A contestant has come out as bisexual on The Bachelor Australia for the first time
The Bachelor Australia has welcomed its first ever bisexual contestant.
Natalie Holmberg, a 27-year-old midwife from Adelaide, came out last night during the reality show’s fifth season premiere.
She revealed to the bachelor of the moment, Matthew Johnson – known as Matty J – that her last relationship was with a woman.
However, many fans found the reasoning she used for being attracted to men and women problematic, to say the least.
Natalie said: “So I was watching The Bachelorette last year, and Matty J had his top off, and I thought to myself: ‘Why am I in a relationship with a woman?’”
She followed this up by telling the cameras: “I’m not going to say it turned me straight again…but in some ways it turned me straight again.”
In an interview with south Australian publication The Advertiser, Natalie said she wanted to be someone who LGBT people looked up to.
“I’d like to be a role model for those who felt slightly like I did…those who may have felt attracted to a woman, but are confused.
“Maybe I can show that you’re allowed to be both,” she added.
But she refused to take the label which many watching the show wanted to assign her.
“I don’t want to be pigeonholed as a bisexual…the fact we are even having this conversation now goes to show that we’ve still got a way to go to normalise sexuality,” she said.
“(But) maybe this is that one step closer to having a gay Bachelor one day.”
But her on-screen revelation – that abs can apparently change your sexuality – did not sit well with a lot of viewers.
Seriously who let Natalie on #BachelorAU She was in a relationship with a girl until she saw Matty shirtless? Seriously??
— Gina Haigh (@GeorginaHaigh) July 27, 2017
Natalie, you’re bisexual. Pretty sure this milquetoast dude didn’t turn you straight or whatever.#TheBachelorAU
— Jake Watt (@JakeChatty) July 26, 2017
“turned me straight again” this chick needs a reality check, it’s called being bisexual #TheBachelorAU pic.twitter.com/kNV0X4SrQr
— kylié (@heshalcyon) July 26, 2017
Angry Bisexual Gal reminding you that “turning straight again” is a gross idea + bi people are bi no matter who they date #TheBachelorAU
— Sara (@Sarkata) July 26, 2017
Ah, the only hint of queerness on this show and it’s some woman who says Matty basically turned her straight again. Fantastic #TheBachelorAU
— Cathy (@catherinebouris) July 26, 2017
Dear Nat, you’re allowed to say you’re bisexual. Also let’s not play the ‘Matty turned me straight’ shit because that’s gross #TheBachelorAU
— Stacey (@staceyclairrr) July 26, 2017
Some still loved her, though.
I’m sorry god I know Natalie was problematic on the bisexual thing but everything else she says is gold #TheBachelorAU
— Victorian Values (@vic_values) July 26, 2017
And this moment in the episode certainly divided opinion.
We get the feeling that Natalie is going to blow Matty J away… #BachelorAU pic.twitter.com/c1gikd16je
— news.com.au (@newscomauHQ) July 26, 2017
The US version of The Bachelor has already seen a contestant reveal a past same-sex relationship, with Jaimi discussing her ex-girlfriend during the show’s 21st season.
And two female contestants on the last season of The Bachelor Australia revealed after the show had ended that they were together.
Months after the season ended, Megan Marx and Tiffany Scanlon announced on Instagram that they had started going out.
Which was amazing, really.
