Keen followers of Network Ten's The Bachelor might've been surprised to see a familiar face on last night's season eight premiere.
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Former Forster girl, Leilani Vakaahi, was one of 23 women chosen to vie for Survivor star Locky Gilbert's heart on the program - and she obviously impressed him enough not to be sent home on the first night.
A former Great Lakes College student, 27-year-old Leilani now resides in Sydney and says she applied to be on the program following some encouragement from friends.
"My friends were the ones who actually encouraged me to apply because they'd watched me have my heart broken and were obsessed with the show," she said.
Leilani herself wasn't an avid follower of The Bachelor and admitted she had no idea who Locky Gilbert was before going on the program.
But she said she was serious about finding love.
"I applied for The Bachelor genuinely looking for love - I'm so ready to find the one," she said.
"I kept falling for guys who didn't want the same thing as me or who were emotionally unavailable. It was a guarantee that the bachelor would be looking for love like me, so I thought I'd give it a shot."
I'm proud of who I am and regardless of what is shown of me on TV, I'm still the person my friends and family know and love.
- Leilani Vakaahi
As for her potential love interest, Leilani admits Locky seems like a pretty good catch.
"Who wouldn't want a tall, dark and handsome entrepreneurial action man like Locky in their life?" she said.
Undaunted by the public scrutiny she'll no doubt receive, Leilani says she intends to stay true to herself throughout the program.
"I'm proud of who I am and regardless of what is shown of me on TV, I'm still the person my friends and family know and love," she said.
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And even if she doesn't make it to the final rose-giving ceremony and Locky ends up choosing someone else, Leilani says there are still a lot of things to love about being on the program.
"I love the glamour of The Bachelor. We get to wear our everyday clothes one day, then we get glammed up with the help of an amazing hair, makeup and wardrobe team the next," she said.
"I'm the kind of girl who loves doing things differently and seizing every opportunity."
The Bachelor will screen on Network 10 every Wednesday and Thursday from 7:30pm.
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