EXCLUSIVE: 'There's always going to be a bit of a scam' The Bachelor runner-up Lisa Hyde weighs in on Heather debate saying producers do look for girls with camera experience
By
Bianca Soldani for Daily Mail Australia
She came agonisingly close to winning Blake Garvey's heart last season, placing second behind the later jilted, Sam Frost.
lucky break huh!?
And knowing a thing or two about what it's like in
The Bachelor Australia mansion first hand, Lisa Hyde is taking reports this year's contestant Heather Maltman is a paid actress with a grain of salt.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia from the Bonds 100th Anniversary birthday bash on Wednesday, the reality stunner said: 'There's always going to be a little bit of a scam'.
at first I thought they'd got a photo of someone else mixed in here!!!
Is it all fake? Last year's The Bachelor Australia runner-up Lisa Hyde tells Daily Mail Australia 'there's always going to be a little bit of a scam'
Viewers of the Network Ten dating series were sent into a spin this week with reports emerging that aspiring film maker and popular favourite Heather, was hired to appear on the show.
The talk hit a chord with former star Lisa who believes producers favour potential contestants who are comfortable in the spotlight.
'I think when the producers do look for girls for the show they want someone that's confident in front of camera,' she said.
'That's not to say Heather wasn't looking for love - she's a single girl and that's just the industry she was in - I mean I'm not judging that.
Reflecting on her own time on the show she added: 'Even me, I wish I had a bit more experience going into the show in front of the cameras so good on Heather for having the film background.'
And when it comes to fans thinking the set up might be just that - a fake set up - Lisa coyly mused that it is and it isn't.
'In people thinking it's a bit of a scam, there's always going to be people that say that, and there's always going to be a little bit of a scam but that's the beauty of The Bachelor!' she said.
'Everyone loves a scandal, whether it's true or not I don't know. Truth is the girls will know what's happening.
'There's parts of it that obviously aren't realistic, there's a guy dating 20 girls, that's not realistic!' fashion designer Lisa went on.
New Idea claimed this week that 29-year-old Heather is suspected by the other girls of being a plant by producers.
An insider for the publication said her job was to find 'what the girls were talking about off-camera and then raise those issues on-camera.'
The suspicions of the 18 other women on the show were raised, the source says, when Heather was seen 'talking to the senior producer privately almost daily.'
Interesting insight: Lisa believes producers of the show do favour girls with experience in front of the camera but doesn't believe Heather is a paid plant
memoriesssss
Insider: The brunette placed second in last year's competition alongside winner Sam Frost (far right) and third place Louise Pillidge (centre) who is currently dating Bachelor Blake Garvey
They add that 'the girls asked if Heather was a mole planted in the house and [the producers] would just laugh it off and tell the girls to stop speculating.'
Her admission to working in film was also eyebrow raising, as she never brought up her appearances on shows like Winter and Wingman, which are touted on her IMDB page and website.
In addition to her roles in the above TV shows, the NSW native has also been in commercials, like one for Zoosh salad dressing, and the Zoo City Lads' Throw It Away music video.
During her debut on the show Heather received the prestigious white rose from Bachelor Sam - but the source implies that Sam himself is unaware of her being a plant, adding that she's since become emotionally invested in him.
Lisa attended the Bonds birthday bash in Sydney on Wednesday alongside her I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! star boyfriend Tyson Mayr and was certainly dressed to impress ...& Tyson? not so much...
Looking chic: The brunette beauty opted for a seriously plunging dress with a V-shaped neckline that did much to accentuate her assets before cinching in at the waist to create an hourglass silhouette (can a dress plunge not-so-seriously??? and really - I've seen a LOT more serious plunging that this!!!)
More eyebrows were raised when a second report in this week's
Woman's Day, claimed many believed fellow star Sarah Mackay was still in a relationship with her boyfriend of two years, Jake May, before appearing on the show.
When one of Sarah's sisters shared a still from her time on the reality show on Facebook, it was met with a string of shocked and scathing comments.
'I'm so confused, thought your sis had a long time boyfriend...' one friend wrote, while another said: 'Are cheating

'.
Sarah, however, maintains that this is not the case and that she and Defence Force employee Jake had gone their separate ways, telling the mag 'I was with Jake for two years, and he was really amazing, we just had different goals and dreams.'
(aka I wanted to go on The Bachelor and he didn't??)
More controversy: According to a report in this week's Woman's Day, many believed contestant Sarah Mackay was still in a relationship with her boyfriend of two years before appearing on the show
Complicated timeline: When one of Sarah's sisters shared a still from her time on the reality show on Facebook it was met with a string of shocked and scathing comments. However, she told the mag that she and Jake May (pictured) broke up prior to the show
Lisa attended the Bonds birthday bash alongside her I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! star boyfriend Tyson Mayr and was certainly dressed to impress.
The brunette beauty opted for a seriously plunging dress with a V-shaped neckline that did much to accentuate her assets before cinching in at the waist to create an hourglass silhouette.
didn't I already read this somewhere? no wonder I'm getting my cranky pants on!!!
While her Bachelor Blake turned out to be not as sincere as first hoped after he ditched winner Sam Frost for second runner-up Louise Pillidge weeks after filming finished, Lisa isn't immune to Sam Wood's charm.
'Personally I think he's a bit of a catch for the girls', she laughed, leading her new love Tyson to say: 'A bit of a what?!'
ruh roh - twubble in pawadise!!! new headline for tomorrow - Sam dumps winner and makes out with 2nd runner up form 2014 in carpark of BachelorPad2015
'I think he seems quite down to earth, normal, not too outgoing which probably wouldn't have suited me,' she added.
(she prefers spaced-out, abnormal and out there??)
Believing him a little on the soft side she said: 'I've noticed he's quite afraid of heights and he tells the girls he'll take them on an adventurous date and it seems to just be a picnic in the park!
He went up in a hot air balloon ... he's climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge ... for someone who doesn't like heights that's pretty damn good! As for being 'soft' I think its more he's very wary of any comparisons being made with the snake ... I mean ... Blake
'So his type of adventure is completely different to mine but in saying that he's a nice guy and I hope that he finds a nice girl out of it,' she said.
Lisa, who also recaps and blogs about the new season for the
Fashion Spot, added that she actually loves seeing him get intimate with the contestants, even though she wasn't impressed by Blake's love rat ways when she was in the house.
'If he wasn't kissing the girls what would we talk about, we'd have nothing to talk about!' she laughed.
'So good on him, go kiss some girls - not that I'm saying that that should've been the case on my season - but I'm a spectator and I want to see that I want to see a little controversy.'
Another shot at love: Sam will now star as The Bachelorette in the new season starting soon