pressure a bit as you can actually have
a decent real-time conversation. I can’t
imagine what it was like in carrier pigeon
days! Travel is also horrendously expensive
and it’s not something that is readily
available to everyone, so that of course
would put huge pressure on a relationship
financially as well as emotionally.
What is your view on the longevity of
marriage in today’s society?
I’ve heard the stat that over one third of
marriages end in divorce now (or was it two
thirds?), but I think that mirrors the changes
in acceptance of divorce in society. Back
in my grandparents' day, people just didn’t
get divorced as it was hugely frowned upon,
so I’d imagine there were many people
in unhappy marriages that felt like they
couldn’t leave. On top of that, our parents,
and their parents, generally got married a lot
younger, so now that divorce is much more
accepted, we’re seeing the weeding out of
people that rushed into marriage with the
wrong person, which is actually a good thing
in my opinion. I would never expect anyone
to stay in a marriage if they weren’t happy
because they signed a piece of paper… life is
far too short!
Now for the juicy bits!
First, congratulations on the engagement!
The whole country is so happy for you both;
it’s so wonderful to see the fairytale coming
true! How are the wedding plans going - any
details you would like to share?
Thank you so much! We are so excited. I’ve
known for a long time that we would spend
the rest of our lives together, but now that
it’s official, it really is the best feeling. We
haven’t started planning anything yet, we’re
just enjoying being engaged! We are trying
not to rush into anything, as I’ve heard
wedding planning can be a little stressful, so
I’ll take my time getting to that!
How do you both feel about where you
are at after the Bachelor? What were your
expectations?
We went in to the whole Bachelor
experience very naively. I had high hopes
but low expectations, if that makes sense.
I really wanted to meet someone, but was
a little skeptical of that chance that the
one person they pick would be someone
I connect with… and lo and behold!
We definitely underestimated how much our
lives would change. I thought there would
be a bit of a buzz during and after the show,
but I didn’t think it would be as big as it was.
I think a lot of it came down to the timing of
the show. It aired on telly right at the start
of the “social media celebrity” era, and we
soon discovered that having social media
followers was suddenly a form of currency,
and we could turn it in to a job. I now run
my social media and blog full-time, and I
love that every day is different, and I’m my
own boss. It’s still a brand new industry,
so everyone is learning at the same time,
but it’s an exciting era to be a part of.
What were the positive and negative (if
any) impacts the TV experience had on your
relationship?
The positives are, of course, that we found
each other! I don’t think we would have
met if we weren’t on the show. Dealing
with the public as well as the media
definitely drew us closer in a relatively short
amount of time too. We were chucked in
the deep end in that respect, so it was great
that we had each other to lean on. In terms
of negatives, it was really tough dealing with
the public scrutiny. We all know how harsh
social media (and comments on news sites)
can be, and that was something we
weren’t prepared for as much as we thought
we were. There were so many rumours
and nasty articles floating around - I found
it quite hard to ignore them. In that
respect, developing a thick skin has taken
time, and now we actually couldn’t care
less what people think of our relationship.
It has taken a long tim e to realise we don’t
have to justify ourselves to anyone, and
have nothing to prove.
We have seen a lot of the media
relationships fail. What do you think
made your relationship stand the test
of public pressure?
I actually have no idea. I think we just got
lucky, as we are so well-suited. We have the
ability to not take things too seriously and I
think that has brought us through the hard
times unscathed.
We know that you are both pretty
passionate about wellbeing. What ways
have you been able to intertwine this
in your relationship. Do you have a few
projects you work together on?
We are both big believers that diet and
exercise have a hugely positive effect on
your mental health. We cook together, and
we often work out together – whether that
is going for a run, yoga, or a workout at the
gym. We have also just started a business
together called Plate Up which is a healthy
pre-made meal company that delivers to
your door. Working together is amazing,
we make a great team and are both
passionate about the same things.
What would your advice be to those out
there that are in search of the perfect
partner, but don’t know where to start?
Learn to find happiness in your own
company first. Life is not “completed”
when you have a partner, but rather
“added to” in my opinion. You need to
find fulfillment in yourself before you can
truly love someone else! People tend to
be drawn to people that are content in
their own skin, in my opinion.
You both have so much to look forward
to. What is on your dream list for the near
future?
My dreams change all the time, but one
constant is that I want to have a family with
Art one day. I also have a long-term dream
of opening an animal sanctuary of some
sort. A home for animals that have been
abandoned or hurt and need a bit of TLC.
w.matilda-rice.com for inspirational and positive motivation to achieve a healthy wellbeing