While their love was broadcast on national television, The Bachelor Australia exes Alex Nation and Richie Strahan had a very private breakup. The cause and timing of their split has remained a mystery. Now, the pair have reunited on television once more, both joining the spin-off series Bachelor in Paradise Australia — and we're learning more about the demise of their relationship. Here's a timeline of Alex and Richie's time together — and their unfortunate split. JULY 2016: The Bachelor Australia begins airing and Alex, a 24-year-old venue manager and single mum from the Morning Peninsula in Victoria, meets suitor Richie, a 31-year-old rope access technician from Perth, Western Australia. Richie previously appeared on Season 1 of The Bachelorette Australia with Sam Frost, where he finished in third place. Richie takes an immediate liking to Alex, giving her the 'white rose' — allowing her to spend extra time with him in a secret room whenever she wants to. Alex Nation and Richie Strahan on The Bachelor Australia. (Nine) SEPTEMBER 2016: The final episode of The Bachelor Australia Season 4 airs, and Richie chooses Alex over the favourite to win, Western Australian real estate agent Nikki Gogan. Alex and Richie go public with their relationship. In an Instagram post shared on the night of the finale, Alex writes, "In a weird and wonderful world, I found you. I found love, friendship and happiness. Rich, I wouldn't change a thing! Here is to many more adventures and experiencing life together. I'M SO BLOODY EXCITED!!! I love you." The Bachelor Australia's Richie Strahan and Alex Nation. (Instagram) OCTOBER 2016: After months of dating, Alex introduces Richie to her then six-year-old son Elijah over FaceTime. Alex tells TV Week, "I swear to god my ovaries exploded, it was cute!" Richie Strahan, Elijah and Alex Nation on a rollercoaster in Melbourne. (Instagram) NOVEMBER 2016: During a short trip to Melbourne, Richie meets Elijah face-to-face for the first time. The meeting is photographed by OK! magazine APRIL 2017: Alex and Richie attend the 59th Annual TV Week Logie Awards together. It's the last time they attend an event together. Alex Nation and Richie Strahan at the 2017 Logie Awards. (Getty) MAY 2017: Alex announces she's joined the Frankston Bombers women's football club. "I can not begin to express how amazing it feels to be apart of something so special," she writes on Instagram. "[Frankston Bombers] thank you for being so welcoming and so encouraging of me." RELATED: Richie Strahan and Alex Nation reportedly split AUGUST 2017: Alex is spotted with a mystery woman, later identified as Maegan Luxa, her Frankston Bombers teammate. NOVEMBER 2017: Alex announces she is in a relationship with Maegan via Instagram. Sharing a photo of herself and Maegan, she refers to the fluidity of her relationships. "When it comes to love, my friends and family would tell you that my heart isn't one to discriminate," she writes. "I very much fall for a person and the connection that I share with them. My heart is a wild thing, it craves extraordinary adventure. It's impulsive, sometimes a little dysfunctional but it's big and loud and I follow it to the nth degree. What a wonderful adventure it is with her." Maegan Luxa and Alex Nation. (Instagram) Alex then comments for the first time about her breakup from Richie. "Have you always known you liked women?" someone asks in a comment. "Why go on Bachelor? @richie_strahan could have chosen someone else and had his ever after!" "Richie is a great person," Alex replies. "He'll still get his ever after. We both hoped for things to work, but life just is. Sometimes things in life simply don't work out for us. You cherish the nice memories and you move forward." Alex Nation. (Instagram) That same month, Richie tells New Idea that the split was "heartbreaking." "The months leading up to it were the most difficult, crazy and confusing times I've been put through," he says. "Having something wonderful dissolve the way it did was heartbreaking, but at the same time, there was a lot of relief that the emotional roller-coaster was finally over." Richie Strahan. (Instagram) Richie then suggests something happened a few months earlier that led to their split. "I guess the brightest spark can fizzle fast. We made some bad choices back in June and our relationship really struggled to recover for months after," he says. "It didn’t matter how much effort