'Let me at him': Ali kicks bad-mouthing Bachelorette contestant out

It was a showdown of epic proportions on The Bachelorette on Thursday night and if you're following along with the show, you won't be surprised that Charlie is the man behind all the drama.

In a matter of weeks, the guy has become besotted with leading lady Ali Oetjen and tasked himself with protecting her at all costs, acting as her eyes and ears, personal security service and faithful lapdog - even though she's a fully grown woman who didn't necessarily ask for such treatment.

On Thursday night, Charlie's protectiveness took centre stage when he revealed to Ali that one of his fellow bachelors, Nathan - whom everyone knows was there for a good time, not a long time - had been talking about the salacious rumours that have followed Ali since she appeared on Bachelor in Paradise earlier this year.

Sitting down for a chat with Ali at the cocktail party, Charlie wastes no time in getting to the point.

"You said to me you're looking for actions, not intentions," he says to Ali. "I believe you may be falling for intentions again."

"This is exactly what I need to know, I need to know if there are people in here that are disingenuous," Ali replies.

Telling her that some of the men in the house are simply telling her what she wants to hear - which is most definitely true - Charlie spills that Nathan's been perpetuating nasty rumours about Ali's split with ex-boyfriend Grant Kemp, behind her back.

Ali was clearly upset to hear what Nathan had been saying behind her back. Credit:Network Ten

"Disgusting rumours, by the way," Charlie says, pouring salt in the wound.

Ali is infuriated. "Oh my god, let me at him," she says, marching off to find Nathan.

She rightfully points out when talking to the camera that Nathan's behaviour is completely disrespectful, and says she's not going to put up with it.

Meanwhile, Charlie tells his friend in the house, Paddy, what he's kickstarted.

"She knows now, I spilt it. She needed to know, man," he says.

"Takes a true man," says Paddy - but does it, really?

Ali approaches Nathan and demands to know what he's been saying about her, and the guy becomes the very definition of a deer caught in the headlights. He's caught completely off-guard and as he tries to defend himself it rings false - to our ears and to Ali's.

Ali confronts Nathan. Credit:Network Ten

He offers to go and talk with Charlie so the three of them can sort things out. It does not go well.

"Were you saying horrible things about me?" Ali asks Nathan in front of a group of the guys.

"No way!" replies Nathan, before Charlie steps in: "I know exactly what you said and I'll repeat it if you really want me to."

"I said what I had heard - but that was not the first thing that was said," Nathan says, throwing it back onto the rest of the guys.

Taite steps in and tactfully takes Ali away from the escalating argument, leaving Nathan and Charlie to fight it out. Nathan gets increasingly upset and Charlie stands firm.

"Charlie. I said a rumour that I was told," Nathan says, looking genuinely upset.

"It was disgusting," Charlie replies. "It was f---ed, you know how I feel about her. It's a girl I've got a connection with and you're bagging her out in front of me - of course I'm going to f---ing call you out any day of the week, mate."

They go back and forth for a few minutes, getting increasingly aggressive and ending with Nathan calling Charlie a "spiteful piece of sh-t".

"I really, really feel sorry for Ali if she ever, ever ends up with you. You're a f---ing spiteful and jealous person," Nathan tells Charlie. "110 percent and I'll take that to my grave. You're a spiteful piece of sh-t."

Danny, in the middle, is all of us. Credit:Network Ten

Charlie plays it cool as Nathan walks out. Ali, meanwhile, has asked a few of the other guys for their opinions. After they back up what Charlie says, she takes Nathan aside to tell him it's not going to work between them.

Nathan protests, saying he hasn't been able to defend himself and that Charlie shouldn't be listened to. "Charlie is a jealous, malicious person - he's a piece of sh-t," Nathan says, in a last-ditch attempt to convince Ali she's wrong about him.

But Ali has already made up her mind, and soon afterwards an upset Nathan is on his way home.

It's time to go, Nathan. Credit:Network Ten

To be perfectly honest, the whole scene is just frustrating.

While it's... nice that Charlie is looking out for Ali's best interests, it's also annoying as hell watching him play God. His possessiveness is becoming somewhat alarming (editing may have something to do with how strongly it's coming across) and we'd really, really, really like to see Ali navigate this experience on her own - without the input of the men around her.

She says she's learned lessons from her past experiences - now it would be great if Charlie let her put them into practice, without butting in.

Genevieve Rota is the PM Digital Editor for Entertainment at Fairfax Media.

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