Describing her time as a whirlwind, Maddy told 10 play she had always wanted to go on The Bachelor, and despite not finding love with Locky, she found something even better.
“It was more than what I could have ever imagined,” Maddy said, “I didn’t think that I would make so many friends, genuine friends. I see some of the girls in the house as lifelong friends now.”
Her own harshest critic, Maddy said one of the toughest things about the experience has been watching herself back on TV.
“I cringe quite a bit,” she said, laughing. “I’m like, why am I standing like that? Maddy, push your shoulders back! But it’s been really nice, some of the feedback from friends, family and people at work, they just say, ‘You’re exactly what you’re like in real life on TV’.
“It’s nice that I’ve come across as genuine.”
Though she made some incredible friendships during her time in the Mansion, her connection with Locky was a lot slower to develop, which was only made more difficult during lockdown.
“Locky and I didn’t make a lot of contact during lockdown and, when I heard that the other girls were calling him daily, messaging him and FaceTiming him, it took me by surprise.
“I wasn’t expecting the girls to be so full-on, I’m not used to putting myself out there so much,” Maddy continued. “I think that’s why I’m single, because of the fact that I don’t put myself out there enough. I didn’t during lockdown and, unfortunately, I didn’t make the most of my time.
“I should have messaged him or gave him a phone call but I found it difficult.”
While some of the Bachelorettes had already made a strong connection with Locky prior to lockdown, Maddy said she felt like she had double the work trying to get that initial spark, and having to do so over the phone.
“I just think when it comes to dating, in general, I’m not as confident as some of the other girls, so I kind of took a backseat which I do regret,” she added.
Admitting early on during Love in Lockdown that she believed she wouldn’t receive a rose due to her limited contact with Locky, when the Bachelorettes eventually returned to the Mansion Maddy was a little confused.
“When I came back to the mansion and I still hadn’t had a single date I was really questioning why was I still there? Why was Locky keeping me around?
“I knew that I liked Locky and I was really interested in Locky, but I was doubting whether he was interested in me at that point. It was really tough.”
Maddy was one of the few Bachelorettes to not receive a single date or group date extension, meaning the only opportunities she really got to have one-on-one time with Locky was at cocktail parties.
“It’s such a short amount of time and you’re being interrupted by all these girls, you can’t relax. So I was really, really wanting a single date or even extra time through a group date, just to sit down without any interruption. But, unfortunately, that just didn’t happen.
“When Irena got her second single date I was pleased because I really do think she has strong feelings for Locky, but I’m not going to lie, it really, really hurt. I was honestly thinking it could have been me or Steph,” Maddy said.
“When my name wasn’t called I thought, nah this is it. I’m going home.”
Admitting that she assumed she was going to be sent home “at every Rose Ceremony”, when it came to Wednesday night’s she knew for sure her time in the Bachelor Mansion had come to an end.
“It was just an amazing experience. I’m from Tassie, I live a very sheltered life down here,” she said, laughing. “Doing something like this was just out of this world. I’d say yes to anything else that came my way.”
Watch The Bachelor Australia, 7.30 Wednesday and Thursday on 10 and 10 play