I put into it." DECEMBER 2017: Alex and Maegan become engaged. Maegan and Alex. (Instagram) APRIL 2018: Alex and Maegan split up. OCTOBER 2018: Alex tells news.com.au that she and Richie split because of physical and emotional distance -- he lived in Perth, she lived in Melbourne. "We had internal as well as external pressures," she says. APRIL 2019: Bachelor in Paradise Australia Season 2 begins airing. Alex and Richie both appear on the show, seemingly unaware their ex has also been cast. When they see each other, they separate from the group to have a private — though filmed — nine-minute conversation about the root of their split. Though the reason is never explicitly stated, the issue appears to stem from the fact Richie, who was based in Perth, wasn't there for Alex and she was "left alone [to do] something massive that no woman should have to go through."<doc-sep>Last Wednesday night on Bachelor in Paradise, Alex Nation and Richie Strahan discussed their breakup on national television. It was unlike the many, salacious, breakup conversations that the public is given access to on reality television. It was not about cheating, or picking wet towels up from the floor. The conversation was honest and open. And it was about an issue that affects around 73,000 Australian women every year. The couple appeared, by all accounts, to be having a discussion about an unplanned pregnancy and the subsequent termination. Abortion. So why didn’t anybody say the word? The coverage of the event was vague, and circled around the clear implications of the conversation. The clear reason was that Alex and Richie didn’t say it. So why should they? But abortion is not, and should not be treated like, a dirty word. Last night Gogglebox contestants reacted to the conversation between Alex Nation and Richie Strahan in their living rooms, and we had the same conversations we all had last Wednesday night mirrored back to us. “What would a woman do that involves two people that she had to do alone? I think it starts with an A,” Symon explains to Adam, resulting in a look of sympathetic shock. Kate Dalton then comes right out and says it: "Did she have an abortion?" The family looks on with concern for Alex Nation.<doc-sep>Fiery exes Richie and Alex are out for revenge, and Brooke is getting caught in the cross-fire. They had one of the nastiest splits in Bachelor history, but it seems Richie Strahan and Alex Nation aren't done with playing dirty! Woman's Day can reveal the duo are now fighting over a new suitor, with a nasty love triangle playing out behind the scenes. Do you have a Bachelor in Paradise tip or know one of the contestants? Email us with your tip-off at NowToLoveTips@bauerxcelmedia.com.au Richie and Alex have been caught up in a dramatic love triangle. (Image: Network Ten) Looking for another chance at love on Bachelor in Paradise, Richie, 33, and Alex, 27, hadn't spoken to each other since their sudden split in early 2017. But after a raw and confronting discussion in which they continuously blamed each other for the messy break-up, there was more animosity between the former couple than ever. "They tried to stay civil for the sake of the cameras, but the minute that conversation was over, Alex got up and stormed off set," reveals an insider. WATCH: Bachelor in Paradise's Alex Nation says her relationship with Richie Strahan was unsalvageable after his huge act of betrayal. Story continues after video... And like many exes looking to one up the other, there's whispers that Alex and Richie are competing to win over stunning Brooke Blurton, who was the object of Nick Cummins' affection on the last season of The Bachelor. Alex has said of bisexual Brooke, 24, "I'm interested in her in a romantic sense... [she's] beautiful." While bold Alex quickly made the moves on Brooke – hooking up with the brunette while on the island! – insiders say Richie wasn't about to give up his chance at a romance with Brooke. "Richie had to swallow his pride and watch Alex very publicly move on with a woman [ex-fiancee Maegan Luxa] soon after they broke up, and it was a sore spot for him," the source adds. "But he was determined to win Brooke over to get back at her." Brooke has been caught up in Alex and Richie's love triangle. (Image: Network Ten) Nick Cummins is NOT happy Former Bachelor Nick has remained tight-lipped about Brooke's bombshell confession , but in exclusive messages obtained by