Channel 5 has announced The Bachelor UK is returning in 2019 on Monday 4 March at 10pm. With past bachelor's including Gavin Henson and Spencer Matthews, the show is set for a big revival after it was axed in 2012. Mark Wright will host the show, consisting of 10 episodes where the lucky singleton will choose his favourite out of seventeen potential partners. HELLO! had the chance to speak to this year's Bachelor, Alex Marks, to find out what we can expect from the show!
Who is the new Bachelor?
Alex Marks, a 31-year-old who owns a personal training studio in South London which specialises in fitness for pregnant and post-natal mothers. Marks turned to the show to find love after being single for 18 months. Although the show is not the most conventional way of finding love, The Bachelor explained to HELLO! that the premise of the series works: "You get the opportunity to meet a range of women and have alone time with them…the premise of other reality TV shows like Love Island is a little bit more forced, I invested my emotions and heart into everything meaning there was a true connection if it worked!"
The Bachelor will search for love over 10 episodes
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What will Alex be searching for?
The seventeen hopefuls, including a freelance makeup artist and 22-year-old who has previously appeared on Celebs Go Dating, are amongst the few who were in the running for becoming Alex's leading lady. Though the 31-year-old has stated that "the one I picked had to be someone I had a real human connection with, this was consistent with a lot of the finalists, but in the end it boiled down to my gut and heart." We can't wait to see who the former deputy head boy picked…
What were some of Alex's dates like?
The personal trainer explored South Africa, Antigua and the UK to find the woman of his dreams. From diving with sharks to petting cheetahs, the youngest of three brothers explained there was a huge variety of dates, though the Kent raised singleton did hint that not all the activities appealed to the women: "one of the dates was shark diving, I really enjoyed that date but maybe not both of us did!" Let's just hope that this date wasn't as bad as one of his pasts: "I went on one date where all she did was look at her phone over dinner, I'd say 80% of the time she was on her phone and we didn't speak much, then once I had paid the bill she gave me a nice smile and that was it!"
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Mark Wright presents the series after returning to the UK from America
How did Alex Mark and Mark Wright get on?
Alex explained that during his time on the show, the former Extra presenter, Mark Wright, had really supported him. Alex clarified that the television personality continued their friendship even now, after filming had finished: "we text daily- he was a real confidante while I was out there, a male to chat things through with as your head can get pretty funky so it's nice we have remained friends." With Mark's marriage with Michelle Keegan thriving despite two years of living apart, and the former reality star making the decision to quit the US chat show to return to his wife, it seems that the former The Only Way is Essex star was the perfect person to help the singleton navigate his way to the woman of his dreams and prioritise love over everything.