date, Markoski said her daughter had to form part of his decision about whom he chose. Wood bought the nine-year-old a necklace and gave his new partner a ring, sans proposal, for the finale.
Last year’s The Bachelor ended in controversy after Blake Garvey proposed to Sam Frost but dumped her after the show and began dating her runner-up, Louise Pillidge. Frost will soon appear in a spinoff series called The Bachelorette in which 14 men will attempt to woo her.
