Page 47 of Unscripted

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FIRST BELLA AMORE MATCHING RECAP

It was a dramatic night in the Bella Amore villa as the first official Matching Ceremony took place. Posh Princess Ella stuck with Liam, who has followed her around the villa like a puppy dog since they entered. Was it the safe choice for Ella or does she really see a future with Laddy Liam?

Chiara was torn between her original match, Adam, and Hunky Hugh, who she gushed to Poppy and Jess about having had good banter with. Chiara went with Adam, but will it last?

American export Poppy went on a date with James earlier in the week but ultimately stuck with her original match, Callum. She did share with Chiara that she was confused about her choice, leaving us wondering if it will last with Callum or if her head could be turned for James.

James had no problem sticking around as he was picked by Olivia, who he also went on a date with this week. They got off to a great start, but Olivia told Ella she wasn’t sure if James really liked her. Looks like James is going to need to do a bit more grafting if he’s going to win her over. Unless he’s got his eye on someone else, that is!

Our final girl, and early fan-favorite, Jess, hasn’t had a spark with any of the guys yet. She was stuck with the difficult spot of going last and had to choose between Bradley and Hugh. Jess opted for the friendship match with Hugh.

Sadly, the Bellas then had to say goodbye to Bradley, who was sent packing. Maybe it was the veneers, maybe it was his average chat. Either way, we have our first casualty of Bella Amore!

As Week One comes to a close, we can’t wait to see what happens next! Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat for all your Bella Amore live updates and latest news.

23

Ihad chosen safety and security in the matching, but if I thought my time in the villa would be wildly different after doing so, I should have known better.

After the Matching Ceremony, things went right back to the way they had been before. Other than sharing a bed at night and exchanging small talk here and there, Callum and I didn’t spend any alone time together and only hung out in groups.

Part of me thought maybe we could keep going along like this: being paired up but staying under the radar.

I should have known that was delusional.

Two days after the matching, during the girl’s morning coffee debrief, Ella was the one to say something first.

“You and Callum don’t really spend a lot of time together,” she commented, her perfectly arched eyebrows raising in suspicion.

“Oh?” I said, unsure of how to proceed. It wasn’t like I could lie and say we hung out a lot alone. When you were living in a house with nine other people, with nowhere to be but in each other’s space, a lie like that was laughably flimsy.

I looked around the group hoping someone else would jump in and say something. Instead, the girls all looked back at me; the same question Ella asked reflected on their faces. Apparently, she wasn’t the only curious one.

“We just,” I said, trying to find a diplomatic answer that wouldn’t prompt any follow-up questions. “We’re still getting to know each other. It’s a bit of a slow burn, I guess.”

“Everything happens in the time it’s supposed to,” Chiara said, giving me a reassuring smile before turning the conversation away from me and onto her. I would have to thank her later for that.

The girls weren’t the only ones who noticed that Callum and I were not spending much time together. Later that afternoon, I was called into the Love Shack to film my producer interview for the day.

“So, Poppy,” Harry said, sitting across from me behind the camera and tripod.

“Yes?” I asked, leaning back on the red cushioned loveseat. Although I had judged the room when I first saw it, not understanding why a show that was so popular couldn’t afford a more professional setup, I now understood that it was all intentional.

The small space was cozy: the loveseat comfortable and the lighting soft and soothing. The small camera was unthreatening, and sitting in front of it felt as if I were simply making a home video. I’d go in there, get asked a few questions, and before I knew it, I was pouring my soul out to the camera. It was all designed to project the illusion of comfort, as I should have known it would be.

“How are things going with Callum?” Harry continued, getting right into it.

“Good, yeah. Things are all good,” I said.

My words hung in the air, the silence that followed amplifying just how empty they were.

Harry wasn’t buying it.

“You two haven’t spent a lot of alone time together,” he said. I nodded in reply as he continued. “No kissing, no holding hands. Some of the other matches are a bit further along than you two. Does that bother you?”

He was really going there, and I didn’t blame him. I knew it was his job and that as my producer, his success was directly tethered to my actions.