The clues it was never going to work out with Sophie Monk and James that we all missed.

Fan favourite James was eliminated on Wednesday night’s episode of The Bachelorette. It was a shock, we’re all angry and we all want someone to blame.

But what if, deep down, we knew they would never really work out? What if the signs were there the whole time, and we just chose to ignore them?

Look, we’re grasping at straws here. But we all need something to hold onto right now. So we’ve compiled a list of reasons James was never going to win.

Their first encounter

Yes, there was ‘this could be your soul mate’ music playing when he stepped out of the limo. And sure, he got his own segment rather than being lumped in with the faceless montage. But…

Firstly, it was beyond the scope of what constitutes a tolerable level of awkwardness between two people. There’s being awkward. And there was… James.

He also gave her a rose quartz necklace, which symbolises love and matters of the heart. Clearly, the necklace is working its magic, just not for the man who bought it.

And remember when she had to give him directions to the mansion and it sounded like when your friend’s mum shows you where the bathroom is? Yeah. If there was a spark between them, it died right then.

Sophie legitimately left James speechless. ???????? #BacheloretteAU pic.twitter.com/6LoBzJR6oQ

— #BacheloretteAU (@BacheloretteAU) September 20, 2017

The Friar Tuck costume

While at the time, the sight of James as a drunk Friar Tuck was endearing, we can now see it wasn’t a sign of good things to come.

Yes, the role-playing showed off both his funny and chivalrous sides (standing next to a man repeatedly saying the word “cans” didn’t hurt either). But it also very deliberately put James into the ‘cute, love you like a brother’ box, which we all know is incredibly hard to get out of.

Essentially, we can thank the producers for putting him in the friend-zone from the start.

His various bromances

Remember when James got his single date and literally everyone cheered for him?

We're sorry but a guy with a legitimate chance of winning Sophie's heart just would not be that well-liked by the other men he's competing with. The fact Apollo appeared to be more cut over James' dumping than Sophie also speaks volumes.

When you remember it's Wednesday! #BacheloretteAU pic.twitter.com/MPwYEsymQC

— #BacheloretteAU (@BacheloretteAU) October 11, 2017

The manliest man competition

I think by now we've established that when Sophie said she wanted a 'nice, normal guy she hadn't met before', she was actually playing a game of 'opposites'.

Hence, by the same logic, we must assume when she said she wanted a manly man who could fix stuff and do man things like assembling flat pack furniture, she actually was crying out for the complete opposite.

Alas, James' shining moment was really his downfall.

LISTEN: Listen to Bach Chat to hear our theory on why Stu is wrong for Sophie...

Their single date

There's no denying the pair's single date busking by the Opera House was a big moment for James. With the help of an embarrassingly small crowd and a ribbon, the accountant conquered his lifelong fear that held him back from pursuing his passion for performing (not confirmed, but likely).

Sophie obviously saw James' potential star power too, which placed him firmly in the 'no pile' because, if you recall, she's not looking for someone to compete with.

The eHarmony guy

James' last group date was truly the nail in his coffin. The poor man will curse the day he decided to build his pie chart with honesty, rather than with lies like everyone else.

But really, when it comes down to it, the eHarmony guy said the words we'd all been too afraid to utter out loud. They're just not compatible. And when the man who makes a living out of setting people up with lifelong partners says it, it's probably true.

Very sad, but very true.