After weeks of speculation, on Friday afternoon it was confirmed that The Bachelor's Blake Garvey and Louise Pillidge are definitely in a relationship. For the week following the show's finale, which saw Blake get down on one knee to propose to his chosen girl Sam Frost, Blake and Sam gave separate interviews after it was revealed Blake had ended their engagement just days before the finale went to air. Sam admitted that she had no idea why Blake had broken up with her, and then Blake went silent, which led to rumours he had actually gone back to Louise, the show's second runner-up. And now it turns out those rumours are true.
Blake and Louise escaped to Thailand for their reunion so it would be away from the public eye, but they did give an exclusive interview to Woman's Day (reportedly worth $50,000) to clear the air about why Blake broke up with Sam, how they got back in contact, and what they have planned for the future. "True love has a way of finding you no matter what," an in-love Louise told the magazine. Here's a recap of how Blake and Louise got back together - for the full story, check out the new issue of Woman's Day, which is on sale now.
How Blake got in contact with Louise: He reached out to Louise's father and asked him to hand Louise a five-page love letter he'd written. "Dad gave me the letter a few days before the finale aired," said Louise. She cried as she read the letter: "It took me a while to process. But that letter was one of the most overwhelming things I had ever experienced."
How Blake realised he still had feelings for Louise: In the letter, Blake wrote, "Here is the absolute truth. In the weeks, days, hours and minutes since I last saw you, not a day has gone by that I haven't thought of you and our time together . . . My one wish is that I don't want to be just your first love, I want to be your first, last and only." Woman's Day features an edited extract of this letter.
How they met up: After talking for two weeks on the phone, Blake and Louise organised to meet up in Thailand. They said they didn't tell anyone where they were going or what they were doing. It was the first time they'd seen each other in two months.
How Blake realised Sam wasn't the one for him: "Sam and I had fun, we laughed and sat on the couch watching TV and drinking wine, but I realised that's all there was," Blake told Woman's Day.
Why Blake let Louise go before Lisa and Sam: "It sounds crazy but I was so unsure at that stage and she was the one I wanted to hurt the least, so I thought it would be easier. She's so fragile that I thought I was protecting her," is Blake's explanation to Woman's Day.
How they'll deal with the public backlash: The couple understands that more people have sided with Sam and that there isn't a lot of public support for them given the circumstances of their romantic reunion. Louise told the magazine, "Australia needs to forgive him. Before this, everyone saw him as a kind, honest, loving man and that hasn't changed. He never said anything bad about Sam. He ended something he knew wasn't right to be respectful."
Their future plans: Blake and Louise plan to move in together soon, with discussions of Louise moving from Brisbane to Perth, despite reports the couple are looking to move to Sydney.
Blake and Louise will also appear on The Project tonight at 6:30 p.m. on Network Ten.