EXCLUSIVE: It’s war! Bella Varelis and Irena Srbinovska were sent to separate hotels amid their ongoing feud just weeks before filming Bachelor finale
- Do you have a story about The Bachelor? Email [email protected]
Jealousy and competition for Bachelor Locky Gilbert quickly turned friends Bella Varelis and Irena Srbinovska into enemies.
The women found it increasingly hard to be around each other as their feud escalated and numbers dwindled in the mansion.
An on-set source told Daily Mail Australia that the forerunners were separated by producers into different hotels at the height of the show’s drama.
Scroll down for video
EXCLUSIVE: It’s war! Bella Varelis (left) and Irena Srbinovska (right) were sent to separate hotels amid their ongoing feud just weeks before filming The Bachelor finale
After the last cocktail party was filmed, it’s believed the top four were all sent to various hotels across Sydney in the lead up to the dramatic finale.
‘The top four weren’t allowed to spend any time together after the final rose ceremony at mansion,’ the source said.
During previous seasons, the top four usually introduce the suitor to their families across the country and don’t return to the mansion for the remainder of the season.
‘They weren’t allowed to spend any time together after the last rose ceremony’: The top four usually introduce the suitor to their families across the country and don’t return to the mansion for the remainder of the season. Pictured: Izzy Sharman-Firth, Irena, Bec Cvilikas and Bella
As Melbourne was in COVID-19 lockdown at the time, Irena will be the only lady without a proper ‘hometown’ visit with family members present.
The source claimed Irena was feeling especially homesick in the lead up to the finale after being isolated by Bella and the other ladies in the mansion for weeks.
‘All she wanted was to see her family and she didn’t get to. Living in the mansion became so strained with the girls that she wanted to leave desperately.’
‘She wanted to leave desperately’: An on-set source told Daily Mail Australia that Irena was feeling especially homesick in the lead up to the finale amid being ‘iced out’ by the girls in the mansion and Melbourne lockdowns preventing her family from attending ‘hometown’ visits
Meet the family: While Irena will be the only lady unable to have a proper ‘hometown’ visit with family members present, Bella’s father is set to grill Locky over dinner
Bella and Irena’s feud began shortly after the contestants returned to the mansion about its ‘Love In Lockdown’ period.
The Bachelor went into lockdown for about three and a half months, from mid-March until the first week of July, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
During the first cocktail party back at the mansion, a furious Bella, 25, accused Irena, 31, of lying about the extent of her contact with Locky during self-isolation and called her a ‘manipulative little b***h’ that she no longer trusted.
An on-set source previously told Daily Mail Australia that Bella was under the impression that Locky was only having ‘lengthy’ phone and SMS chats with her in lockdown, when he was in fact having similar contact with several girls.
‘The real reason they fell out was that Bella couldn’t accept the fact that Irena had also formed a close connection with Locky during lockdown.
‘She was furious when she found out multiple girls were talking to Locky on a daily basis – but she took it out on Irena because they were so close.’
Jealous? During the cocktail party, which was filmed in early July, Bella accused Irena of lying about her communication with Bachelor Locky Gilbert while the cast was in lockdown
Bachelor finalists Bella Varelis (right) and Irena Srbinovska (left) haven’t spoken since filming the last rose ceremony two months ago – as an insider says they’re STILL enemies
Bella recently told TV Week she didn’t regret confronting Irena, and was glad they were no longer friends, while Irena told Woman’s Day her friendship with Bella was ‘a disaster waiting to happen’.
Bella is widely believed to be the heartbroken runner-up and Irena is tipped to win, according to betting agencies TAB and Sportsbet.
The Bachelor continues Wednesday from 7:30pm on Channel 10
Tune in: The Bachelor starring Locky Gilbert continues Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel 10