Brooke Blurton has just been announced as our 2021 Bachelorette, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. The history-making announcement has already generated a huge stir on social media, and it isn’t hard to see why. Brooke will be the show’s first openly bisexual and Indigenous lead, as a proud Noongar-Yamatji woman from Western Australia.
Here’s everything you need to know about her.
Her Bachelor History
If she looks a little familiar, you probably remember her from Nick ‘the Honeybadger’ Cummins’ season in 2018 when she first graced our screens. She was quickly pegged as a favourite to win, but ultimately left in the last few episodes. She may not have won Nick’s heart but she certainly stole the heart of the entire nation.
The following year, she appeared on our screens again during a stint on Bachelor in Paradise. Here, she made on-screen history for two reasons. The first being her revelation as to the real reason she left the Bachelor the year prior.
“My last day with Nick we were on like a motorbike,” she recalled. “I thought there was definitely chemistry there and we’d developed something good. I thought maybe I would be the girl there at the end. But then he stopped the cameras and smothered his mic to tell me that he wasn’t going to pick anyone in the end.”
“He told me not to tell anyone and… I protected him for that reason. It ate at me.”
Her most memorable moment on the show, however, was her kiss with former Bachelor winner Alexandra Nation. This was the first kiss shared between two women on a reality series in Australia. We love to see it.
Her Indigenous Heritage
Brooke is a proud Noongar-Yamatji woman, born to an Aboriginal-Malaysian mother and English father. While she is extremely proud of her heritage, a personal TEDx talk she gave in 2019 reveals she dealt with prejudice while growing up.
“I was fairer than some of the Aboriginal kids and they would call me a ‘half-caste’,” she said, “meaning I simply wasn’t Aboriginal enough for them.”
“I was bullied and I was teased quite a bit, but the thing was they made me feel different. I remember being very confused at the time, thinking if I wasn’t Aboriginal enough and I wasn’t white enough where did I fit in this world? Where did I belong?”
Her Family Life
During the same TEDx talk, Brooke detailed her tough upbringing. As one of nine siblings, Brooke was only 11-years old when her mother took her own life. After her mother’s funeral, she was sexually assaulted.
“I don’t remember how I processed that information or how I was feeling at that time, but what I do remember is I found a phone book and a house phone and I looked up my dad’s name, I found a number and dialled” she recalled.
“Twenty-four hours later my dad drove from Perth to Carnarvon and picked me up and took me. I left in the middle of the night that night and I didn’t say goodbye to my brothers, I pretty much left my home. I felt like I’d lost everything at that moment. I’d lost my sense of belonging, my family, my mum and also my connection to my Aboriginality. This was when I had first ever thought of suicide.”
In the years that followed, Brooke found it really difficult to use her voice. Her love of sport is what helped to pull her out from the darkness. She credits her love of footy as the reason she managed to stay in school. She is an AFLW player and also plays Rugby League.
Her Career
Given her personal experiences, Brooke has dedicated her life to helping at-risk Aboriginal youth. Her career as a social worker has seen her help struggling Indigenous youth to improve their quality of life. She is particularly passionate about helping those who have experienced homelessness and trauma.
“It starts with helping them gain strength and resilience in where they belong and where they fit into this world.”
Becoming Australia’s First Bisexual Bachelorette
Before the official announcement, Brooke had spoken about potentially becoming Australia’s first openly bisexual Bachelorette.
In an interview with The Babble podcast last year, she said she would be “open to it” but wasn’t sure if Channel 10 would be on board.
“I’m a little bit different in the sense that I date both sexes and whether Channel 10 and Warner Brothers would be up to a bi Bachelorette [is the question],” she said.
“I don’t know what they would think that looks like or if Australia would be ready for that”.
Unsurprisingly, her announcement has been extremely well received. Her Instagram post reads “I’m ready, I hope you are too!” with an emoji of a rose and a pride flag.
Speaking about what she hopes to gain from the experience, she said, “My perfect person is someone that loves me for me,” she said. “I hope they offer shared values and compassion for others. All the dreamy things! I’m so excited and hope that I finally find that person I’ve been waiting for.”
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline for 24/7 support on 13 11 14 or visit the website at lifeline.org.au. If it’s an emergency, call 000.
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