Take a bloody bow Tara Pavlovic because you’re already a winner in Australia’s eyes.
Tonight, The Bachelor Australia lost one of the greatest women to ever grace its screens and we think we’re more heartbroken than the 27-year-old nanny was after MJ sent her home.
In this exclusive exit chat, the show’s resident bum grabber, sosso lover and all-round crack-up chats to us about getting over Matty J quicker than you can say camel hump, what’s next and if she’s really dating the mansion’s hot waiter….
Tara, everyone is gutted to see you go tonight! How did that final rose ceremony play out and did you see it coming?
I’m really, really happy now. And I was happy straight after I left that house. As soon as I didn’t get a rose, reality clicked in. I forgot for a second I was on a show and I realised all the emotions were heightened because of the bubble I was in.
It was really easy for me to accept it and I never went in there thinking I was going to be the last girl standing. I guess at the end, I thought maybe there was a chance but I just went back to my initial mindset that it probably wasn’t going to happen.
Did you feel satisfied with his explanation when he broke up with you?
I can’t really remember too much about the last conversation… He was actually crying a lot! I didn’t cry, I was very strong because everything clicked into place.
I was so OK with it. Matty must have felt guilty. Our last date was pretty perfect, he was all over me, we were all over each other.
I guess he felt bad to let me go. I don’t know why he got so upset? I was like, “Look Matty, I’ll be absolutely fine.” They didn’t show that because they want me to look upset. I was like, “Trust me I’ll be fine. What bars are open tonight, do you know? I’m keen for a drink!”
No broken hearts here! “I was happy straight after I left that house,” Tara tells us.
After such a great last date, you must have been quite shocked? How much did it hurt?
From when it was the four of us, I wasn’t confident [about winning.] Although we had great dates, I knew that the other girls were having great dates and getting the exact same feelings from Matty that I was getting.
I knew that there was a chance I could go home. We did have a good date and he was so romantic and he seemed to be so into me, so it was and wasn’t a shock at the same time. Also on the dates, you still are in that bubble and your emotions are heightened. As soon as you don’t get that rose, it just clicks.
I didn’t struggle at all with him dating the other girls. My motto was, “Whatever is meant to be, will be.” So I just thought if I end up with him, that’s cool! If not, that’s cool!
You’ve had a bit of time to process the break-up, how do you feel about Matty J now?
I wish Matty all the best, I have no hard feelings towards him. I know he signed up for this and he has to let people down. I hope he’s happy with the outcome and with his actions.
I hope he’s comfortable with what he had to do. I don’t know if I could personally do it myself but I wish him all the best. We got along really well so it would be cool if we could stay mates.
Tara was the provider of many classic moments on the show, including this priceless lol.
How did you get over the whole experience of sharing a boyfriend only to be let down at the end? How did you mend yourself?
I was fine as soon as I left! I went to Maccas drive through on the way home and got a chicken and cheeseburger, called my friends… It was absolutely fine, I didn’t struggle at all.
I think because I realised everything was super heightened and I wouldn’t have fallen like that for someone in the real world, everything is rushed! So I was totally fine.
Let’s talk about this hot waiter Derek who worked in the mansion and the rumours you two hit it off, what’s happening there?
I never gave him my number! Derek flirted with everyone and told me I was his favourite, well, not me but I think he made it known to everyone I was his favourite.
I think he liked me but the feelings were definitely not reciprocated. But he flirted with everyone there and the girls can back me up on this. Yes, we all got excited when he came in because he was the waiter and he bought us alcohol. It was a very exciting time when he came with his vodka bottles and wine and we were like, “Yeeeeah! Dezza!” We’d get all excited, you know – he’s bringing us drinks.
I was very polite to him in the same way I was polite to every other production staff on the show. He hasn’t asked me on a date and I wouldn’t go on a date with him. I’d hang out with him and have a drink with him maybe, but there’s not many people I wouldn’t hang out with and have a drink with.
I don’t see Derek any different to most of my mates.
WATCH: Our body language expert predicted Tara would go tonight! Find out who she thinks will win. Post continues after the video…
There’s also been a report this week which claimed MJ and Laura had a pact to go to the finals together and were dating before the show, and once you found out you were pretty upset?
Yeah, that’s all fake! That never happened and is totally fake. At least with the Derek story, there’s some truth to it. He flirted with everyone there!
In terms of me and Elise finding out they knew each other and had a pact, that never happened. I think Laura told me once that she saw him passing by, so I don’t know if they’ve given each other eye contact or Morse code type thing, but that’s all totally false.
