Irena walks! The Bachelor favourite shocks as she leaves Locklan 'Locky' Gilbert and exits the show halfway through filming
She is the clear frontrunner to win Locklan 'Locky' Gilbert's heart on The Bachelor.
But Irena Srbinovska has revealed she briefly stepped away from the show midway through filming earlier this year.
The 31-year-old nurse decided to head back to work in Melbourne to help patients suffering with coronavirus when production on the series briefly shutdown in March during the height of the pandemic.
Brief exit: The Bachelor's Irena Srbinovska has revealed she briefly stepped away from the show midway through filming earlier this year to return to work as a nurse
All the women bid farewell to Locky in Sydney and returned to their hometowns, but instead of sitting around and waiting to do Zoom calls with the Survivor star, Irena was on the frontline fighting the virus.
'Hearing about the what was happening in the world was heartbreaking, especially being a nurse,' she told New Idea.
'My heart was torn - a part of me was selfishly devastated that the show was stopping, but then the other half of me was so eager to get back home and fight COVID.'
'It was hard saying goodbye to Locky and the girls, but also so rewarding that I could do my part to help out with the pandemic,' she added.
Brave: The 31-year-old nurse decided to head back to work in Melbourne to help patients suffering with coronavirus when production on the series briefly shutdown in March during the height of the pandemic
Of course, Irena did continue on in the show and is said to be one of the clear frontrunner's to win Locky's heart.
Filming of The Bachelor was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But the health crisis didn't stop producers from documenting Locky's love story, with the hunk taking part in several Zoom calls with his leading ladies.
Earlier this year, Channel 10's head of entertainment, Stephen Tate, confirmed that the coronavirus pandemic would 'form part of the story' of The Bachelor's eighth season.
'We're going to embrace what's happening to all of us here in Australia. It will form part of the story, and we think we'll be able to deliver probably the most extraordinary series ever,' he told the The Kyle and Jackie O Show in March.
Locky, who appeared on Australian Survivor in 2017 and returned for this year's All Stars season, was announced as the Bachelor on March 4.
'I am beyond excited to be announced as this year’s Bachelor and cannot wait to share this epic romantic adventure with you all,' he said at the time.
On-set production was postponed just weeks later, on March 26.