[pop]
-[man 1] All happy? -[man 2] Yeah, I'm happy.
[man 1] Marking one camera.
So, we're good?
[woman] Let me tell you about the worst Tinder date
I've ever been on.
I've been on some pretty bad dates.
I went out with a Scottish girl once.
I couldn't understand a word she was saying.
I had another date
where the girl attempted to steal drinks from the bar.
That ended the date early.
I've got a little message I got the other day.
"I would rip out my left nipple piercing
to have you choke me with those God-gifted arms."
[man laughs]
Had a girl one night just refuse to go home.
When I went to get in my car later that night,
she'd been hiding in my car.
I once met a guy off Tinder who came home with me.
He was lovely.
We started making out in bed by watching David Attenborough.
And then he shat himself.
Uh, so that was really interesting.
And then he left and asked me for my number, so...
It's carnage out there.
I hate the apps,
but I also can only meet the love of my life on the apps.
[narrator] How long have you been on the apps?
How many hours have you spent scrolling and swiping?
How many bad first dates have you been on?
How much hope do you have left?
♪ Light is fading... ♪
[man] Sometimes I can be quite low on self-confidence,
especially when it comes to my looks.
And on dating apps, looks is, like, everything.
[woman] I don't fit that Instagram mould.
I don't have a tan.
I don't pose in certain ways.
[narrator] What if you were brave enough
to try something new?
This season on Love Triangle,
six new singles are looking for love
between two matches
without any idea what they look like.
[woman] There's a massive part of me
that's super anxious about texting
without knowing what they look like, what I look like.
But I think it's also freeing.
[incoming text tone] Oh, here we go.
Okay, I'm in. I'm in.
[narrator] They have three days
to get to know their matches over the phone.
[woman] So, we have Sam. Then we have Jackson.
[man] I feel like she's a lot more flirty
and naughtier and cheekier.
Wow.
[narrator] They're looking for an authentic spark
based on a real connection
without looks
or superficial snap judgments clouding their decision.
I can feel my cheeks getting a little red.
Each one will take a gamble on who they'd like to meet
on the biggest blind date of their lives.
First impressions are very good.
[narrator] But will flames sparked on the phone
blaze in real life?
[woman] Oh, there's definitely chemistry.
[narrator] Or go cold?
[woman] To say I was swept off my feet would be
an absolute lie.
[narrator] Either way,
once they've made their choice, they'll have to live with it...
-Welcome home. -...literally.
I'm moving in with a guy that I've had one date with.
As they enter a six week experience...
It's crazy how close I feel with him already.
You haven't apologised for everything you put me through!
I don't want to be around you anymore.
...living together
and confronting everything they thought they knew
about dating and relationships...
Quiet.
It's called Love Triangle for a reason. Is it not?
[intercom rings]
-Oh, my god! -Hello there.
...before the rejected match enters the experience...
Oh, hi.
...and the love triangle is complete.
-Hey, [inaudible speech] -Oh, my god.
[incoming text tone]
But if you think you know where this experience is going...
Oh, my gosh.
This is so, so wild.
...you have no idea.
What the fuck?
-That's full on. -Oh, wow.
I just need a moment. Wow.
[man] Maybe this experience isn't for me. I'm angry.
[narrator] It won't be easy.
Packed his bags. He ordered an Uber and left.
[woman sighs]
It won't always be pretty.
I never fucken tried to break up with you.
That's disgusting.
Fine, bitch!
[woman 1] He has been putting on an act.
[woman 2] He's full of shit.
[woman 3] I'm out. I am literally out.
But it just might be worth it.
[man] I'm falling for you. I love you.
[woman] I've given all of me to you.
This love is real.
[director] Alright. Sammy,
do you want to find your position in there?
-[Sam] Yeah. -[cameraman] Yep. Rolling.
[man] OK.
-[director] So, Sam? -Mmm?
-This is your phone. -Mm-hm.
-Your password. -Yep.
-Two, three, six, five. -Done.
-This the app-- -Yep.
you're going to use to text them.
-Okay. -Ready?
Yeah.
[narrator] Across Australia,
the first three singles
are about to enter the Love Triangle experience.
[director] So, do you know how this works?
[Sam] Vaguely, yeah.
I'm going to be texting two girls simultaneously,
and ideally, I could fall in love with one of them.
[narrator] They've each got two matches,
but they have no idea what they look like
and they're not allowed to ask.
Richard and Daniel.
Richard is like a hot substitute teacher name.
And Daniel is like, Daniel's nice.
For three days they can text and call each other,
looking for a spark that might change their lives.
Let's just... [woman inhales deeply]
Woosa.
Okay. Let's, let's begin. [woman chuckles]
It's a little bit strange
when I have no idea what they look like, who they are.
I don't know anything about them.
So we're about to find out. [woman chuckles]
Okay. I'm in. I'm in.
My name's Jacinta. I'm twenty-eight.
I'm a model.
Melbourne born and bred.
Yep.
Okay. [Jacinta clears her throat]
My sexuality is pansexual.
Pansexuality is being attracted to someone
regardless of their gender.
I don't care whether you're a man, a woman, non-binary,
trans, I don't care.
If our energy aligns, if we have that connection,
that's what I'm into.
That's what turns me on.
I just want to find love.
I don't have a love life at all.
I don't remember the last time I was in a real relationship.
But it would have had to be maybe four or five years ago.
I tried the dating apps. I really did.
I swiped left. I've swiped right.
But it hasn't gotten me anywhere.
Most hetero men on dating apps have toxic traits.
I definitely find it a lot smoother dating women
or anyone in the queer world,
but always dating within the same circle limits you.
Turn ons for me would be someone who can
express their masculine and feminine energy,
that gets me going.
Like, that's what I want.
Ready to text my matches. [Jacinta giggles]
The first name is Sheree.
I hope I'm saying their name right.
And the second person is Nemo!
I don't want to categorise them based off their names.
What may seem like a boy name.
What may seem like a girl name.
Like, I don't think names identify genders.
[narrator] In order to keep her own gender ambiguous,
Jacinta has chosen to go by the name Jay.
