The fairytale’s not over, says Bachelor winner Gina Myers

TALI FEINBERG

However, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses for the pair, as their relationship ended just a few weeks after it started.

In the programme finale, the two stood together on a beach in Mauritius, she in a flowing yellow dress and he in a suit and tie, as he professed his love for her. “You have the most beautiful heart I have ever come across in anyone, ever. And I would like to take your heart and look after it, and give you mine in return,” he said. “Gina, my Gina, when I’m with you, I feel like I am home. And I don’t want this fairytale to end.”

Thompson then presented her with a Jack Friedman custom-designed diamond engagement ring. Jack Friedman Chief Executive Howard Friedman, says that Thompson is “any father-in-law’s dream; somebody who will love, cherish and respect his wife, and treat her like a queen”.

Thompson also impressed Friedman with the effort and passion he put into the design of the ring. “He knew exactly what he wanted, and it was all about the emotion he wished to express, or, as I prefer to call it, soul,” says the jeweller.

After Thompson presented the ring to Myers, he swept her onto a waiting boat as they enjoyed their first moments together as a couple. It came after a long journey of dates, private conversations, challenges, and adventures, which began with 24 women and 560 roses, and ended with one. The show started filming in late 2018, so it has been a few months since Thompson chose Myers.

Since then, life for her has been a complete whirlwind. “I think the days after were quite overwhelming, just because we had to keep this happiness to ourselves. No one knew what was going on. And all I wanted to do was shout out to the world that I had this new love!”

When did their relationship officially start? “It started as soon as he chose me. Visits had to be carefully arranged, so that no one saw us together,” she says. The highlight of their time as a couple was the fact that, “I thought I had my person. It was actually amazing for the first few days. I was absolutely taken aback by how happy I thought I was.”

On their subsequent breakup, she says, “Lee was facing a challenging time, and I don’t think he was ready to be in this position. I was struggling to communicate this with him. It turned out he couldn’t be there for me the way I needed him to be. He was inconsistent, and that’s a key quality I need from someone.”

But because no one knew they had been a couple and had broken up, she had to experience heartbreak with a smile on her face. “He [Thompson] was not in a good place, and I was facing the brunt of it. I had to pretend that I was in an okay space as no one knew that I was on the show or that we had landed up together. I think in the future, we can work on being friends. I wish him all the happiness, love, and strength in the world.”

Even though things have ended with Thompson, she still believes people can find love on The Bachelor. “If you can be yourself throughout and know who you are as a person, the right connection will come. And what a beautiful thing to say to your kids, ‘We met on The Bachelor SA. Your dad chose me, and I chose him. Out of all the people in the world, we landed up together’.”

Since the final episode, when it was revealed that Myers was “the one”, but that the couple had broken up, she says she has been wholeheartedly supported by friends and family members.

“It’s heart-warming – I have such good people in my life. The public, I think, have been disappointed. However, they are still sending messages of love and support. I am staying true to this: you cannot stay in a relationship for the sake of it, and because of other people’s expectations. You have to look after your heart. This was for my heart, not a TV show.”

So, where to from here for Myers? “I have a louder voice now. I hope the right people will hear it. I am going to work on helping other women to have a voice, and take it from there.”

She wants to thank the community for its support. “It meant so much to me. I feel all the love. And it really helped me along this journey. My fairytale isn’t over.”