Life for Konrad Bień-Stephens did a complete 180 after he competed on The Bachelorette. While he didn’t go on to win the show, he did manage to capture the hearts of everyone who tuned in, cementing himself as the firm fan favourite as the weeks went on.
Now, he’s set to star on Channel 10’s newest reality TV series, The Challenge, which pits 22 reality stars against one another as they compete for $100,000.
Featuring big names from shows such as MasterChef Australia and Married At First Sight, it’s certain we’ll be seeing a lot of drama play out.
Since starring on The Bachelorette Australia last year, Konrad has been thriving, moving from place to place and generally being in high spirits.
“After The Bachelorette, I was going to move to the Gold Coast, but I ended up in a relationship that took me to Bondi, and now I’m in Melbourne!” he told POPSUGAR Australia.
Before his departure from the dating show was aired, Konrad was spotted canoodling with TV and radio star, Abbie Chatfield.
While the two are no longer together, their union came with a ton of drama, with The Bachelorette, Brooke Blurton herself, weighing in and taking aim at Abbie.
“Everyone who watched the show, or was on the show cast and/or working as crew, will know that I put my heart and soul into it and it meant a lot for me to open myself up so vulnerably like that,” said Brooke on Instagram at the time.
“For that to be tainted ONCE again by 1. [someone] I thought was a close friend, 2. Another white woman displaying what white privilege looks like, 3. A very clear display of narcissism, hurts me. Literally pains me.”
Abbie quickly issued an apology to Brooke, however, the two are no longer friends.
For Konrad, however, the past is behind him, and he’s now living his life and looking forward to the future.
The media industry is known to be small, so Konrad was bound to bump into Brooke at some point during his career.
But no one thought it would happen so soon, with the two of them competing against one another on The Challenge.
“The last time I saw Brooke before I saw her in The Challenge house was getting in a limousine and going home (on The Bachelorette),” said Konrad, remembering the time he didn’t receive a rose.
“But Brooke’s a great person; I don’t have anything bad to say about her. What she’s doing for her community is terrific, but yeah, I guess you’ll have to see the show to see how it plays out.”
Despite the drama and rocky history, Konrad was excited to compete in The Challenge, admitting that he was a fan of the US instalment before he was approached with the offer.
However, The Challenge is no walk in the park, something he quickly realised as time went on.
“I was excited to do it, excited to be a part of it, and excited to see it on TV because I think it’ll do really well. But to say it was a breeze, and I enjoyed every moment in there would be a lie.
“But I was excited about the show, having the chance to go to Argentina, and of course, the prize money, which can change someone’s life.”
Being familiar with the concept of the show, Konrad had a few tricks up his sleeve, and one of them was to stick with the people he already knew.
“I think people naturally gravitate towards those who they have shared experiences with. From watching the US seasons, I thought good gameplay would be to form alliances with people that had been on The Bachelor. So, there’s a little insight for you.”
The Challenge Australia premieres at 7.30pm on Monday, November 14 only on 10 and 10 Play on Demand.
The Challenge Australia premieres at 7.30pm on Monday, November 14, only on 10 and 10 Play on Demand.
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