She's been matched with Sheree, a twenty-eight year old
from Sydney who works in tech,
and Nemo,
a twenty-four year old bartender
from Brisbane.
Now it's up to Jay to make the first move.
Alright, I have the perfect question.
[texting sounds]
-Would you rather... -[outgoing text sound]
power or respect?
No answer is wrong.
-[typing text alert tone] -Ooh! Three dots.
Let's see what Nemo said.
[incoming text sound]
Um.
Okay.
[outgoing text sound]
I never thought about it from that perspective.
[texting sounds] [outgoing text sound]
[incoming text sound]
Ooh! Okay. Nemo, that's cool. [texting sounds]
[outgoing text sound]
[incoming text sound]
[Nemo] I do think that
I have a unique skill set at connecting with people.
What I love about deejaying is making people happy,
pushing that energy out to the crowd.
Whereas bartending gets a bit more intimate.
I want to know who you are, who have you loved,
who have you lost?
Like, these things to me are like worth their weight in gold.
I get a lot of attention at the bar,
but I don't act on much of it.
So, I have dated some party girls
and some wild girls,
but I'm getting to this point
where I want something substantial and real.
Kind of old fashioned in the way I love.
I want to come home after, like, a long shift
and know someone's in bed
and just, like, cuddle and go to sleep.
[incoming text sound]
I don't know, I'm really an old romantic at heart.
[Jacinta sighs]
Nemo is giving me very traditional hetero vibes.
As in a straight man.
[texting sounds]
I'm thinking about asking a question.
[outgoing text sound] [texting sounds]
That will open up a conversation.
[outgoing text sound]
Maybe that will continue on
to asking me about my sexuality
without throwing it straight onto them.
I don't know.
It's something that's a big part of me in my life and who I am.
And it's important that they accept who I am
because we're not going to have a connection if they can't.
[typing text alert tone]
[incoming text sound]
Okay.
[texting sounds]
[outgoing text sound]
[typing text alert tone]
[incoming text sound]
[Jacinta exhales] Okay.
[Jacinta sighs] Okay then.
Kind of just tells me exactly what I need to know.
[incoming text sound]
Finally.
Ah, Sheree's just replied to me.
[incoming text sound]
Oh my god! Okay. I love that.
That's such a good answer.
[Jacinta chuckles]
Okay. That's definitely, like, got me.
[texting sounds] [outgoing text sound]
[incoming text sound]
[woman] I would describe my approach to life as, like,
unscripted and chaotic.
My personality is like fine glitter gold dust.
Like that stuff that just gets everywhere
and you see it for weeks to come and you remember, "Oh, yeah.
Like, she was really funny," or "She was really cool."
My taste in men is definitely a lot pickier
than my taste in women.
Men, I have almost like
a checklist of physical attributes.
Whereas women,
it's more like the vibe and body or shape or type.
-But... -[incoming text sound]
the quality that I find sexiest is high emotional intelligence.
Oh! I think Sheree is just like, taken my heart.
She's, eh, Sheree has just said the one thing that
is like my biggest turn on [Jacinta chuckles]
which is emotional intelligence.
Like, that is so sexy to me.
[texting sounds]
You've just made my heart skip a beat.
[outgoing text sound] [texting sounds]
[outgoing text sound]
[incoming text sound]
[Jacinta] Okay. Sheree is, like, super witty.
-[incoming text sound] -And funny and playful,
and can be serious and flirty,
and everything in between.
Like, it's like kind of too good to be true.
[texting sounds]
Like, I'm like, am I talking to a bot?
-[outgoing text sound] -Or is this a real person?
Because they're just ticking all my boxes right now.
[incoming text sound]
[producer] Sam, introduce yourself.
This is all going to be chopped up, right?
It's not gonna have to be like big monologue or is it?
My name's Sam. I'm thirty-five.
I own a auto parts business,
and I'm from Broome, Western Australia.
Listen, I'm thirty-five years old.
In forty-five years I'll be dead.
In twenty years I'll be irrelevant.
So, like, enjoy the finer things while you can really enjoy them,
I guess.
It's a good swing there, boys.
It's not a steady dating market
around a seasonal town like Broome.
We are extremely remote.
These days Instagram is a very,
very powerful little tool.
I'd say that's one of my fortes
if you want to talk about it as a skillset.
Being on Instagram,
you can't keep yourself just to your local market.
You've got your international market, your national market.
So, I have flown girls into Broome before.
Extremely.
I've been brought up around a certain calibre of women.
My ideal type might be a little brunette,
somewhere south of five nine.
I'm only five nine myself, so...
Age range, mid to late twenties.
Girls that are younger than me,
ah, is something that's just come naturally to me.
But, effectively we're here
because my choices haven't really worked out in the past.
We're here to try yet another avenue, alright,
because we are looking for the Holy Grail,
and there's only one.
I am after the real thing.
I'm after something sustainable.
I'm after something conventional.
[narrator] Looking to shake things up,
Sam has been matched with Emily,
a personal trainer from Sydney,
and Sophie,
a mental health professional
from the Gold Coast.
[Sam] I like to play coy when I text. Okay?
I like to come in very, very understated. Okay?
So, I generally start with like, a hello.
I mean there's no other sort of...
We don't really have any other in here.
We know nothing about them other than their name.
I'm not going to come in with a quip or a joke.
Alright? I've got class in this.
[texting sounds]
[outgoing text sound]
Oh yeah, jeez, we got some action immediately.
[incoming text sound]
Emily's like, straight out of the blocks here.
[incoming text sound]
-[incoming text sound] -Oh shit. Okay. So we've got...
-[incoming text sound] -Five messages.
Em's, ah, Em's hitting it with pace.
It's how she likes to do things apparently.
[texting sounds] [outgoing text sound]
[incoming text sound]
So she's got ambition, which is appreciated.
[incoming text sound]
[Emily] I am a personal trainer
and I live in Bondi, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The love affair with fitness I think
started about ten years ago.
I'm definitely where I want to be now.
I feel strong and I feel ready to take on the next chapter.
