The brutal truth behind Nick Cummins' shock Bachelor finale

NICK Cummins has found himself labelled “Australia’s most hated man” since he decided to dump both women on The Bachelor finale.

But according to last year’sBachelor winner Laura Byrne, Cummins actually gave Brittany Hockley and Sophie Tieman a much kinder fate compared to what usually happens on the show.

“To be honest I think I would prefer that than rather than not being chosen,” Byrne told news.com.au.

MORE: Nick Cummins says he has ‘never been in a mental space as low’

“I think that feeling of being rejected, and then also knowing that you are alone by yourself and upset — and knowing that he’s off having a great time with the person he has just chosen — is probably far worse than being able to have a wine with your girlfriend and then being, ‘oh well he didn’t pick either of us.’

“Maybe it would be emotionally a better outcome because there’s not one person who is hurting.”

Byrne, who was chosen by Matty Johnson over runner-up Elise Stacy, said she believes it was better for Cummins to pick no-one rather than try and force a relationship.

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“He was in a bit of a rock and a hard place and what he did what was right for him,” she said.

Also making things difficult is that fact that producers work overtime to ensure contestants are never left alone with The Bachelor, something Byrne admits was the one part of the show she struggled with the most.

“That’s to stop conversations happening that could jeopardise the surprise,” she explained.

Another funny memory from the reality TV show is that contestants were strongly discouraged from eating the delicious cheese platters that get wheeled out on dates — something that must take an iron will if you’ve ever watched an episode of The Bachelor.

“You’re definitely told, ‘don’t be eating into the microphone and no-one is going to be able to hear you, and you’re just going to sound like a slob’,” Byrne recalled.

“I think unusually the cheese platters get eaten by the art department more so than actually the contestants.”

Byrne, who is currently saving to buy her first home with Johnson in the next six months, believes the key to their relationship lasting beyond the camera is that they were both honest with their feelings.

“I was really lucky with Matt in that everything he said he wanted — that at the time I believed — when we got out of the show the way he acted and the way he behaved was exactly in line with the things he said he wanted,” she said.

Besides meeting Johnson, the jewellery maker’s time on The Bachelor also saw Byrne’s rescue dog Buster become Insta-famous after appearing on the home visits episode.

Byrne, who has partnered with natural grain-free dog food brand WholeHearted, said most people now recognise Buster before they realise who she is.

“Half the time when we’re walking down to Bondi people will be like, ‘oh my god I know this dog — oh wait were you were on TV?”’ Byrne laughed.

“He’s pretty iconic being that he is so big, and with only three legs he is very hard to miss.”

- Follow Laura Byrne on Instagram or for more information on WholeHearted, visit the website.

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