EXCLUSIVE: The Bachelor’s Locky Gilbert is spending time with Married At First Sight’s Aleks Markovic during a break from filming after coronavirus forced Channel 10 to halt production
Things have gone from bad to worse for this year’s season of The Bachelor.
After COVID-19 shut production down in March, it looks like Locklan ‘Locky’ Gilbert may find himself a girlfriend on his own before filming eventually resumes.
Since returning home to Perth after filming was halted in Sydney, the 30-year-old has been spending time with Married At First Sight‘s Aleks Markovic, 27.
Finding his own match? The Bachelor Locky Gilbert has been growing close to MAFS’ Aleks Markovic after COVID-19 halted production of the show in Sydney, and he returned to Perth
Aleks and Locky met through mutual friends, and have been socialising.
Daily Mail Australia understands that the Survivor star accidentally appeared in the background of Aleks’ Instagram Live interview with Kyron Dryden on Saturday.
It is believed he quickly stepped out of the shot before anyone could take a screenshot, with confused fans commenting, ‘wasn’t that the Bachelor?’.
Locky recently followed Aleks on Instagram, as well as another Perth-based beauty.
Oops! Daily Mail Australia understands he accidentally appeared in the background of Aleks’ Instagram Live on Saturday – but stepped away before confused fans could take a screenshot
‘He’s a friend of a friend’: When approached for comment by Daily Mail Australia, Aleks denied there was anything romantic going on between herself and former Survivor star Locky
When approached for comment by Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday, Aleks denied there was anything romantic going on between herself and Locky.
‘I was with him on Saturday night, he’s a friend of a friend. Super nice guy,’ she commented, confirming he was present when she did her Instagram Live.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel 10 and Locky for comment.
Halted: Filming for The Bachelor was shutdown in Sydney in late March amid COVID-19. Pictured: Locky filming a date with contestant Bella Varelis for the show on March 9
Filming for The Bachelor was shutdown in Sydney in late March amid the COVID-19 pandemic, after the suitor had already grown close to several contestants.
Channel 10’s head of entertainment, Stephen Tate, said at the time that Locky would have virtual dates with the women in lockdown, until filming could resume.
‘We’ve got a good amount of the series in the can, we’re about a third of the way in, which buys us a lot of time,’ Mr Tate told KIIS FM on March 27.
‘We’re going to embrace what’s happening… It will form part of the story, and we think we’ll be able to deliver probably the most extraordinary series ever.’
What’s happening? The initial plan was for Locky to have ‘virtual dates’ with the contestants in lockdown until filming could resume. Pictured: Filming a date with contestant Bella on March 9
However, host Osher Günsberg has since admitted that the future of Locky’s season is now looking uncertain, with nobody quite knowing what is going to happen.
He said on the Shameless podcast on Thursday: ‘We are on hiatus. I don’t know what’s going to happen… and I don’t think they [the producers] do either.’
Despite taking ‘extra precautions’ during the coronavirus pandemic, Channel 10 and Warner Bros. decided to halt production with immediate effect last month.
‘I don’t know what’s going to happen’: However, The Bachelor host Osher Günsberg (pictured) has since admitted that the future of Locky’s season is now looking uncertain