‘The Bachelorette’ Australia Chooses First Openly Bisexual Lead, Will the U.S. Follow Suit?
The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have been two of the most heterosexual shows on television since they premiered. While other countries have had bisexual contestants on the show, the United States has been slower to catch up. Contestant Demi Burnett made headlines when she came out on Bachelor in Paradise and ended up with Kristian Haggerty. Now, The Bachelorette Australia has cast it’s first openly bisexual lead and will have both men and women competing for her heart. Is this a sign that the American Bachelorette will follow suit?
The first bisexual Bachelorette
The Bachelorette 2021 in Australia will feature 26-year-old Brooke Blurton as the first bisexual lead. In a break from tradition, Blurton will have both men and women competing for her attention. In addition to being the first bisexual lead, she is also the first Indigenous woman to take on the role.
“I am so ready for this,” Blurton said in a statement. “Having the opportunity to choose my person and who I want in my life, is a truly unique and special experience
“My perfect person is someone that loves me for me. I hope they offer shared values and compassion for others. All the dreamy things! I’m so excited and hope that I finally find that person I’ve been waiting for.”
The franchise is excited for this change, as well.
“We are a nation of people from so many different backgrounds, so many different cultures and so many different experiences, yet we all have one thing in common – we all want to be loved in a way that is meaningful to us. I can’t wait to get started on helping our Bachelorette Brooke find that kind of love,” host Osher Günsberg said, according to People.
Who is Brooke Blurton?
Australian fans may recognize Blurton from when she competed for rugby player Nick Cummins’ heart in 2018. She left the season on her own accord before making it to the final rose ceremony. She also participated in a season of Bachelor in Paradise.
Will ‘The Bachelorette’ USA follow ‘The Bachelorette Australia’s’ lead?
Since Blurton’s announcement, fans of the The Bachelorette Australia have shown their support on social media. Even some of the American Bachelorette contestants have expressed interest in joining Blurton’s season.
“Congratulations!! Where do I submit?” Alex Bordyukov (from Rachel Lindsay’s season) commented on Blurton’s post.
The U.S. portion of the franchise has been increasingly crtiticized in recent years for being very straight and very white. To rectify that, the show cast its first Black Bachelor, Matt James. His season was unfortunately overshadowed by a controversy surrounding one of his contestant’s previous attendance at an Old South plantation party.
The franchise has slowly been inching toward being more inclusive of different sexualities. After Burnett came out on the show, it seemed like the franchise could be headed for a change, however there haven’t been many openly bisexual contestants since then.
Most notably, former Bachelor, Colton Underwood, came out as gay after his Bachelor relationship with Cassie Randolph ended.
Given the response to the Australian Bachelorette and Burnett’s coming out, it’s clear that some fans are ready for a more inclusive U.S. Bachelor and Bachelorette. Whether ABC will listen is another story.