Now is the time.
I'm ready to share my life with someone,
and I'm ready to feel loved,
and give love back to someone that deserves it.
And I think it's time.
[incoming text sound]
I am 36. I don't have any more time to waste.
[Sam] Ooh! So Emily is 36.
Ahh, that's, you know,
the first domino to fall, really.
That's interesting.
I've dated everything up until my own age before, really.
There's a few more Ks in the older models, alright?
So like, they've been around the block.
Obviously, she's probably gonna have a little bit more mileage.
-[incoming text sound] -Okay, here we go.
We got a new message, finally.
-Sophie. -[incoming text sound]
Alright. Nice.
-Ahh... -[texting sounds]
It's rude to ask a girl her age.
-[outgoing text sound] -I went to.
And then I said I'm not going to ask your age.
[Sam chuckles]
[incoming text sound]
Twenty-six or twenty-seven would be ideal.
[incoming text sound]
And Sophie is 26.
Mmm. We like this, Soph.
Sophie is probably the ideal one here so far.
I mean, Emily is a bit older than Sophie.
I am obviously going to be...
drawn to the twenty-six year old.
[incoming text sound]
It's 100% a green flag.
[texting sounds]
Think we're off to the races.
[outgoing text sound]
[woman] My friends would describe me as fun,
caring, and a little bit crazy.
My spare time consists of beach,
hanging out with my dog,
partying every weekend.
That is about it.
I've been single for three years and I'm over it.
And I am going to give this experience my absolute all.
[incoming text sound]
I'm 26 and I'm so ready to fall in love.
Yeah, it's all pretty generic.
[incoming text sound]
[texting sounds] [outgoing text sound]
[texting sounds]
[outgoing text sound]
[incoming text sound]
[Sam] You know, she sounds like a cutie.
[incoming text sound]
But she just seems like she's,
she might be a little bit immature.
That's all I can tell you about Sophie.
At this stage, you know, I've got potentially
more chemistry with the crew at the moment and the camera man.
I have.
-[crowd cheers and applauds] -[man] Alright.
Welcome to the stage, it's Nellie Ryan!
[crowd cheers and applauds]
Hi, everyone. Thank you so much for coming.
So if you don't know me, my name's Nel.
So, I recently found out that
tampons sometimes have motivational quotes on them.
And there is nothing that gets my blood flowing more
than a TED talk from my tampon, am I right ladies?
[crowd laughs]
My name's Nel. I'm a comedian from Tassie.
I've been single for about a year and a half.
The thing is, it's really hard to find someone in Tassie
that you're not related to.
Instead of Tinder we just use Ancestry.com
Ahh. But... [Nellie laughs]
No, I'll do that again. I can't help it.
I'm so sorry.
I definitely think I'm a catch, of course I do.
But I hesitate to reach out to guys on dating apps
because I'm insecure that they won't find me attractive enough.
I really feel like I don't fit that Instagram mould.
I'm not blonde. I don't have a tan.
I don't pose in certain ways.
I get insecure about my belly or my arms.
A lot of guys on the app will very quickly swipe no on me.
What's shitty about that is
you can't see my best qualities in a photo.
You can't see that I'm funny or intelligent or kind.
No-one asks the questions you really want them to ask.
No-one really wants to get to know who you are.
So, this is the perfect experience for me
to meet someone who is going to
fall in love with who I am as an entire person.
I'm looking for someone that can just envelop me
in a total hug like a bear,
and I can just put my head into their chest
and just feel like I'm safe.
Last resort is MAFS. [Nellie laughs]
No, I'm just kidding. [Nellie laughs]
[narrator] But before Nellie sends her MAFS audition tape,
she'll be choosing between
27-year-old Daniel
from Newcastle,
and 28-year-old Richard
from the Gold Coast.
[Nellie] The first message has to be something
that takes them off their guard a little bit.
So, I wrote some options down last night.
Can you fold a fitted sheet?
How's your relationship with your mother?
What do you smell like?
How many chickens do you think it would take to kill a hippo?
What's your favourite colour?
And, are you circumcised?
Nothing too intense.
Would you consume human flesh?
[Nellie giggles] Okay. Okay.
-If you had to, what mammal... -[texting sounds]
[outgoing text sound]
And then do I put in an emoji?
Maybe like the eyes looking like this.
[outgoing text sound]
-[incoming text sound] -[Nellie gasps]
Someone's typing. Oh! [Nellie laughs]
Oh, my god. I got a typer. Whoo.
This text is going to tell me instantly
if we have the same energy or not.
[incoming text sound]
[Nellie giggles]
[incoming text sound]
Is punching on with animals
something you usually do for fun?
[Nellie laughs]
Oh, I should have gone with the circumcised question.
[Nellie chuckles]
[outgoing text sound]
[incoming text sound]
Okay. Glad he's confident.
See, I can feel my cheeks getting a little red. For sure.
Think I'm just going to go past that.
I don't think he needs to go more into that at all.
-[texting sounds] -I'm a little nervous.
-[typing text alert tone] -He's typing!
I have... No, Dan, don't! Don't keep going!
No, no, no, wait for me!
[incoming text sound]
[Nellie bursts out laughing]
I don't think you can say that you have a big penis
because what if I go, "Big Roo, are you there?"
And I pull down his pants and it's more like a joey?
You know what I mean? Ahh...
[Nellie laughs]
How do I respond to that?
Should I tell him that I also have a big penis?
[outgoing text sound]
[texting sounds]
[outgoing text sound]
-[incoming text sound] -[man] Big, tall and handsome.
[man laughs] Nah, I'm joking.
I'm just a twenty-seven year old bloke who
loves his footy and going to the pub with my mates.
I've been single for a few years now.
Been focusing on self-development.
Definitely try and look after myself.
For my field of work you got to take care of your fitness.
I'm working in a high risk job
but it's something I absolutely love.
It's the best opportunity to
be able to work in my local community.
[incoming text sound]
It's something I'm very proud of.
[texting sounds]
[outgoing text sound]
So Dan and I are guessing each other's occupation.
