Darcy studies Bonnie’s face for a moment. Her producer instinct tells her that she should encourage Bonnie to tell the truth. On previous seasons it’s created some great jealousy when a girl reveals she snagged the first kiss with the suitor. Darcy would like to get some footage of that this season too, but Bonnie looks so vulnerable that she can’t bring herself to ‘produce’ as normal. ‘If you don’t feel comfortable telling them, just lie,’ Darcy tells her. ‘Sometimes the girls get nasty and they’re already jealous you got the first date.’ They have some brilliant footage of Imogen scowling when Bonnie’s name was read out on the date card.

Bonnie visibly gulps.

‘So, was he a good kisser?’ Darcy can’t help herself. She’d already asked her during the date interview, but Darcy wants an honest, off camera response.

‘I have no idea.’ She shakes her head at herself. ‘I was too caught up thinking about kissing on camera.’

‘Oh no!’ Darcy laughs with a sympathetic smile.

‘I hope it gets easier for me to switch the cameras off.’

‘It will,’ Darcy reassures her. ‘Each day will get easier and soon you won’t even notice the cameras.’ She isn’t sure if that’s completely accurate; some contestants constantly look at the camera and so far Bonnie is one of them. Alice hates it, so it’s an editing nightmare. Darcy wants Bonnie to at least try to forget them for future dates.

‘I hope so.’

Darcy had imagined Bonnie would be on top of the world after a date like that, but watching her now, she looks nothing but stressed. ‘Do you like him?’

Bonnie considers before rushing to answer. ‘I think so, it’s just so easy to doubt everything here.’ She indicates around to the artificial setting.

Darcy pulls her producer hat firmly down onto her head. ‘Trust your feelings, Bonnie. There’s a spark between you and Ty. We can all feel it.’ Darcy really needs Bonnie to believe that.

‘So, your first big kiss with Mr Nine, hey?’

Bonnie turns to see Ben, the camera guy. She’s supposed to be heading to the car to be driven back to the mansion, but she stops to talk to him.

‘Yeah …’ She draws out the word. ‘Still can’t believe I actually did that.’ Somehow she feels like she watched someone else kiss Ty, rather than being the heroine of a love scene herself.

‘You mean with the millions of viewers watching at home?’

That hadn’t been her main concern, but she’s suddenly swamped with thoughts of everyone she’s ever met watching her make out on national television. How many of them would be judging her for kissing Ty already? ‘Don’t remind me.’

‘Hey, you landed the first kiss, don’t look so stressed. You’re the cat that got the cream.’