Rotorua's Heartbreak Island contestant Charice Paterson wants a partner who will train with her. Photo / Supplied by TVNZ
Rotorua's Heartbreak Island contestant Charice Paterson wants a partner who will train with her. Photo / Supplied by TVNZ
Rotorua's Charice Paterson signed up for Heartbreak Island in the hope of finding love.
Whether she did or not will be revealed in the coming weeks as the second series of the show premieres this month.
Paterson told the Rotorua Daily Post she decided to sign up for the show after not dating for more than a year.
"I thought it was about time I put some effort into finding a partner," Paterson said.
"Rotorua is a small town and the dating pool is shallower than my bath water. Everyone knows everyone and everyone has dated everyone, it's not really water I want to bathe in.
She said somebody had given her a shout-out on one of the Rotorua community Facebook pages once the contestants were revealed and someone asked if the local boys weren't good enough.
"I guess I'm expecting a bit of that once people watch the programme," she said.
Paterson works as a human resources co-ordinator at Toi Ohomai and also as a personal trainer at F45 Training Rotorua.
"I did all my preschool and school years in Rotorua and came back about three of four years ago after living in Auckland and Melbourne.
Rotorua's Heartbreak Island contestant Charice Paterson wants a partner who will train with her. Photo / Supplied by TVNZ
"I am passionate about fitness and the fitness industry and am hoping to meet a guy who wants to work out with me. And watch Harry Potter marathons."
Paterson said her close-knit Rotorua family (mother and brother) were both looking forward to watching Heartbreak Island.
"When I first told my mum I was going to sign up she was a little bit worried ... But she knows it takes quite a bit to get under my skin, and I'm a pretty positive and upbeat person, and now she's just super excited."
In her biography for Heartbreak Island, Paterson said she was yet to make the two-year mark with a relationship.
"My past relationships haven't been great, lots of breaks and break-ups, but never my fault," she said.
She doesn't like smokers, is not particularly keen on body hair and hates guys talking about their ex-partners.
"I have to admit my search for love through Heartbreak Island took me well out of my comfort zone and I can't tell you the outcome."
But whatever happens, Paterson said she accepts she may be more easily recognised around Rotorua within the next two weeks.
"I think I do know a lot of people, I meet loads working at the gym, so it will be interesting to see how things go once the first episode has screened. It'll be cool."