[incoming text sound]
"You might say I look good in uniform."
[Nellie gasps] Is he a policeman?
[Nellie squeals, excited] Oh my god!
[texting sounds]
No, you can't, you can't be a policeman.
[Nellie chuckles]
Oh god, he's probably a bus driver.
[outgoing text sound]
[incoming text sound]
[nellie screams, excited] Oh, my god! Dan's a firefighter.
Stop!
Oh, god. That's so hot.
That is so hot.
This man isn't real. He can't be.
[Nellie giggles] Firefighter!
Oh, my god.
That is such a hot occupation.
There are dancers that dress up as firefighters,
and he, he fights fires and I fight hecklers.
[incoming text sound]
He fights fires and I tell dick jokes on stage.
-[outgoing text sound] -They're not the same.
When I imagine Dan now, I imagine The Rock with hair.
[Nellie laughs]
Richard, crickets. Nothin'.
He's playing hard to get.
And that works for me because I'm a little insecure. So...
[incoming text sound]
Richard's replied. Good old Richard.
[incoming text sound]
That's quite a small message.
Like, it's not really pushing into another conversation.
I'm not too sure
if it just takes a while to get to know him,
or he's just being a bit reserved.
[outgoing text sound]
[incoming text sound]
[man] I'd say I was a cheeky, fucking bastard.
I'm a writer director.
I just finished my first feature film.
And I don't think there's anything funner in life
than being behind the camera,
working with actors, working with the crew.
Oh, it's, it's like bliss, bliss.
But, when I'm not doing that, I'm just sitting at a cafe.
[incoming text sound]
Sipping coffees, writing my next film,
working on my next project.
[texting sounds]
[outgoing text sound]
[typing text alert tone]
[incoming text sound]
I'm worried for Richard because he hasn't
asked me very many questions,
and it feel like...
It feels like I'm taking the lead a little bit.
Whereas Dan and I are just flowing straight away.
[outgoing text sound]
[incoming text sound]
I think Dan being a firefighter is really hot,
and he knows it's hot.
Everyone knows it's hot.
And I just imagine him just holding me when we get married
and running down the aisle
pretending that I had come out of a building on fire.
[incoming text sound]
[Nellie chuckles]
[narrator] In Broome, man of action, Sam,
has woken up on day two
and decided he already has all the information he needs
to make his big decision.
On paper I'm drawn to Sophie.
I guess I normally go for girls
around that sort of mid-twenties.
But effectively we're here
because my choices haven't really worked out in the past.
So my gut tells me to go with Emily.
A woman slightly older than me.
[phone's outgoing ringtone]
I'm making a bold call without being well-informed,
but I feel like it's a responsible decision.
[phone's outgoing ringtone]
[woman, over phone] Hello.
-Emily. -Yeah.
How are you? It's Sam.
Hi Sam, how are you going?
I'm really good. How are you?
I'm good. I'm good.
I actually wasn't expecting this call.
-It's so weird, it's ringing. -Mmm.
-[Sam chuckles] -How's it all going?
Day two of texting, how are you feeling about everything?
Listen, there's not a lot of texting going on over here.
No.
I want to let you know that
I would love to take you out for dinner and drinks
if you'd be keen.
-And so I-- -My heart's just skipped a beat.
Yes, I would absolutely love to.
[Sam] There's definitely some risk.
Let's hope that it pays off for me.
Definitely not here to fuck spiders,
nor any other arachnids.
[Sam sighs]
Emily is not my usual type.
I do tend to, to shop a little younger.
Oh, if she's like a big jacked-up personal trainer,
taller than me,
like, eyeballs, like, popping out of her head,
that would give me the ick.
I think you can't come back from the ick.
I think once there's an ick, it's terminal.
[Emily] Sam.
-Are you Em? Em, how are you? -[Emily chuckles]
-How are you? -Hi. How are you going?
-[Sam pecks Emily on cheek] -Nice to finally meet you.
-Pleasure to meet you. -How's it going?
I'm good. I didn't realise you were going to be this tall.
I know. Well, I could say the same about you.
[Emily chuckles]
Uh. Yeah, it's a surprise.
Pictured like a short brunette,
personal trainer chick,
and I got like, this leggy blonde thing.
[Emily] Have you been waiting long?
Hope I haven't kept you waiting.
Ah, it's been about ten minutes. I'm not sure how long it was.
But it wasn't too bad.
-Oh good. -Um.
I think she could bench more than me at the gym.
You know, she could
step out of the Australian men's basketball team.
Um. Anyways, so, follow me inside.
-Yep. -Okay?
[Sam] She's not my type.
If I saw her on a dating app, would I go for her?
No. No, way.
So, yeah, it's quite jarring.
I definitely need a drink.
[waiter] How are we going? Welcome to Luna Lu.
Can I get you started off with a drink or anything?
Absolutely. What would you like, Em?
Oh, look, I'm going to have a glass of champagne. Why not?
Hey, mate, I'll just have a vodka lime and soda.
-Vodka lime and soda. -Stiff one, bro.
Okay. That's not a good sign that you need a stiff drink.
-You need a stiff drink. -No, no, no, no, no.
I just want to, um, I just want to get us into it.
Yeah.
So...
Um. So tell me, was I what you were expecting?
Ahh...
I guess, I was picturing, like...
I'm going to be brutally honest.
You're slightly taller than the girls I've normally dated.
Yeah. [Emily chuckles]
I've never been with someone shorter than me.
Not to say it's a bad thing.
Nah.
[Emily] My usual type would be sort of tall, dark and handsome
kind of guy.
Usually little bit more manly.
Like a manly sort of looking guy.
Thank you, man. Good man. Thank you, bro.
-Do a cheers. -Cheers.
-To finally meeting you. -Absolutely.
-Ooh, it is stiff. -Is it?
-Oh yeah, yeah. -Good.
We can get the conversation really flowing now.
I mean, are you happy with what you see or are you...?
-Of course. -Okay.
How could I not?
Um. So, are you hungry? What are you vibing?
Well, listen, I have a bit of a different plan.
