South Africa’s most eligible bachelor, Lee Thompson, took the crucial next step in his quest to find Ms Right when the last four ladies in contention introduced him to their families in this week’s episode of The Bachelor SA. Unfortunately for fiery Portuguese beauty Jacqueline, the hometown date was the end of her love journey on the reality dating series. This means that Jozaan, Michelle.R and Gina are through to the final round of the show, where they will join Lee on a tropical island getaway to Mauritius, at the luxurious LUX Grand Gaube.
So, here’s what went down on the hometown dates:
Date one: Daddy’s girl Jozaan Dique, Attorney, 27-years-old
Location: Pretoria
Family members present: Jozaan’s mom Mariaan, dad Johaan, step-mom Este, sister Estene and baby niece Imke
Jozaan invited Lee to her high school, and she was extremely excited to have the roles reversed. “Being with him in my hometown has made me fall deeply in love with him,” Jozaan admitted. Lee got a grilling from Jozaan’s mom and sister, but in the end received their blessings. Jozaan’s dad also revealed that he felt more at ease with Lee than with any of Jozaan’s previous suitors, but in the same breath said he was really concerned that his daughter might get hurt.
Date two: Belle of The Bachelor Ball, Michelle Reddy, Consumer marketing specialist, 29-years-old
Location: Durban
Family members present: Michelle’s mom Sandy, dad Rally, best friend Claire and Claire’s mom, Aunty Vee
Michelle took Lee on a horse-riding adventure, followed by a picnic in the bush. Lee was initially concerned, as Michelle had been holding back quite a bit, but during her hometown date, Michelle broke down those walls and shared her past openly with Lee. Aunty Vee also shed some light on the situation, which helped Lee understand Michelle better. Michelle’s family was extremely welcoming, with her best friend Claire on grilling duty… and concluded that he is down to earth and in it for the right reasons.
Date three: Bubbly Portuguese beauty, Jacqueline Pinto, Teacher, 29-years-old
Location: Klerksdorp
Family members present: Jacquie’s parents Jo and Elizabeth, her sister Jessie and her best friend Kiki
Jacquie invited Lee to the favourite place from her childhood, a tiny airport near Klerksdorp, where the pair enjoyed a picnic setting with some bubbly. She was excited for Lee to meet her parents, who have been married for 32 years. Lee wanted to use this time to see if Jacquie could open up to him fully, and be consistent, as he found her emotions hard to read. Jacquie admitted that she was falling in love with him, and that losing him after this would be tough. Jacquie’s parents loved Lee, and her dad said that she looked happy. Her best friend Kiki took it upon herself to suss Lee out and didn’t hold back, as she was worried that Jacquie would be hurt… again.
Date four: Sweetheart, Gina Myers, Make-up artist, 31-years-old
Location: Johannesburg
Family members present: Gina’s mom Desai, her dad Cecil, her sister Kim and best friend Gabby-Lee
Lee met Gina at a park in the neighbourhood of her youth. She just wanted to be alone with him and enjoy some selfish time together. Lee was extremely nervous to meet her family but wanted to gauge the emotional state of their relationship, as the chemistry was electric. Back at the Myers home, Gina’s family hurled millions of questions at Lee over the dinner table, after which Gina’s dad had some one-on-one time with him. Cecil said to Lee that as long as Gina was happy, they’d have his blessings.
The hometown dates were concluded with a rose ceremony at the Legacy Michelangelo Hotel, where each bachelorette was asked a question by Lee about something that bothered him after the hometown date. Although he wasn’t fully convinced that Michelle.R was over her ex, he gave her the benefit of the doubt. Jacquie’s anxiety that she would be ditched proved prophetic, and she was the one who did not receive a rose. Lee pulled her aside, as he felt she deserved an explanation. “It wasn’t easy. You’re a special person. It was just a matter of taking everything into consideration.”
The Bachelor SA is screened on M-Net Channel 101 every Thursday evening at 19:00 and is also available on Catch-Up. Fans can visit www.mnet.tv/thebachelorsa and follow all the breaking news and conversations around the show on Twitter @MNet / #TheBachelorSA and on the official M-Net Facebook page. Fans can also play the The BacheLEAGUE on the M-Net website.
The Bachelor SA is produced by Rapid Blue and proudly sponsored by dotsure.co.za, a product of Oakhurst Insurance Company Limited (FSP 39925) and Oakhurst Life (FSP 44793), authorised financial services providers.
