Former Farmer Wants A Wife contestant Keeley Rankin knows better than most what it feels like to sit across from a farmer during a speed date, trying to make an impression in just minutes.
Now living with Farmer Corey in Biloela after finding love last year – complete with pets and a renovation project in full swing – she watched the 2026 premiere from a very different vantage point.
“It was definitely nice to watch these speed dates and be on the other side of things,” Keeley tells Woman’s Day, “and not have to do those long filming days with lots of starting and stopping.”
This season, she’ll be unpacking all the drama, heartbreak, and romance exclusively for Woman’s Day. Here’s what she made of week one!
THE FARMERS MADE THE RIGHT CALLS
After eight speed dates each, the farmers had the unenviable task of choosing five women to bring back to their farms – and selecting one for the all-important 24-hour date before the others arrived. According to Keeley, they got it right.
“I don’t think that the farmers can choose wrong with their 24-hour date picks because at the end of the day, it’s what they think is going to work for them,” she says. “And I think I wasn’t too surprised by a lot of them.”
Farmer Dylan‘s connection with Ally clearly caught Keeley’s eye, but she notes Renae is another standout for him. “I think that Farmer Dylan definitely had that fun energetic date with Ally but I do think that he was very mesmerised by Renae,” she says, adding that she’s curious to see how the dynamic plays out on the farm.
For Farmer Jarrad, Keeley notes the warmth of both Carly – his 24-hour date pick – and Brodie, while flagging that Cara brought a bolder energy into the mix. “It’ll be interesting to see how they all get along together on the farm and who he leans more toward.”
Farmer Alex’s decision to take Eddy on a 24-hour date didn’t come as a surprise to Keeley, who pointed to their golf date as a clear highlight of the episode. But she also has her eye on another contender. “I do think Suzannah was somebody that he definitely could get along with and is his normal type,” she says.
Farmer Jason’s connection with Beth was another that felt natural from the start. “They got along from the get-go,” Keeley observes – though she’s keeping tabs on Poppy, too. “It would be interesting to see if their differences in future wants is going to be an issue or a barrier.”
As for Farmer Zac, Keeley sees a clear physical pull toward Miranda, but believes Grace ultimately edged ahead on emotional connection. “I think at the end of the day that more emotional connection with Grace where they’re a bit more flirty and connected emotionally worked,” she says.
And among Zac’s girls, there’s a dark horse she’s keeping a close eye on. “I do kind of have Maya in the back of my mind as a top pick as well. She just sat there, looked him in the eyes, straight in the eyes, didn’t have to say anything – which kind of solidifies quite a strong connection there.”
“SHOUTOUT TO BENE”
One of the most talked-about moments of the premiere was Bene’s on-camera medical scare after Jason selected the five women he wanted to bring back to the farm – and Keeley was quick to praise how she handled it.
“Shoutout to Bene – [she] took that little fall like a champ,” she says. “Very sad she didn’t make it back to the farm, I thought she was super vibrant as well.”
THE BEST IS YET TO COME
For Keeley, the premiere was just the warm-up. “I think the real fun starts when all the ladies head back to the farm after the 24-hour dates,” she says, “and it’ll be very exciting to see if those ladies have kind of already formed a strong connection before the other girls get back or if there’s still space for everybody else.”
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