Okay.
Okay. I don't think eating on a first date, it's not my thing.
-Like, as in, like-- -What would you do?
Well, no, we'll have some dessert, right?
Do you really want to knock back like a big 300g steak?
[Emily puffs]
It's just 'cause I'm, I don't want to be hangry.
-I've only had one meal today. -Right.
And I'm just like, getting a bit hangry.
Look, a dealbreaker for me is usually a guy that's,
you know, shorter than me.
So this is interesting.
But we were able to have a great connection on the phone.
So you never know what might come up.
Not his height, though. [Emily laughs]
I'm going to hell. [Emily chuckles]
I'm going to hell.
[narrator] In Melbourne, Jacinta has found herself
overwhelmingly drawn to Sheree's feminine energy.
[Jacinta] I feel like there is this really strong connection
between us and I want to see if Sheree feels the same way.
My plan with Sheree is just to
really see where their head's at about, you know,
their sexuality, their relationship.
[texting sounds]
[outgoing text sound]
[typing text alert tone]
[incoming text sound]
I got a reply.
Ahh, Sheree's saying that
she hasn't had a romantic relationship with a woman,
so that's new for me.
[Jacinta] Based on past experiences,
I've had a hard time
dating women who are still discovering themselves.
[texting sounds] [outgoing text sound]
Or who are exploring their sexuality.
[incoming text sound]
Because I don't know if they truly want to be with me
or they just want to try me out.
[texting sounds] [outgoing text sound]
[incoming text sound]
I don't want to be an experiment.
And that's where I get scared.
[phone rings]
Nemo's calling me.
[phone rings]
Hello.
Yeah. This is Jay. Is this Nemo?
My day has been intense.
But it's been a really, really good, productive day.
Was there anything that you were curious about
that you wanted to know?
So, I was actually adopted by a family.
Lived with them until I was legal age, eighteen,
moved out, and I've just kind of been doing me ever since.
Ahh, yeah. See, there you go.
Do you feel like you're more of
like, a face-to-face type of person?
I'm really happy that we had a chat.
[Jacinta chuckles] Thank you.
I like your voice, too.
We'll talk soon, okay?
Alright. Bye.
Okay, then. Alright.
He has a really nice voice. I really like his voice.
Mmm. [Jacinta chuckles]
I'm a bit...
I'm a little bit lost for words at the moment.
I don't want to make assumptions,
but I'm getting, like, mixed race vibes like me.
I don't know why.
I don't... I feel like he is also a person of colour.
He could be Caucasian, and that's completely fine.
But there's a little swag in his voice,
and I'm like, ooh okay, there's something in there.
[Jacinta chuckles]
There's a little chocolate in the milkshake.
[Jacinta laughs]
Oh, I don't think I'm thinking with my mind right now.
I'm not using my brain.
Oh, I'm not going there.
We're not going there right now.
Mmm. Mmm.
It's been a rollercoaster of an experience
speaking to Sheree and Nemo, and here I am.
Nemo put a smile on my face.
And I don't know,
there was definitely some connection there.
There was definitely some fire there.
But...
I haven't been with a man, I haven't dated a man,
I haven't been in a relationship with a man,
I haven't slept with a man in years.
Whereas with Sheree,
I feel like there is this really strong connection
between us and there was a great balance
and a lot of feminine energy between us.
But I know that she hasn't had any romantic
relationships with a woman, and that scares me.
I don't want to be Sheree's experiment.
[woman] Hey, lovely. How are you doing tonight?
-Hi. Good. How are you? -Very well, thank you.
[Jacinta] At the end of the day,
I don't care whether you're a man, a woman,
non-binary, trans, I don't care.
I feel like any relationship you go into,
there is going to be the risk.
If our energy aligns,
if we have that connection,
let's just jump right in the deep end.
Just do it.
I don't really know how to swim that well
but we'll figure it out.
[door opens]
[Jacinta chuckles]
[Nemo chuckles] Are you Jay?
-Hi. Yes. -Nice to meet you.
-I'm a hugger. -Yeah, of course.
-Nice to meet you. -You're gorgeous, girl.
-Thank you. -Yeah.
-Sit, get comfy. -Thank you.
Um. Would you like a drink?
-Of course. Yeah. -[barmaid] How you doing?
Ah, could I please do a Negroni
with, like, a splash of orange juice?
-Absolutely. -Thank you.
You're gorgeous.
You're nothing like I expected
but like, in the best ways possible.
-What did you expect? -I don't know.
I just didn't expect you. Like, you're so cool.
-[both chuckle] -Okay.
Ah! You guys picked a good one.
[beep]
My nosey arse was trying to do some stalking.
Like, all I had was Jay, model, Melbourne, right?
So, my nosey arse is on, like, Google like, just
typing those three things, Jay, Melbourne, model.
[Nemo laughs]
And then, I got, like, a few results, right?
And I'm thinking, maybe this could be her.
Maybe this could be her.
But none of them were her.
And like, when I saw her, I was like, "Wow."
Yeah, she's gorgeous. I'm attracted to Jay.
She is beautiful.
-Oh, this is very nice. -[Jacinta giggles]
I'm very excited now. [Nemo chuckles]
Did you know I was...
No!
I'm glad that you kind of look like what I expected.
-Oh, really? -Yeah.
Yeah. Pictured me like this, hey?
It's kind of nice.
[Jacinta] The moment Nemo called me
and I heard his voice, I was all happy.
We were strong, we were connected.
[Jacinta laughs]
So, I chose to be in a relationship with Nemo.
Oh, I love that. It's beautiful.
-Nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you as well.
He's more than what I thought. He's more than what I expected.
He is so cute.
There's definitely a spark, for sure.
Like, there's definitely energy between us right now,
and I'm just enjoying it.
I love this dress, by the way, girl. This is so good.
Thank you. I've actually never worn this dress before.
-Really? -Mm-hm.
And you've given me a reason to wear it.
Imma give you a lot of reasons to wear it.
We are going on more dates than this.
[Jacinta] I haven't been sexually attracted to a man
in a very long time.
