Contestant Jay Lal told Aussie Bachelor Jimmy Nicholson she'd previously dated someone from the NZ version of the show. Photo / Supplied
Contestant Jay Lal told Aussie Bachelor Jimmy Nicholson she'd previously dated someone from the NZ version of the show. Photo / Supplied
Contains spoilers for the current season of The Bachelor Australia
Despite being the favourite from day one, The Bachelor star Jay Lal was sent packing on last night's penultimate episode.
The third runner-up appeared to seal her fate after a prickly conversation with Bachelor Jimmy Nicholson about rumours she dated a famous person before entering the mansion.
Questioning whether she was on the show for the right reasons on their final date, Jay came clean and said she'd previously dated the New Zealand Bachelor, whom we can reveal was this year's leading man, Moses Mackay.
"It does look suss," Jimmy told the camera. "Now I'm wondering, is Jay here for me? Or is she just here to bag herself another Bachelor?"
Jay insisted she dated the Kiwi reality star long before he became the Bachelor this year, but that wasn't enough for Jimmy to give her a rose in last night's ceremony, leaving Brooke Cleal and Holly Kingston to battle it out in tonight's finale.
In a post-elimination interview with 10 Play, Jay doubled down on claims she dated Moses long before he gained a public profile.
"I dated this guy about six or seven years ago and it was such a short-term relationship," Jay told the website. "And he wasn't particularly that much in the limelight when I dated him. I actually felt sorry for him that it had been brought up.
Jay became a frontrunner in the first episode when Jimmy gifted her the 'Business Lounge' key, allowing her to have private time with him whenever she wanted. Photo / Supplied
"I had to actually message him and be like, 'Just letting you know this has happened'."
Jay, 32, became a frontrunner in the first episode when Jimmy gifted her the "Business Lounge" key, which allowed her to have private time with the Bach at cocktail parties whenever she wanted.
The Sydney-based nutritionist said she felt the advantage left her with a "target" on her back, as she quickly succumbed to rumours she was only on the show for fame.
This was exacerbated when gossip swirled that Jay had said to a make-up artist off-camera that she wanted to be Jimmy's runner-up because they become more successful on Instagram.
Sol3 Mio star Moses Mackay was this year's NZ Bachelor. Photo / Supplied
"I didn't think I rubbed anyone up the wrong way, I think the only way people would have made those rumours or wanted to say those rumours about me was because I did have that key.
"That's probably the hardest thing, people thinking I'm not genuine, because I'm probably the most honest – maybe too honest at times – person.
"When my friends and family see it even they got a bit upset because they know that's far from who I am. That was one of the most difficult things; people thinking I'm not a genuine person."
