Matty ‘J’ Johnson, 30, and Sophie Monk, 37, both signed up to find love on Channel Ten’s most famous reality TV franchise.
But now, photos have emerged that suggest that this year’s The Bachelor and Bachelorette may only have eyes for each other.
Spotted recently at Icebergs in Bondi, the duo enjoyed a flirty exchange, with Matty even snapped fondly grabbing Sophie’s arm during the encounter.
On a date? The Bachelor’s Matty ‘J’ Johnson (left) and The Bachelorette’s Sophie Monk (right) appeared to enjoy a flirty exchange as they lunched together at Icebergs in Sydney’s Bondi
Dressed in a navy jacket over a white shirt and jeans, Matty could be seen smiling and appearing to laugh while chatting to the blonde bombshell.
Sophie, who opted for a casual-chic ensemble consisting of a grey T-shirt and white jeans, looked equally invested in the conversation.
It appeared the duo weren’t afraid to get up close and personal and at one point a smiling Matty gripped tightly to Sophie’s arm as she appeared to enter a waiting vehicle.
It comes after New Idea reported last week that the duo shared ‘cosy’ and ‘flirty’ lunch at the Sydney hotspot.
A fellow diner reportedly told the publication that despite Matty and Sophie starring on their respective shows, they couldn’t stop flirting with one another.
‘I was surprised to see them together,’ the source said. ‘The Bachelor and Bachelorette out on a date? What would the winners say?’
A Channel Ten insider also conceded that while the reality TV stars weren’t dating each other, they seemed to have strong chemistry.
‘It definitely looked like there could be a spark between them,’ the source said.
In the past, Matty has not held back when it came to praising the former Bardot singer.
Speaking to KIIS FM’s Kyle & Jackie O show in July, the handsome marketing manager revealed his crush on Sophie, noting: ‘She seems beautiful, intelligent and funny.’
‘I haven’t (met Sophie), and I went to the Logies (this year) and it was announced (she’s the next Bachelorette), I really wanted to meet her,’ Matty added.
When questioned by host Kyle Sandilands about whether he’d ever pictured her in the buff, Matty laughed and replied: ‘Well, I am a man.’
Meanwhile, in a new promo for the Bachelorette, Sophie broke down in tears as she explained her quest to find a decent, down-to-earth guy to love.
‘I’m just here because I want to find a good man that I think would be a good father, and just someone that loves me,’ she said.
The former Bardot singer also admitted to Stellar magazine on Sunday that she had fallen in love.
Opening about her love life, the star remain coy about the man who has won her affection but admitted: ‘You never know, but my gut is saying this is amazing.’
Sophie has had a string of failed romances in past and many of these relationships have been with high-profile men.
