It was the finale that divided the nation: The moment The Bachelorette‘s Georgia Love chose 35-year-old Lee over 29-year-old Matty J.
The announcement of the winner sent fans into a meltdown as they rushed to social media to express their ecstatic joy or deep disappointment.
Lee told news.com.au he and Georgia turned the final episode off during her farewell to Matty J.
“There were parts of last night’s episode that we didn’t watch and that was one of them,” he said.
“The only story and the only journey I was interested in was ours. From the second episode, I didn’t watch any of her other dates.”
The mechanical plumber said the ailing health of Georgia’s mother caused the couple to bend the usual rules around spending time together before the winner’s official announcement.
“To be honest in the last week or two I’ve seen Georgia a couple of times because of her mum’s health,” he said.
“I called Ten and said, ‘Listen, I’m going in to see Georgia and her mother, I’m doing this with or without you’. And they were accommodating. This is real life and this is when I really want to be there and nothing’s going to stop me.”
He told news.com.au his partner was devastated but coping remarkably well.
“She’s strong, she’s a tough egg,” he said.
“It’s a terrible time for her and her family and she’s been so strong. I’m here for the long haul.”
Georgia's mother, Belinda Love, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer shortly before her daughter began filming on the popular dating show.
Georgia opened up about her mother's illness in the first episode of the season, in which she revealed that doctors discovered the large tumour while treating Belinda for abdominal pain.
Belinda was admitted to palliative care last week.