Ex-Bachelor star reveals shocking secrets from Matty Johnson’s season

A former Bachelor contestant has exposed a litany of embarrassing secrets about the popular dating show.

Laura-Ann Rullo, who starred in Matty Johnson’s season in 2017, made the bold claims during an Instagram Q&A earlier this week.

She claimed many scenes were completely staged and that producers decided which women were sent home, not Matty. 

Laura-Ann, a criminal lawyer, was the second contestant to leave the mansion.

She said the worst things about the show were ‘the lies, the lack of empathy, not being able to talk to family, and the long hours’.

While she acknowledged the program wasn’t scripted, she claimed the women had to pretend they didn’t know each other even when they did.

She also claimed producers knew how to ask questions cleverly to get the responses they wanted for television, which led to contestants saying things they didn’t mean.

Laura-Ann’s most extraordinary claim related to the rose ceremonies, where the suitor decides which women go home.

She alleged that Matty didn’t have control over who stayed in the mansion, and this was actually decided by producers.

Matty wasn’t able to choose for himself until the final stages of production, she claimed. He also allegedly didn’t pick which women went on dates. 

‘No, he doesn’t choose who goes on the dates. Producers choose who goes home until when there is a only a few girls left,’ Laura-Ann claimed. 

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel 10 for comment. 

During Laura-Ann’s stint on The Bachelor there was uproar when fans spotted Matty wearing an earpiece during the rose ceremonies.

It was rumoured this was because producers were feeding him instructions. 

However, a network spokesperson said at the time: ‘The Bachelor or Bachelorette are occasionally required to be connected to the director if there are technical difficulties with cameras, audio and lighting.

‘Once they get the all clear, they can continue with the Rose Ceremony proceedings. The Bachelor or Bachelorette never wears an earpiece during a cocktail party or on dates.’ 

Interestingly, Matty once halted a rose ceremony to deliver a heartfelt speech about his motives for being on the show.

‘I’m not some puppet that’s just being told what to do… When I pick someone for a single date, that’s because I picked them myself,’ he said.

‘When you receive a rose in the rose ceremony, that’s because it’s entirely my decision.’

This year’s Bachelor is former Australian Survivor star Locklan ‘Locky’ Gilbert.

Filming was temporarily suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, but is believed to have resumed in recent weeks.