What about your love life post-Bachie, are you seeing anyone?
No, I’m not dating anyone yet.
How did your family react when they found out about Matty dumping you so soon after home visits?
They were fine, they thought Matty was great and they all got along so well and they did like him.
But I don’t think they thought he was 100% right for me anyway. They were like, “He’s lovely but not our type of guy.”
They think I need someone a little bit more normal, grounded, more down-to-earth. I don’t know how to put it…
Maybe someone with not such a high profile?
Yeah, exactly! I guess it’s just his social scene, that Bondi thing is really not me. I don’t go to cool places, I go to my local pub and have the house wine. I’m pretty normal. I don’t really know many socialites.
I’m not materialistic and I’m not fake. I don’t want to be friends with people who are friends with me because I’ve been on TV. I want to be friends with people because I’m a nice person, not because of how much money they have or what car they drive.
We have to ask you – how incredible was Matty’s bum?
Oh, the bum was good! Yep, the bum was amazing. Definitely one of the best bums I’ve ever felt.
“Definitely one of the best bums I’ve ever felt,” Tara says of The Bachelor’s mighty fine derriere.
You guys did have such great banter and insane chemistry. How fun was it to let that unfold on camera?
It was really fun. Matty and I had so many laughs. I think with me he felt like he could act like an idiot, which was really good. We had many laughs and it was always a lot of fun with him. I really, really enjoyed my time on the dates with him.
Who do you think he’ll pick out of Elise and Laura and who do you think he’s the most compatible with?
I have no idea! I can’t make a decision on the two. I think he’s compatible with each of them in different ways. I don’t know!
What do you think on the final two girls?
They’re both lovely girls. Elise and I were super, super close towards the end. She’s a very similar type of person to me. She’s so intelligent, so caring and kind. Just an amazing, amazing person. Matty would be super lucky to have her.
Laura is also amazing and I really enjoyed my time with her. I think her and Matty would make a good couple. She was there when I needed her at certain times when I struggled in the house. She’s really good to talk to, very intelligent and driven.
Is it going to be hard to see Matty and his number one as they debut their romance to the world?
I think I could be mates with them right now. I don’t care! I have no hard feelings towards him or anything. I’m totally fine.
Relive Tara’s funniest moments in the player below. Post continues after the video!
There’s a lot of speculation you could be the next Bachelorette, would you consider it?
I don’t know… the whole way that they showed my brother on TV [by editing his conversation to make it look like he called Matty a liar] really turned me off that idea.
I felt quite betrayed by that and saw my brother get really hurt. That’s giving them a big responsibility to find my partner for life and I feel like my best interests were not looked at in filming.
It was quite disappointing. It was really hard to deal with and I’m still quite upset. I feel so guilty that [my brother] Troy is copping so much hate because I asked him to be there. He doesn’t deserve that!
There’s been stuff reported about my mum that is not true, it’s very messy! Matty’s been getting it so much, he’s been copping it! And people judging you…
I feel like I’ve been judged in a really positive light so far and I don’t know if I did The Bachelorette if I would ruin that.
You’re such a natural in front of the camera, would you be open to following in your mum’s footsteps and doing more TV?
I’d be open to more TV but I don’t know about reality TV! I would love [to be a presenter], I loved the camera and was quite good in front of it.
I wasn’t shy! People responded well and had lots of positive feedback and said, “You make us laugh!” I would love to keep making people laugh.
It’s definitely something I would look into if a great opportunity came up.
Tara was a natural on camera and says she’d love to pursue a career on TV.
It was a pretty intense year in terms of house dynamics – how did you cope?
I did struggle with a couple of the girls and I tried to just keep away from the confrontation as much as I could.
They knew that I didn’t like them towards the end. My only option was to keep away from it. There was no resolving it because those people were irrational and delusional.
What was the best and worst thing of your Bachie experience?
I loved meeting so many amazing women. It was so much fun with them and they’re friends I’m going to have forever.
The lowlight? It was just boring, there was a lot of downtime and a lot of waiting around which I’m not good at.
What’s next for you, is it back to nannying?
I’m nannying at the moment and have a lot of trips planned.
I’ll just see what happens with this and hopefully it opens some other doors so I can juggle nannying with some more fun stuff.
You sound so far from heartbroken, Tara! We think we love you even more now…
Thank you! I’m not heartbroken at all. I’m pretty resilient, it takes a lot to break me.
Watch this space Australia!
