If there ever was a polarising celebrity in Australia right now it's Abbie Chatfield. Subscribe now for unlimited access . Login or signup to continue reading For some she's come to represent the very public face, and voice, of what modern social media-obsessed culture has become.
Her detractors would argue she's overly-opinionated, explicit, and perhaps, even talent-less, and that she merely relies on sex appeal and fame from appearing on reality television hit The Bachelor . But the numbers don't lie. The 29-year-old Gold Coast star is one of biggest multimedia players in Australia and arguably reality TV's most successful breakout star.
She boasts an Instagram following of 482,000 and 455,000 on TikTok , while her podcast It's A Lot With Abbie Chatfield has received more than 21 million likes. Then there's popular reality TV show, FBoy Island Australia , which Chatfield hosts. While Chatfield's unfiltered opinions on sex, politics, feminism, mental health and social issues might turn off some, her raw honesty, humour and relatability have endeared many more.
"It kind of feels like an accident," Chatfield tells Weekender of becoming a public figure. "It isn't something I've always wanted. I was working in a corporate job, I have a degree in property economics, before I went on The Bachelor .
After a while you start to laugh at it because it's all so ridiculous and silly and people who follow me and engage with my content know that it's bullshit. So let them write silly things about me. Whatever.
"You kind of get used to it. A lot of the interactions I have in my real life are fans being nice and lovely, it's not like I'm Britney Spears getting hounded by paps [paparazzi] too often, unless something is happening. "There are slight downsides, but I'm quite lucky that a lot of it is on social media so there aren't many IRL [in real life] interactions, except for the live shows.
" Much of Chatfield's notoriety is perpetuated by the tabloid media. The likes of the Daily Mail and news.com.
au gleefully report her every move or public comment, whether it be her celebrity beefs with media personalities Amanda Keller, Mid Freedman and Kyle Sandilands or latest escapades with boyfriend Adam Hyde from electronic duo Peking Duk . "It's bit of a nightmare, isn't it?," she says. "Constantly pushing this idea about me and who I am and finding things to increase their clicks and therefore get me trolled.
"After a while you start to laugh at it because it's all so ridiculous and silly and people who follow me and engage with my content know that it's bullshit. "So let them write silly things about me. Whatever.
" The statement "any publicity is good publicity", applies to Chatfield. Last year she launched a live show, The Trauma Dump Tour , with sold out in capital cities and received five-star reviews. Arts and culture blog Time Out described the show as "an emotional roller-coaster ride".
Later this year Chatfield is taking Trauma Dump to regional areas to share her personal dating stories with new audiences. "I have a beautiful powerpoint [presentation] that I have curated, which is very silly," she says. "I tell three major stories of my dating life which are kind of infamous in my friendship groups, particularly from my hospitality days.
"Our group chat is even named after one of these guys and things that he did, 10 years later. "It's kind of me telling stories like I would to my girlfriends over dinner or over drinks and going through the most ridiculous experiences - one who was a compulsive liar, something that involves scalpels and another involves a lot of urine." Chatfield is commonly described as "an over-sharer".
Five minutes of browsing through her podcast make it clear it isn't for the prudish. She offers more of herself to her listeners than most celebrities would ever dare. But "over-sharer" is a term that Chatfield bucks against.
"I think I share a normal amount," she says. "I just share what I feel, you know? "I think with ADHD [attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder] you just say things and you forget you've said them. "For example, there was that headline recently where apparently I said I was going into politics.
It was actually a joke. "Someone asked me would I go into politics and I said, 'If Fboy Island isn't around in three years it'll happen', which obviously is a joke. I forget I say things until they're headlines.
" In just five years since finishing second on season seven of The Bachelor , Chatfield has built a mass social media following, a podcast, a stage show and has hosted TV and radio shows. So, what's next for the ever-ambitious Chatfield? "I really wanna try and write a show or think of a few concepts for my own reality shows I have in my notes app," she says. "I want to find some time to sit down and write them because I think I wanna get into production and writing.
"I think a comedy for sure. I do have a few ideas for dramas, too. Honestly I'm trying to get a handle on it.
" More from Entertainment Newsletters & Alerts DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis.
WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Sunday explore destinations, deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around Australia and the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here.
WEEKLY Find out what's happening in local business. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp.
Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more.
TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over.
AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia.
Fresh daily!.