So this is a whole new experience for me.
I think that we balance off each other really, really well.
Yeah.
I feel like I'm very open-minded.
Yeah, I--
I feel like there's a lot to learn from each other,
but to be completely honest with you,
I haven't gone on a date with a man...
-Mmm! -In like, four or five years.
-Oh, wow. -Yeah.
'Cause I'm queer.
[narrator] In Hobart,
comedian Nellie has been pleasantly surprised
by Richard, who has begun to show a lot more interest
on the second day of texting.
But, is it a case of too little, too late?
[Nellie] I know that I would get along with Richard
just based on our interests.
Richard would give me a mind orgasm. I know that for sure.
But I'm just constantly thinking about Dan.
I think Dan would give me a real orgasm.
A mind numbing, can't feel my face orgasm.
-[crowd laughs] -Thank you so much, everyone.
It's been amazing. [crowd applause]
I'm Nellie Ryan.
[phone's outgoing ringtone]
[narrator] Nellie has now decided to
call Daniel on the phone for the very first time.
[phone's outgoing ringtone]
-Dan speaking. -[Nellie giggles]
Hey Dan. It's Nellie.
-Hey, Nellie. How are you going? -I'm--
-So good to talk to you. -So good to talk to you.
I just kind of had a bit of a nervous energy after the gig
and I wanted to call you.
Mate, I was waiting for you to finish your performance.
I was wondering how you went.
You know what? You sound like a firefighter.
-Is that weird? -[Daniel chuckles]
-[Nellie laughs] -I hope it's a good thing.
It's a very strong like,
I feel like you could hug me like a bear
-and just completely... -[Daniel chuckles]
Like a big kangaroo hug. Like a big kangaroo.
-Hey. -Like a joey in the pouch.
It's a call back. Are you a comedian also?
-[Daniel chuckles] -[Nellie giggles]
I'm a self-proclaimed comedian. You know, I make me-self laugh.
That's true.
Another man takes my job. The would just be...
Oh! Don't be like that.
No, I won't. [Nellie chuckles]
Mate, there's so many good female comedians.
-Mate, you'll get there one day. -Okay. Dan, name one.
Oh!
Julia Roberts the actress? [Nellie laughs]
No, what's the chick in like, who hosts that, um...
It's probably a different network.
-I won't say it, but you... -[Nellie laughs]
No, no, that's good. That's good stuff, man.
You sound like an absolute ripper of a chick and, um...
Thanks so much for the chat, Nel.
It's been bloody fantastic.
Okay. See you, Big Roo. Bye.
-See you. See ya, Nel. -[Nellie giggles]
Bye.
[Nellie laughs]
Okay.
He's got, he... [Nellie giggles]
He's got that, like, I'm going to pick you up
and put you over my shoulder
and take you down my fireman's pole energy about him.
[narrator] Nellie still has one day left to make her decision
about who she wants to meet on a blind date.
[texting sounds]
-But sometimes when you know... -[outgoing text sound]
You just know.
[incoming text sound]
[Nellie sighs] I'm on my way
to my date with Dan the man, the fireman, the Big Roo.
[Nellie chuckles]
I'm really excited to meet Dan and see what he looks like.
I also worry, though,
that he's not going to like the way I look.
I know we'll get along, but I'm worried as soon as he sees me,
he's going to be disappointed.
He's going to think that
I'm too thick 'cause I have no bum.
[Nellie chuckles]
Or that he's gonna rather someone blonde and tall.
Or he's just going to stand there and look at me,
turn around and pretend he never
wanted to be in this experience in the first place.
-Hey! Nel. -Hey!
[Daniel chuckles] Hey.
-Big Roo, is that you? -Yeah.
-How are ya? -I'm good.
[Daniel pecks Nellie] Nice to meet ya. How you going?
-I'm good. -You're nice rugged up and that.
-You a bit cold? -I am a little bit cold.
But you'd be used to it, the go in Tasmania.
-Yeah. -Yeah.
It Tas it's so cold. It's like minus five at the moment.
-Oh, my god. It's crazy.
-Have a seat. -I'll have a seat. Yeah, 100%.
He's fucken massive! [Nellie giggles]
He's so tall!
[Daniel chuckles]
Oh my gosh. When I hugged him, I hugged his dick.
That's how tall he is. [Nellie laughs hysterically]
Fireman Dan is hot.
[Daniel and Nellie laugh]
At the train station, I was, like...
You kind of look like my dad. [Nellie laughs hysterically]
-I didn't mean... -Wow. Daddy.
[Nellie and Daniel laugh]
-Oh, I didn't-- -Well, that's, um.
That's, there, you're right.
[Daniel and Nellie laugh]
Hey, not like enough that's it's weird but
you know, you have an essence.
Mate, I don't mind.
If a girl's going to call me Daddy, that's fine.
If you're going to call me Daddy, that's, that's sweet.
I'm going to call you Fireman Dan/Big Roo.
Fireman Dan. Yeah, it flows off the tongue, doesn't it?
-Yeah. -[Daniel and Nellie chuckle]
[producer] Do you think he's into you?
I don't know if he's into me, honestly.
Maybe?
Your voice matches your face.
-The big voice, big head. -[Nellie giggles]
I did say, um, like, I always wanted someone that can just,
like, hug me completely.
[Daniel laughs] Lift up like Lion King like.
Always just been a big human, eh? Big, kind human I am.
-But... -Are you close with your mum?
Yeah, Mum and Dad, yeah. Love them both dearly.
Brought me up the right way.
Dad brought me up in a way,
like, where you respect shit out of women and...
[Nellie laughs] Respect the shit out of 'em!
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Stand up to the best of your ability my whole life,
you know what I mean?
I feel like that's how everyone should be.
-I believe you completely. -Yeah.
[Daniel] What's your priorities with, like, relationship,
friends, your career, like, your career goals and that?
Like, where does the relationship side of things
stack up on Nel's...
Is it the Richter scale? Like, the know what I mean?
Yeah.
Like, to be honest,
I just want someone that's just a best friend.
Yeah. Mm.
