Two Canberra locals head to the country hoping to find love in the newest season of Farmer Wants a Wife. Airing on Channel 7 this Father’s Day, Sunday 4 September, the show follows contestants as they travel to regional areas around Australia to meet their potential future spouse on the land.

Spanning 11 seasons, the show has so far helped nine couples find wedded bliss.

This season is slightly different, as one of the farmers looking for love is a woman, a first for the show: Farmer Paige, a sheep, cattle, and crop farmer from Cassilis in the central west of NSW.

Hoping to meet her is Josh Huxtable, a 27-year-old demolition worker who lives in Canberra. After the troubling breakdown of his previous relationship, Huxtable says he spent a lot of time casually dating but didn’t want to commit. 

That began to change, and after seeing Farmer Paige’s video, felt drawn to her and knew that he was ready to take a big step. Throughout his time on the show, Huxtable says, he was definitely looking for something serious; Paige seemed like a great person with whom he could have a lot in common.

Having grown up in the NSW Southern Highlands, he wasn’t too concerned about a culture shock at the farm as his great-grandfather managed cattle farms, where Huxtable was exposed to animals at an early age. Not that it means he is good with animals, just that he has a vague idea of how to take care of them, he laughed.

“I’m used to getting my hands dirty, learning about it, and giving it a go.”

However, there was an element of fear heading into the show, as he worried about putting himself out there and the thought of people at home watching and judging him.

“There’s some form of nervousness when you’re in that position, but when you’re in, you just have to get it done. The one-on-one dating, actually getting some work done.”

Huxtable is grateful for his time on the show – he has remained good friends with some of the guys – and the newfound confidence it has given him.

“Putting myself into that situation where you are forced to have dates, surrounded by people who are encouraging you, it does give you a place to start fresh again,” he says.

The other Canberra-based contestant hopes to head to Farmer Will’s sheep and crop farm at Berriwillock, in north-western Victoria. Sahara McLellan, a 25-year-old Seaman Maritime Personnel Operator in the Navy, moved to Canberra for work last year. Having watched the last few seasons of Farmer Wants a Wife, she decided to take a chance and apply for the show after seeing Farmer Will’s video.

“He is very handsome, and I was just drawn to him. I thought he seemed really down to earth; he seemed funny. I read his Q&A, and I just thought: why not? I started the application, and then I sat on it for a week,” she smiles.

Before applying for the show, McLellan had been single for four-and-a-half years after previous boyfriends has been unfaithful. She took that time to work on herself and, though she had met a few great men, wasn’t ready to commit. Now, she feels ready to settle down, and Farmer Will could be the right man.  

“I was taking it very seriously; I think out of probably anyone who was there, I was the most serious in terms of being there.”

Women competing for the heart of one man can incite jealousy, McLellan says. Because of her previous relationships, she struggles to open up to people, and she didn’t want to let jealousy on top of reticence harm her chances of connecting with Farmer Will.

“You just have to really stay grounded and confident, and not compare yourself to other people. You will just go crazy if you over-analyse everything.”

Growing up, McLellan fondly remembers the dairy farm her father’s friend owned where she would stay on a regular basis. Weekends spent riding motorbikes, splashing in the river, and having no cell reception helped prepare her for farm life.

“I kind of knew what to expect. I think some people probably didn’t to some degree, but I was 100 per cent happy and comfortable with no reception and dirt. “

She isn’t too worried about how she will come across to audiences. Laughing, she says she is probably too nice. She says the editors can only do so much with what she has said and done. She is happy with how she acted on the show, knowing she was there for Will; however, some may not have been.

“I would say the majority of people that were there were there for the right reasons. I think some people may have been there for a good time.”

See whether Josh Huxtable and/or Sahara McLellan find love on the farm in Channel 7’s ‘Farmer Wants a Wife’ premiering Sunday 4 September; farmerwantsawife.com.au

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