As one of the frontrunners for Farmer Bert, a lot of eyes are currently on 32-year-old Karli Hinkley on Farmer Wants A Wife.
Now, the Victorian-local has shared details about Bert and what he was really like behind the scenes, telling New Idea that she noticed a change in the farmer early on.
“When the ‘Mother’s Pick’ arrived, Bert was just exhausted,” Karli tells New Idea exclusively. “He was working a lot more than what the producers, and what the executives, thought.
“They tried to provide him with help but being the perfectionist that he is, he didn’t take a lot of that help onboard. We also changed over producers.”
She continues: “He’s also had a lot going on with his family, I believe. I don’t know the full facts around that, but he’s had a bit going on there. He’s just mentally exhausted.”
With this new information, it comes as no surprise that Sportsbet predicts Bert will leave the show solo. But it seems he did have a soft spot for Karli, with the farmer telling New Idea that she was the first girl to catch his eye.
Karli’s gung-ho attitude to dating, however, seems to have ruffled the feathers of her fellow contestants. Not only did Caitlin deem her too high-maintenance for Bert, Brooke was left in tears after Karli whisked the farmer away immediately after their date.
The 32-year-old, however, defended the brazen move, telling our sister site TV WEEK that she simply “grabbed that moment with both hands and ran with it”.
“I think the biggest thing with the girls at the beginning was that maybe their insecurities came through,” the customer service worker added.
From the get-go, some viewers thought Karli was the perfect match for Bert – particularly considering their similar backgrounds.
“Having been brought up in the country myself, I feel like Bert’s outlook on life – his morals and interests – align with mine,” Karli told Seven.
While she now lives in Geelong, Victoria, Karli grew up on her dad’s farm in Wilkur.
According to Wimmera Mallee News, Karli’s father Ken runs the farm, which includes over 10,000 hectare, with his wife Vicki, their son Dale, and Dale’s wife Holly.
Ken bought the property 32 years ago – so it’s around the same age as Karli! And work on the farm includes cropping, producing canola, wheat, barley, lentils, vetch, and running some sheep.
Karli also told Seven that her family once likened her to a Fantale lolly – “soft on the inside and hard on the outside,” she said.
When it was time to further her studies, Karli ventured from Wilkur to Deakin University, where she received a Bachelor of Management in Marketing.
From there, the Farmers star began a fruitful career. Initially working as a Wine Sales and Advertising Assistant for Chas Cole Cellars, she then dabbled in a few different roles – including a Sales Consultant for Buxton Real Estate Group – before ending up in her current job as a Customer Service Representative for Country Road.
According to Karli, she loves “to be busy”. “I have a work ethic like no other,” the Victorian told Seven. I will always be there for you no matter what, and I never give up”.
But work isn’t everything to Karli, who also describes herself as “spontaneous, fun, and always up for an adventure”.