[Nellie] That you can kind of figure out
what you want to do, together.
Yeah. Having a partner as a best friend is cool.
But, like, keep on getting friend zoned and stuff
all the time
-Yeah. -It kind, it's so annoying.
I think in the word "best friend", I just mean
someone that it doesn't feel like girlfriend, boyfriend,
these are the rules.
Do you not like rules and that, like, in a relationship?
Or are you kind of just like to be with the flow?
-What do you mean rules? -As in...
I'm very old school when it comes to relationships.
Yeah, okay.
Like, the male, the female coming together.
[Daniel claps hands together] Yeah, it sounds so weird.
See, I sound like I'm such a controlling freak
and stuff like that but it's not like that at all.
I just like to be, I'm very set in my ways.
So, you just want to feel safe in a relationship.
I wanna feel like I'm in a relationship.
I don't wanna feel like it's best friends,
you know what I mean?
'Cause I get friend zoned all the time and it's just like, oh.
Well, let me clear it up.
I want a best friend that I can also have sex with.
Well, hey, mate, that's the answer.
That's the answer I was looking for.
-So I'll write that one down. -Yeah, yeah,
Write that down in your little notebook.
Yeah, yeah.
I'm like... I've had such a good time talking to you.
-Oh, yeah. I much appre-- -It's been really nice.
You got some yarns. I'm sure there's more out there
the more we get, the more we get to know each other, so yeah.
Well, I'm excited to move in together.
[Daniel claps hands together] Let's get it.
-Yeah, let's get it. -Are you ready?
-Yeah, man. -It'll be interesting.
You might have to stand up there to give me a hug. You ready?
[Daniel and Nellie laugh]
-[Daniel] It was so nice-- -[Daniel and Nellie peck]
-It's so nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you.
You want me to help you down or are you right?
-Ready? -[Nellie giggles]
-[Nellie laughs hysterically] -[Daniel chuckles]
-You're right. -Did you see that?
He full on was like...
No, no hassle at all.
It was like I was a grain of sand,
and he was like, bloop. [Nellie pops lips]
[Daniel] I'll take that if you want.
-Oh, thank you. -No worries.
-Nice to meet you, Nel, anyway. -Nice to meet you.
I don't know why I was going for a handshake. See ya.
[Nellie chuckles]
It was such a good first date.
After the way he picked me up, I think he might be into me.
The way he held me so, so swiftly.
Then I was like, oh, yes.
[Nellie giggles] This is good stuff.
I could feel my heart pattering as I was walking away,
which I think is a good sign.
Do I think there's any chemistry between Nel and I?
[Daniel sighs]
I don't think so.
She seems like a nice girl
but It seemed like I was talking to a mate that's a female.
That's what it felt like.
Was there a spark there?
I don't think there was.
[narrator] In the Love Triangle experience,
a bad first date is never the end of the story.
The next time Nellie and Dan see each other,
they'll be moving in together for six weeks.
Sam and Emily still have an opportunity
to push past their own bad first impressions.
-When's your birthday? -Eighth of July.
Ahh. Cancer?
So, I'm turning thirty-six this year. I'm a Cancer.
-Ahh. -What are you?
I'm a Virgo, but second of September.
Okay. Right.
So, I'm turning thirty-seven this year.
You're technically the only girl that I've dated
that's older than me.
-Well... -Listen, that's... Oi, that's--
That is so embarrassing.
-My god. -Ah, excuse me.
Cheque.
It's not at all like a, like a bad thing, Em.
I'm here to try something different, effectively.
I never feel old.
-Do you know what I mean? -No, you wouldn't.
This is the first time I feel old. It's bizarre.
It's the most shitty feeling. It's not ideal.
Oh, my god, dear. Don't like... We've both got our own--
No, no, no, not old.
Just like, it's a new thing. You know what I mean?
-Yeah, yeah. -But it's new for both of us.
So it's, you know, it's fine.
It's not at all like a... I'm half a foot shorter than you.
-[Emily laughs] -Okay? So let's just, like...
[Emily] That's okay.
[waiter] Guys, I have our raspberry and lychee ice cream.
[Emily gasps] Yum.
-Oh, right. Yes. Sorry, mate. -There we are.
We have our sticky date pudding as well. And just this one.
-Yeah. -Yum.
[Emily gasps] Ooh.
-I'll put this here. -Is that edible? No?
-No, it's not edible. -Okay. Thank you.
How's this guy putting his sauce
on my woman's fucken pudding, man?
-I know. -Stop it, bro.
Oh, he's getting a little bit...
He's getting too familiar, my guy.
-I know. -I know.
[Emily chuckles] A little bit.
-How tall are you on paper? -Not tall.
You're not that tall. No.
I think I'm five nine. So what's that?
-You're same as me. -Five nine?
Yeah.
No way. No, you're not.
Are you? [Emily chuckles]
I just mean, like, how come... Really?
[Sam chuckles]
-That's selective... -What...
[Emily laughs]
I'd like to think I'm five nine, yeah.
Are you? Okay, we're the same height.
So, it's the heels. So, why don't we do this, not now.
I'll take my heels off and we'll just do a back to back.
Okay.
And we could just, yeah, really...
-We'll really nut it out. -Make it official.
-Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. -[Emily and Sam chuckle]
'Cause that's what you wanna do.
That's exactly what you wanna do.
I just wanna pair up with you the same height.
Ah, you just wanna get a bit closer to me.
I don't mind, actually. Yeah.
I'll get my hands on you a little bit.
-[Emily giggles] -But yeah.
Stop it.
Emily may be not what I was expecting.
At the start obviously it's quite jarring.
You know, on the spec sheet, she's maybe not my type.
But the vibe between us both at this stage,
it's very, very early, but I think the vibe's good.
There's, ah, there's elements of sexual chemistry, definitely.
-[Emily] That was so nice. -[Sam] Did you have a good time?
-I did. -Yeah?
-Thank you so much. -It's alright.
It was such a nice place.
We'll only get more time together from now I think. So...
[Emily] I'm really excited.
We're going to be living together next,
next couple of days.
