It’s well known that millionaire Stu Laundy had previously set up a date with Sophie Monk before appearing on The Bachelorette, but it fell through.
But now sources claim that the two actually dated each other before the show.
‘Everyone is saying Soph and Stu didn’t meet just once before the show started,’ an ‘insider’ told Woman’s Day on Monday.
Secret lovers! The Bachelorette’s Sophie Monk and Stu Laundy dated each other BEFORE the show started
‘They actually dated each other briefly,’ the source told the magazine.
!['Everyone is saying Soph and Stu didn't meet just once before the show started' an 'insider' has revealed that Sophie Monk and Stu Laundy dated briefly before The Bachelorette](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/10/23/00/457C8CD000000578-0-image-a-52_1508713649889.jpg)
‘Everyone is saying Soph and Stu didn’t meet just once before the show started’ an ‘insider’ has revealed that Sophie Monk and Stu Laundy dated briefly before The Bachelorette
The magazine also speculates that Channel Ten increased the age bracket for the show so that the 44 year old could be a contestant.
It also claims that the heir to a half a billion dollar pub empire joined the show as an intruder a few weeks after it started so that he would have fewer people to compete with.
Not stopping there, it also claims that former favourite Luke McLeod was eliminated by Sophie Monk to ‘remove’ competition with Stu.
![Tactics: It is claimed that Stu - who is the heir to a half a billion dollar pub empire - joined the show as an intruder a few weeks after it started so that he would have fewer competitors](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/10/22/23/45785E7D00000578-0-image-a-49_1508713037317.jpg)
Tactics: It is claimed that Stu – who is the heir to a half a billion dollar pub empire – joined the show as an intruder a few weeks after it started so that he would have fewer competitors
After he was eliminated from the show Luke said he’d noticed chemistry between Sophie and Stu.
‘There were obviously guys who came into the house and I noticed almost straight away that there was a connection with one of them,’ he said.
‘Maybe she just wanted to remove someone from the picture (so as) to not complicate things too much so she could focus on developing a relationship with that person.’
![Past lovers? It's been speculated that Channel Ten increased the age bracket for The Bachelorette so that 44 year old Stu could be a contestant](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/10/23/00/4574274700000578-0-image-m-55_1508714636187.jpg)
Past lovers? It’s been speculated that Channel Ten increased the age bracket for The Bachelorette so that 44 year old Stu could be a contestant
On Sunday Stu revealed why a chance meeting with Sophie last year prompted him to go on The Bachelorette.
‘I really felt like Sophie and I clicked, all be it for ten minutes, but more so than I’ve clicked with anyone since my ex-wife,’ the father-of-four told the Financial Review.
‘I ummed and ahhed a lot … and it was because of my kids [I joined the show]. My two little ones are big fans.’
Stu decided going on The Bachelorette was worth a shot, because he was yet to find love after being left heartbroken by his marriage breakdown five years ago.
‘I weighed up all the pros and cons and through several years of unhappiness, I just thought, this might be a path to happiness,’ he said.
!['I really felt like Sophie and I clicked, all be it for ten minutes, but more so than I've clicked with anyone since my ex-wife' Stu said in an interview](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/10/23/00/4573E09E00000578-0-image-a-54_1508714626618.jpg)
‘I really felt like Sophie and I clicked, all be it for ten minutes, but more so than I’ve clicked with anyone since my ex-wife’ Stu said in an interview