When we first met Charlie Newling on the premier episode of The Bachelorette Australia 2018, he was immediately tipped to win Ali Oetjen’s heart.
He wanted the white picket fence. He wanted the kids. He was tall.
How quickly things can change, right?
Fast becoming one of this series’ most divisive charters, the 31-year-old builder from NSW quickly irritated viewers with his possessive and jealous behaviour. And then, when rumours started circulating that he was involved with a former Bachelor contestant, we wondered how we could’ve gotten it so wrong.
Now, we have as close to official confirmation that Charlie and The Bachelor’s Dasha Gaivoronski are dating as we’re going to get (until Ali boots Charlie off the show).
You can debrief on the Bachelorette week that was with Clare and Jessie Stephens on Bach Chat below. Post continues after audio.
According to Paddy Colliar, best known as the one who yelled out ‘fit as f*ck’ whenever Ali walked into the room, Charlie and Darsha met ‘on Instagram’ and are currently in a relationship.
“I’m really close with Charlie, we talk everyday. It is what it is- to be honest, it’s their life,” the personal trainer and gym manager told Nova’s Fitzy & Wippa radio show on Friday morning.
“Obviously it was a bit of a spoiler… they look good together. I FaceTimed them the other day.”
Aside from paparazzi images of Charlie carrying Dasha on his back during a lovely stroll along the beach, there have been some other clues hinting to the pair’s relationship.
In early October, Dasha held a ‘farewell’ fitness boot camp in Adelaide, and appears to have since moved to Sydney if Instagram location tags are anything to go by.
The Russian-born personal trainer also more or less confirmed things in an Instagram Q&A. When the mum-of-one asked her followers to ask her questions, sharing her answers on Instagram Stories, and it wasn’t long before a familiar face popped up. Charlie. It was Charlie’s face.
She tried to hide his profile with a few stray dots but alas, his photo gave him away. Asking a question, Charlie wrote: “What’s with you and that hot amazing guy that your dating? You two look incredible together”.
Dasha responded with, “He is alright, isn’t he? We’re the besties of all time and understand each other like no one else. That’s so rare these days.”
Although it’s not a word-for-word confirmation, given the not-so-subtle paparazzi shots we’ve already seen of them, we can tell a Bachie spoiler when we see one.
Despite this, you could argue that both Charlie and Dasha have more in common than their respective Bachelorette/Bachelor alumni. They both have sons around the same age - Charlie's "secret son" is eight and Dasha has a five-year-old son, Leon - and judging by their Instagram profiles they're both very passionate about fitness.
I guess the only one who loses in this situation is you if you picked Charlie in the office Bachelorette sweepstakes.
Condolences.
Side note - here's our favourite Bachelor and Bachelorette villains of all time.