Former Farmer Wants A Wife contestant Keeley Rankin knows better than anyone how fast the arrival of new girls can shake up life on the farm – and this week showed just that.
Watching the 2026 season from her new home with Farmer Corey in Biloela, Keeley enlisted her partner to help break down the dramatic events that unfolded – from Alex’s bold decision to shut the door on new arrivals, to a pot-stirring newcomer on Jarrad’s farm, to the quiet contestants she fears are being left behind.
NEW FACES, FRESH ANXIETY
Week three brought a wave of new contestants into the mix – and for Corey, the shakeup hit close to home.
“It made me feel very anxious,” he admits, “because in our season we had such strong connections with the existing ladies on the farm, and we had four new ladies thrown in.”
While this season’s farmers were given the choice of bringing back just one new arrival, Corey says the dynamic still created some clear winners and losers. One farmer who opted out of the decision entirely? Alex.
“Alex didn’t bring anyone back to the farm because he’s still got such a strong connection with front runner Eddy,” Corey explains. And Keeley couldn’t agree more.
“A SUPER SAD FEELING”
For the women already established on the farms, Keeley says the arrival of intruders is never easy – no matter how well you handle it on camera.
“You don’t want to be mean and you do want to get along with who else comes in,” she says, “but you have put a lot on the line and you’ve been super open, and at the end of the day you just want to fall in love.”
The comparison game, she adds, is inevitable. “You do start to compare yourself to those ladies coming in and whether or not you’re good enough to end up with this person. So it can be a super sad feeling – and really unnatural at the end of the day.”
THE FRONT RUNNERS TO WATCH
Despite the upheaval, Keeley says the original contestants are largely holding their ground. But a few new arrivals are already making an impression.
On Jarrad’s farm, she and Corey are keeping a close eye on Christina, who has joined established front runners Carly and Yvonne.
“I feel like that’s stirring the pot a little bit,” Corey says, “and I’d like to see how that unfolds.”
Meanwhile, Dylan appears to still be torn between Scarlett and Ally, and Zac remains drawn to both Grace and Maya. As for Jason? Keeley says he’s looking a little less certain.
“Jason’s a bit all over the shop at the moment,” she says. “He was pretty keen on Poppy but he’s starting to get to know Logan a bit more, and I do think Kimberley being there is giving him some more options again.”
THE HIDDEN GEMS FLYING UNDER THE RADAR
But it’s not the front runners Keeley is most focused on this week – it’s the women she fears are being overlooked.
“I’m feeling really confused and quite sad about some of the ladies that have been there from the get-go that haven’t had any time with their farmers,” she says, calling out Renae on Dylan’s farm, Brodie on Jarrad’s farm, and Mieke on Zac’s farm as women she’s desperate to see get more screen time.
“I just can’t help but feel like they’re hidden gems,” Keeley says. “Hopefully those connections get explored a little bit more.”
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