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The New Zealand Bachelor Demanded The Cast Be Culturally And Physically Diverse

The New Zealand Bachelor Demanded The Cast Be Culturally And Physically Diverse

He wanted to see 'ladies that best represent New Zealand'.

Jessica Lynch

Jessica Lynch

In a refreshing change to the slew of white bread we are used to seeing on Aussie reality shows, the New Zealand version of The Bachelor has debuted its latest cast and it's very diverse.

But that is down to one man: bachelor Moses Mackay.

Apparently, the 30-year-old Kiwi said that he would sign on for The Bachelor on the condition the ladies vying for his heart were physically and culturally diverse.

Moses was keen to see 'ladies that best represent New Zealand', not just ones that would be good for TV.

"I said 'the only reason why I would actually consider doing it is if you would be interested in making it a diverse cast, and so I would love to see a multi-sized, multicultural [group]'," he told 1 News.

"I said 'I would love to see ladies that best represent New Zealand and not just look the same, same, same as possibly other seasons have been... I think that anything in terms of breaking down those stereotypes and creating new ways of being, I'm interested and that was my thinking behind me wanting to do it."

It's a stark contrast when compared to Down Under's relatively homogenous cast, with the Guardian last year crunching the numbers when it comes to the issue of representation in the Australian franchise.

Despite non-European and Indigenous people making up an estimated 24 per cent of the population, of the 113 contestants to appear in the last few years of The Bachelor, Bachelor in Paradise and The Bachelorette, 95 were white (84 per cent).

As Mamamia points out, Noongar/Yamatji woman Brooke Blurton has so far been the only non-white contestant to make the top three.

However, the new season of Australia's The Bachelor may be implementing a much-needed change, with Channel 10 announcing that 2021 will contestants vying for the heart of 31-year-old Sydneysider Jimmy Nicholson, who is of New Zealand and Fijian descent.

"I am a big believer in embracing any opportunity that presents itself, especially if it has the potential to change your life for the better," he said in his Channel 10 profile.

"The journey ahead will be one of the most challenging experiences that I have ever undertaken, however I am very excited to meet someone that I could potentially spend the rest of my life with."

As for whether the trend will extend to its contestants, we will have to wait and see.

Featured Image Credit: Supplied

Topics: TV and Film