Bold ties, blow up toys, small dogs, torn shirts and a whole lot of testosterone - There was a lot to take in for New Zealand’s first Bachelorette Lesina Nakhid-Schuster on night one at the mansion.
With the first few out of the limo, the 32-year-old beauty was greeted with juggling, gifts, smiles, flirtatiousness and some awkwardly long hand holding.
The Bachelorette’s men definitely brought personality, not only in their entrances but also in their attire - we’re looking at you and your watermelon-print tie Connor Osbourne.
But Lesina took it all in her stride laughing off being called old (I cringed), battling a case of the runny nose, hit with some oddly hard questions - again looking at you Connor - and facing a fear of dogs.
There were however some initial sparks with some of the contenders vying for her heart. Hawke’s Bay sheet metal engineer Quinn Ryan bagged the first impression rose for his hand-crafted steel rose.
But before getting into that, a preview of the series to come. Less than two minutes into the sneak peek there was intense pashing scenes, tears from both her and the men, and a lot of nudity.
They didn’t keep viewers waiting for the last point though.
Elliot Gilchrist was introduced butt naked diving into a pool. The 32-year-old Wanaka painting company owner proved his point that he was chill and doesn’t take life to seriously.
But he wasn’t the only one getting his kit off early.
Auckland personal trainer Marc Johnson’s first impression out of the limo was tearing off his shirt to prove he didn’t have a dad bod. Lesina didn’t seem put off by the bold move though, in fact quite the opposite, so tick for Marc.
However, while she showed she can have a laugh, the Auckland-based doctor and actress says she’s focused on her demanding career and is now ready to shift and prioritise a relationship.
The series opened with a family dinner where she introduced her family, including her Samoan-German dad and Trinidadian and Tobagonian mum.
Lesina says she’s got a pretty good judgement of character and is looking for a man who’s like her dad - a role model.
Aaron McNabb, a 27-year-old Hamilton food tech teacher, could be in with a chance then given Lesina mentioned her dad was a principal. The pair seemed to click well and sneak previews of episode two suggest he may be up for a one-on-one date.
Those who won’t though, despite his sense of humour and big personality Elliot was sent home alongside Clayton Turner and Tyler McKendry.
The battle of the alphas looks set to continue into the coming weeks, but then men better watch out - the viewer was let in on a secret they don’t yet know. There’s a mole in the house so I’m hoping for their sake they watch what they say.
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