Astrophysicist Matt Agnew is set to send pulses racing across Australia as he makes his grand debut as The Bachelor on Wednesday night.
And as he becomes one of the country’s most sought after men, with 28 beauties competing for his love, his life couldn’t be further apart from this time last year.
Just 12 months ago, the 32-year-old was more preoccupied with submitting his latest thesis than finding a wife, and his body lacked the muscular definition that it has now.
From a geeky scientist to Australia’s most sought after man: How Matt Agnew transformed his life (and body) to become The Bachelor and date 28 beautiful women in just a few months
Academic to killer abs
In recent years, Matt has mostly been found burying his head in books, rather than sweating it out in the gym like previous Bachelors.
By day, the Doctor of Philosophy is a lecturer at Swinburne University’s Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing in Melbourne, which is his main passion.
However, it was only after expanding his horizons from studies of space to reality TV that Matt has transformed his physique.
It is believed throughout filming of the show he was training hard and following a strict diet, ensuring that he was in the best shape of his life for photoshoots and shirtless scenes.
Academic: In recent years, Matt has mostly been found burying his head in books, rather than sweating it out in the gym daily, like previous Bachelors. Pictured in 2016
Abs: However, it is only after expanding his horizons from studies of space to reality TV that Matt has transformed his body while going clean-cut shaven
House with his mum to mansion full of hotties
Before filming the show, Matt called a two bedroom property in Melbourne’s inner-city suburb of Richmond home.
The brainiac purchased the $870,000 abode in 2016, with his Western Australia-based mother Karen having equal shares in the cosy house.
But for the majority of this year, the scientist has been living it up in a multi-million dollar mansion filled with beautiful women desperate to date him.
Network Ten film the dating show at Nelly’s Farm in Oxford Falls, a 4-acre estate in Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
It last sold for $2,300,000 in 2012, and is thought to be worth a lot more now.
House with his mum: Before filming the show, Matt called a two bedroom property (pictured) in Melbourne’s Richmond home, which he bought with his mother in 2016
Multi-million mansion: While filming this year, the scientist has been living it up in Nelly’s Farm (pictured), Oxford Falls, a 4-acre estate in Sydney’s Northern Beaches
Empty lecture theatres to ladies lining up for him
Matt may be about to pull in up to one million viewers as he makes his screen debut.
But for the past couple of years, he’s often struggled to attract more than a handful of people to his lectures on subjects like the solar system.
In 2016, the academic proudly shared a picture of his ‘first lecture’ as he gushed he was about to ‘deliver some excellent science’.
Sadly though, once you looked past Matt’s name on his opening slide in the picture he shared, there were just three people sat in attendance.
It’s a far cry from the 28 beautiful ladies that lined up to meet him during The Bachelor’s first cocktail party, set to air on Wednesday.
Empty lecutre threatres: In the past couple of years, Matt has often struggled to attract more than a handful of people to his lectures on subjects such as solar systems. Pictured in 2017
Not a big turn out: In 2016, the academic proudly shared a picture of his ‘first lecture’ as he gushed he was about to ‘deliver some excellent science’ to just three people
Fighting them off: It’s a far cry from the 28 beautiful ladies that lined up to meet him during The Bachelor’s first cocktail party
Slightly unpopular online to social media influencer
Prior to finding fame, Matt had built up 136 followers in ten years on Twitter.
Whereas in the hours leading up to his reality television debut, the hunk boasted 24,700 fans on his new Instagram, with this number set to shoot up substantially.
His posts are already garnering thousands of likes, whereas just a short time ago, his tweets to people including Elon Musk would mostly go ignored.
Unpopular account: Prior to finding fame, Matt built up 136 followers in ten years on Twitter
Social media influencer: Whereas in the hours leading up to his reality television debut, the hunk boasted 24,700 fans on his Instagram, before any had even seen him in action
The final makeover
It isn’t just Matt’s body and lifestyle that have changed over the past year.
His wardrobe has also had a huge overhaul, with his boardies, beanie hats and caps all out, and perfectly tailored suits, smart shirts and stylish ensembles in.
Interestingly, the star also looks to have ditched his glasses too, which appeared in his first promotional picture for the show in March, but not in recent ones.
Makeover: Matt’s wardrobe has also had a huge overhaul recently, with his boardies, beanie hats and caps all out. Pictured in 2018
Gone: His trademark glasses also appear to have been ditched too. Pictured in 2016
Styled to perfection: Perfectly tailored suits, smart shirts and stylish ensembles are now in
His newfound confidence
In March, Matt’s first promotional picture for The Bachelor was released, taken shortly before he commenced filming and met his contestants.
Smiling widely, his body language suggested he was nervous about what was to come.
In contrast, in the latest promo shots, taken recently after filming, he looked like a completely different man, clearly exuding bags of confidence.
Of course, the plenty of action he got while filming is surely to have helped, kissing a staggering 17 people in the first trailer for the season.
Before and after: Matt looked nervous in his first promotional picture taken before filming in March (left), with him looking like a whole new man in the recent ones (right)
Throwback: This time last year Matt’s most action appeared to be while giving lectures
New man: Whereas he’s spent the past few months getting steamy daily while filming