Scrolling through Alex Nation’s Instagram feed, for a hot holy second we totally forgot she is one half Australia’s supposedly most loved-up couples.
After what seemed like years, the proverbial man himself, Richie Strahan appears in what would seem to be an obligatory post from the Logies back in April.
There was a time where these two were joined at the hip.
The couple have been plagued by break-up rumours for months.
Adding much fuel to the fire, after falling in love/lust/liking each other the most of the options presented to the Perth local on The Bachelor last year, they’ve barely been seen together recently.
Shunning the spotlight, almost completely, the duo refused interviews at the TV Week Logie awards in April, leaving fans wondering if their romance was just for show.
You know the romance levels are at an all time low when Dave Hughes calls you out.
The face you make when you realise you still another six months left on your love contract…
Not that there is a contract.
Remember when Alex and not Nikki was standing at the end?
“If you win The Bachelor, you get 20 dead roses and a dud boyfriend for 6 months.. and possibly a couple of cold sores,” infamously roasted at the Logies.
Hughesy even pointed out that Richie and Alex were in attendance and apologised for making them the butt of his joke.
“That’s Richie and Alex, they’re still together…. not sure how long they’ve got to go but good luck.”
Do yourself a favour and relive the moment in the video player below!
Sometimes you just got hang with an ex.
In this time of what some fans (this fan) has described as “despair”, Alex has turned a very safe and very familiar face… Her ex husband and father of her son, Joel Porter.
Last week the duo were spotted hugging in a car park before heading off for a meal.
The pair share six-year-old Elijah, and he looked pretty darn pleased to be hanging with both mum and dad.
“Joel and I will always have love for each other because we share a beautiful child,” Alex revealed last year.
“That will never go away.”
The couple adore their little one.
“We got married, we wanted to do everything right for our son but it ended up not being right for us as individuals.”
The pair have maintained a great friendship.
Alex has always been vocal about her unwavering devotion to Elijah, admitting, “My little boy is everything to me.”
After Alex took out the reality show, she and her ex faced public backlash surrounding their parenting choices.
Joel, who is dating partner Ashy Smith, told his Instagram followers it had been “an interesting and confusing, at times frustrating experience for all of us.”
Adding, “Fame isn’t what any of us want…I just want everyone to be happy, I want what’s best for everyone, and I just want to protect and look after my little boy. He’s number one.”
“In an ideal world, you want your child to grow up with an intact family, but two really happy and loving homes is better than one unhappy home.”
We have a young sensei on our hands.
And Ashy agrees, musing, ‘Elijah already has a mum that loves him and he loves her.”
“My main priority is to love and protect him, and to give him another positive role model in his life.”
“I just want to provide a safe haven and bubble where he’s living a normal life doing fun kids things with not a concern in the world and is completely unaware of what else is going on!”
The dust has seemed to settled and the family have found themselves back into their routine.
Despite any personal hardship, the 26 year old looks stunning.
We haven’t seen these two together since May 17.
Alex and Joel were briefly married after she gave birth to their son Elijah in 2011, but it is understood they divorced two years ago.
Touching on her former romance, she reflected, “We got married, we wanted to do everything right for our son but it ended up not being right for us as individuals.”
“There was a battle where we were asking ourselves, ‘Do you stick it out and not be with the one who is your soul mate?'”
“There was a strain on us individually because you feel guilty for your child that you are separating.”
And it would seem once again Alex is faced with that strain.
Sharing a final cuddle. PIC CREDIT: DIIMEX
According to onlookers, Alex was wearing the same outfit when she hung out with Kris.
The 26-year-old has fans wondering if she’s been won over by another reality TV star – male model and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! babe Kris Smith, 38.
“I saw Alex and Kris at Crown arcade in Melbourne together,” an onlooker told Woman’s Day.
“They seemed close and left the venue together.”
The two only added fuel to the fire when they both took to social media to share pictures of themselves dining out on burgers at Hungry Jack’s just days later.
For the very first snaps of the pair together, be sure to pick up a copy of Woman’s Day magazine, on stands now!
