Richie Strahan and Alex Nation have finally spoken out about what caused what looked like a perfect relationship from the outside to turn into such an ugly breakup.

The pair came face to face for the first time in a long time tonight on Bachelor In Paradise and despite awkwardly ignoring each other at first, they eventually decided to sit down and talk out their issues and what led to their “grubby split”.

Of course you’ll remember that Alex was the winner of Richie’s heart in his season of the Bachelor a few years ago now.

While it seemed like the pair were completely head over heels in love, they broke up shortly after the show aired and didn’t really give any explanation to the public as to why.

Shortly after their split, Alex moved on fairly quickly and publicly and began dating fellow AFL player Maegan Luxa.

In what Network Ten has described as the longest unedited scene in reality TV history, Australia was finally given a glimpse at what went on behind the scenes of Richie and Alex’s relationship.

The discussion played out in a nine minute clip of Richie and Alex in split screen so that producers and the audience could remain impartial to what was clearly a pretty heartbreaking split.


Here’s hot it played out:

Richie: We haven’t spoken since … And you know exactly why and what happened. What I woke up to. I meant I just can’t believe someone would do that to someone.

Alex: Me? Someone do something to you? Do you actually want to go there Rich? Because I feel like people would have a very big opinion of a woman, being left alone, to do something that involved both of us.

Richie: Don’t beat around the bush Alex say it. Because you’re not gonna like my response. Because we did talk about it. We talked about the whole thing.

Alex: Over the phone.

Richie: Yeah, and what you said to me blew my mind. So if you wanna go into it Alex we can. Again, I’ve had to come to peace with this. I’ve thought about this a lot. I tried so hard to make our relationship work and …


Alex: You tried hard to make our relationship work?

Richie: Yeah definitely. 100 per cent.

Alex: So you don’t think you left any room to grow to try that little bit harder? So you’re honestly sitting there and saying you were perfect in our relationship? Because I wasn’t.

Richie: No one’s perfect, Alex. Don’t try and put words in my mouth and say I’m saying what I’m not.

Alex: Yeah but the way you’re saying it is ‘I did this, I did that’.

Richie: Because I did. I did a lot, Alex. I did so much to try and keep our relationship going and …


Alex: Yeah because you knew you couldn’t salvage it, because you knew that after what happened, when I was left alone, to go through something massive that no woman should go through.

Richie: Yeah but you wanted to do it. It was your choice …

Alex: It was me?! I actually can’t believe that you are telling me that it was me.

Richie: Yeah. You wanted to go down that pathway because remember, you said to me, that you wanted to focus on your AFL career. That was part of it.

Alex: No I didn’t! Richie: Yes you did, on the phone.

Alex: What career? I don’t even have an AFL career to focus on.


Richie: Exactly, that’s why it’s so crazy Alex. That’s why I’ve come to peace with everything else

Alex: I don’t even know what you’re talking about … AFL career.

Richie: Yeah, exactly. That’s what I told myself.

Alex: So you’re going to sit there and say to me that all of that was my decision…

Richie: No, no we talked about it. Alex you’re a mother. I know that, clearly. I spoke to you at length about that because you’ve gone down that pathway. You know what is involved with that. We spoke at length about it.

Alex: But you knew what it did to me though. You even said it yourself.


Richie: I supported you and your decisions and everything that you wanted to do.

Alex: Yeah, but where were you?

Richie: Alex, how are you supposed to click your fingers? I’m just supposed to appear places? You changed the goalposts so many times.

Alex: But that doesn’t matter. If you’re a man and you’re in that situation, you move mountains to be there for your partner.

Richie: Yeah but there’s achievable and there’s not achievable. Why wouldn’t you just wait until I could be there?

Alex: Richie, you had 48 hours.


Richie: I don’t think I had 48 hours.

Alex: Yes you did. Trust me, I remember.

It was not explicitly stated what the personal experience was that Alex had to go through but it was obviously a heartbreaking situation for both parties.

Thankfully, they were able to end things on a better note and agreed to let Bygones be Bygones and to move on.

We hope both of them go on to find love in paradise!