As of this weekend, I dare say.
-Yeah. -Yeah. I look forward to it.
Bye.
[Emily] He's got a sexy vibe about him,
and I actually almost feel a little bit
not great about my initial view on him.
Yeah.
We've definitely got something, and I don't know what it is,
but we definitely get along really well.
[Sam] Yeah, it's a surprise.
Emily's not necessarily my type.
I do feel like...
I guess I generally date in a younger age group,
so it's nice to,
it's nice when you can stir up the old ducks as well.
[car honks]
I'm queer.
Ahh.
[Jacinta] So, I'm pansexual.
-Okay. -So... But yeah.
[Nemo] Right. Okay.
[Jacinta] Like, do you understand that?
[Nemo] You connect to people on a personality level, right?
You're like that. That's cool. Yeah.
Okay. Cool. How do you feel about that?
Um...
I'm really not insecure about that.
My partner, who I dated for, like, four years,
like, we had experimented a bit in our relationship with women.
So, would you say you're open-minded?
Oh, a hundred percent.
I ask because it's important to me.
It's a part of my life.
To be a pansexual,
to be a part of the community is important to me,
and I needed to know that
you would be comfortable enough with that.
-I rock with the community too. -Exactly.
I get you. Okay.
'Cause if you didn't it would be a problem.
I get that.
I got to ask, are you like, the dom
or are you usually like the fem?
-[Jacinta bursts out laughing] -Huh?
[Nemo giggles] I know my stuff.
Don't play with me.
So, in the queer world, I would be known as the dom fem.
Right.
Which means I have dominance, but I'm very feminine energy.
Mm-hm. I like that.
But I got to ask you, like, am I the first guy you've seen in,
like, four or five years?
-Swear to god. -Swear to god.
Oh, okay. That's a lot of pressure.
-[Nemo chuckles] -Seen, dated, been with.
-Holy shit! -Everything in between.
-If you get what I mean. -Yeah.
I haven't been with a man in a very long time.
Am I doing alright for myself so far?
-I mean, you're still here. -Oh, okay.
[Jacinta] He was very open-minded about, you know,
who I am and my sexuality and being pansexual.
I was very surprised at his terminology
when it came to the queer community.
Some things he knew. Some slang he understood.
And I was like, "Okay."
-Oh! -Miss dom fem. I see you.
-Oh, I can't wait. -Here we are.
It's going to be a fun time, I think.
It's going to be fun and crazy and experimental
and everything in between.
And then we're definitely going to have some, like, barriers
where we're gonna fight.
Yeah.
Like, we're gonna, like, not fight in a bad way.
We're going to really, like, push our limits
and challenge each other, and that's what I need.
I need that too.
But you have to be vulnerable with me. Can you be vulnerable?
Yeah, for sure.
But we need to get there, you know.
I'm not going to pull out my poetry right now
and be like, "Here's all the things I've loved and lost."
I mean, you're a poet?
I wouldn't... Okay.
I did write a poem called "All or Nothing,"
which might describe me.
-Can I hear it? -Oh, god.
[Jacinta giggles]
-[Nemo sighs] -[Jacinta] It's okay.
-This is a lot. -It's fine.
Know it's just a very safe space right now.
-And I've done poetry. -Safe space.
It's a safe space.
Let's pinkie promise on safe space.
It's a safe space.
[Nemo and Jacinta peck their hands]
[Nemo and Jacinta giggle] I promise.
Okay. So, the poem is called "All or Nothing."
All or Nothing.
"Don't praise my abilities and understate my flaws.
Like God, I am everything or nothing.
Peace and war, life and death, freedom and bondage.
Do not disregard my darkness, and appreciate my light.
[texting sounds]
Love me for all I am
[outgoing text sound]
Or dismiss me.
[incoming text sound]
Like the tree with leaves touching heaven
And roots reaching hell
Accept my totality."
-Okay. -You know what I mean?
-So, all of you. -The whole thing. Yeah.
Okay.
[Jacinta] This date exceeded my expectations on so many levels.
He showed himself.
He showed exactly who he is and that's what I wanted,
and that's what I got, and I loved it.
Just wanted to say thank you for tonight.
-Yeah. -And I had a good time and I--
-Yeah?
-See you? -Yeah.
Yeah?
[Jacinta] I'm a bit scared that we're too perfect.
Like, we're too similar.
-See you. -See ya.
[Jacinta giggles] That can be crazy and intense.
But it's also so exhilarating and exciting.
I'm excited to see him again.
I... Like, let's just move in tonight. Seriously.
[narrator] Next time on Love Triangle
three new singles are entering a dating experience...
[man 1] I probably didn't put myself out there enough
'cause I don't like being rejected.
[man 2] There's no substance to a dating app.
A lot of people don't see me for what I've been through.
...that swipes looks off the table...
[man 1] I definitely think
my personality's better than my looks.
I'd hope so. Or else I've got nothing.
...in the search for real chemistry.
"What really turns me on is when a guy..."
Wow.
[woman] Nice to meet you.
But what happens when fantasy...
[man] The sexual chemistry I'm probably not feeling.
What do you think about the mullet? I have to ask you.
...becomes reality.
I feel right now like I'm wasting my time.
-Hey! -[Nemo chuckles]
And later this season...
[Jacinta] Not sure if
I should allow him to take the first move,
or if I should just let loose.
Can infatuation...
[Sam] Things are heating up a little bit.
...survive cohabitation...
Do I want to have sex with you? No, like, no, I don't.
Before the Love Triangle twist...
-Hello there. -Ooh!
...brings back the rejected suitors.
-Hi. -Hi, Jay.
[Sheree chuckles]
Can't wait to get back to dating girls, huh?
You need to calm down for a second.
And a twist within the twist...
No!
Fucken hell.
That's wild.
changes everything.
[Emily] She's younger than me. She's beautiful.
Are you trying to play me like I'm a clinger?
[Daniel] I wasn't expecting it, but I'm jealous.
[Jacinta] There is a deep insecurity happening with you.
It's not like I was
intentionally trying to hurt anyone.
But you did.