The Bachelor rumours busted

As we head towards the final rose, the rumour mill has hit overdrive with all kinds of scurrilous gossip plaguing Art and the show.

Facebook is awash with all kinds of alleged inside intel, from unimpeachable sources - like the guy whose Mum overheard Art's mum tell their local butcher who wins.

We've even heard rumours that false rumours are deliberately being circulated by the show's producers to throw us all off the scent. The subterfuge!

So we thought it time to get to the bottom of this sneakiness and bust open some of the Bachelor's most outlandish rumours.

And no, for the record, we have no idea who wins.

Rumour 1. The Bachelor is back with his ex-girlfriend

One of the most widespread rumours doing the rounds is that Art has ditched the show's winner in favour of reuniting with his ex-girlfriend. This is categorically NOT true, we've been told.

In fact, his ex-girlfriend lives in France, where she works on super yachts. Word is she wasn't too impressed by Art's decision to become the Bachelor and this is a deliberate red herring.

Rumour 2. The Bachelor is bi-sexual

This is another tall tale doing the rounds on social media. Sources close to the Bach say it's 100 per cent not true. Besides, if there was any truth to this, we're sure Mike Puru would have kicked those gals to the curb and got himself a piece of Art's heart. If only.

Rumour 3. A customs crack down caused major wardrobe malfunctions

Avid viewers will have noticed that not every fancy frock was as well-fitting as it could or should have been. Apparently the girls were forced to squeeze, shimmy and Spanx their way into dresses after some of the frocks were held up at customs. We have it on good authority this is a true story - and was apparently the biggest drama to play out behind the scenes.

Rumour 4. The Bachelor was paid $65,000 for his role, plus thousands more from mag deals

While it is true Art was paid for his role on the show, we have no idea where this figure came from. A MediaWorks spokesperson told us: "As with all the shows, talent are paid a small fee to cover their expenses while they are on the show."

Internationally, stars of the franchise reportedly earn six figures for their star turns, with thousands more on offer for appearances and endorsements.

As for any magazine deals, sources tell us it's highly unlikely he will have been paid anything for stories to date as they will fall under contractual publicity obligations. Once the show ends, money will be on the table - with big bucks (between $10 - $20,000) on offer for any exclusive announcements, like an engagement or break up details.

Rumour 5. The Bachelorette spin-off is in the works

Much though we would love this to be true, inside sources tell us it's pure fan fiction at this point. Word is it took producers weeks to find just one attractive, articulate, eligible male willing to go on the show and they hold out zero hope of finding the 21 needed to make The Bachelorette a reality.

• The Bachelor final screens tonight and tomorrow on TV3 at 7.30pm

- nzherald.co.nz