The moment that Renae and farmer Dylan came face-to-face at their speed date was magical. It felt like they were destined to be together. But on Sunday night, Renae’s time on Farmer Wants A Wife came to a tearful end when she walked out on Dylan, saying she was going to have a panic attack. So how did it all go so wrong?
The 23-year-old retail store manager tells TV WEEK she felt “instantly comfortable and calm” when she sat down with Dylan, 24, at the speed date.
“I was so excited and relieved when I found out he felt the same connection I did,” she remembers. “Dylan made me feel so giddy and giggly I just couldn’t stop smiling. I felt like I was on cloud nine that day.”
Arriving at Dylan’s farm in Cherry Gardens, South Australia, Renae says she was “definitely very nervous”.
“While I am naturally a little on the quieter side, I was just as involved and engaged as the other girls,” she adds.
But the weeks went by without Dylan choosing Renae for a date.
“It was incredibly difficult watching everyone else get opportunities to spend quality time with Dylan while I was waiting for mine,” she says.
“By the time the Dungog show came around, I felt completely defeated and heartbroken.”
Renae says she’d reached a point where enough was enough and she needed to be honest with Dylan about how she was feeling.
“I wanted Dylan to know that I wasn’t doing okay and I was hurt he hadn’t made more of an effort to take me on a date or get to know me better,” she says. “I’m so proud that I spoke up for myself, even though it wasn’t easy.”
After Dylan admitted the really good “gut feeling” that he’d felt for Renae at the speed date was gone, she got up and left.
“It took me a little while to calm down after my conversation with Dylan,” she remembers. “I was feeling every emotion at once: hurt, angry, disappointed and overwhelmed. The past few weeks had really taken a toll on me, and finally expressing how I felt brought everything to the surface.
“I was incredibly lucky to have so much support from the people around me that night. They really took care of me when I needed it most.”
Months after she finished filming the show, Renae says she’s now “completely okay”.
“The feelings I had for Dylan are gone,” she adds, “but I have nothing but respect for him.”
She hasn’t met her special person yet – and she isn’t looking.
“After filming wrapped, I took a step back from dating for a while to recover from the emotional rollercoaster of the experience and gave myself time to reflect. I truly believe the right person will come into my life when the timing is right.”
Renae is continuing to crochet (“It’s one of my favourite hobbies!”) and has also found her way back into the ballet world.
“Dancing has always been a huge part of my life, so it’s been wonderful reconnecting with something that brings me joy and it has helped me find myself again.”
Catch Farmer Wants A Wife on Monday at 7.30pm and Sunday at 7pm on Channel Seven and 7plus.