Woman's Day, Nick has some choice words about the show! When prompted by a fan, the Honey Badger, 31, let rip about BIP's decision to include his secret. "I'll get back at them... f**k em basically!" wrote the disgruntled star. Nick wasn't happy about Brooke's revelation. (Image: Network Ten) Why Brooke REALLY left The Bachelor In a shock revelation , Brooke told her BIP cast mates last week that former suitor Nick confided in her that he had no intention of picking a winner ahead of the controversial Bachelor finale. But now Woman's Day can reveal Brooke's revelation was far from the truth! "It's true, Nick was smitten with Brooke and he only wanted her," dishes a source. "However, Brooke wasn't as interested and told producers she was intent on leaving, so they let Nick know in a bid to persuade her not to go." "The private scene she spoke about was actually Nick begging her not to leave," the source adds. "It was really emotional." Brooke's exit from The Bachelor shocked fans. (Image: Instagram)<doc-sep>On Bachelor in Paradise, Alex Nation and Richie Strahan come to blows over their relationship breakdown. Courtesy: Network Ten On Bachelor in Paradise, Alex Nation and Richie Strahan come to blows over their relationship breakdown. Courtesy: Network Ten... Kyle and Jackie O’s radio show was abruptly taken off air this morning after discussing Alex and Richie’s heated argument on last night’s Bachelor In Paradise. The show was “dumped” as the hosts debated what Alex and Richie were talking about on the reality TV show, with Kyle Sandilands stating his opinion twice on air. Sandilands said he was “going out on a limb and being the only person in media willing to (talk about it). Why is everyone tiptoeing around it?” he said. But it was a comment by KIIS FM’s newsreader Brooklyn Ross that proved to be too much for the show’s censor and the radio program was taken off air for 30 seconds. The radio mishap followed a tense conversation between Alex and Richie on the reality TV show, where Alex revealed that “something massive that no woman should go through” was the cause of their breakup. But despite Channel 10 airing a nine-minute unedited conversation between the pair that hinted at the bombshell secret behind their split, the exact details were not revealed which frustrated some viewers. So they said a lot without actually saying anything........ #cryptic #BachelorInParadiseAU — Krystal Birch (@birchyyk) April 10, 2019 Does anyone actually know what the fck Alex and Richie are talking about in this long convo? It sounds like a road to nowhere #bachelorinparadiseau — apil (@julessz71) April 10, 2019 #BachelorInParadiseAu seriously you hyped it up so much and even Alex was like everyone will know tonight... KNOW WHAT??? I know nothing! — n 🤘🏻 (@wildowlheart) April 10, 2019 Others felt they knew exactly what Alex and Richie were discussing and lashed out at Channel 10 for airing something so personal. But a Network 10 spokesperson defended its inclusion in the episode, telling news.com.au: “Alex and Richie’s reunion conversation was an organic moment that was not prompted by show producers. To be faithful to this moment, 10 made the decision to show the conversation unedited and in full, with the aim of delivering an impartial retelling.” “It is a common grievance of reality television stars that footage is heavily edited, contrived or manipulated. Given that this was the first time Alex and Richie had seen each other since their break-up, producers felt it was essential to film and broadcast their reunion in its entirety. “Both Alex and Richie were comfortable with this. It aired unedited, uncensored and as a split screen enabling viewers to get a feel first hand for what they had both been through and what they had to say. By the end of the conversation, they both felt relieved and happy. “As part of the show’s duty of care, all Bachelor In Paradise cast have full access to mental health professionals as well as support from the Warner Bros. Australia and Network 10 teams.” Not easily offended. But @Channel10AU, we didn’t settle in for mind-numbing tv only to feel like we were intruding on an intensely private conversation that should’ve been left alone. Yes, they’re aware of where they are, but to air that was crass. I’m out.#BachelorInParadiseAU — Carly Austin (@CarlsAussie) April 10, 2019 This is so personal and I tense. I feel like I shouldn't be watching #BachelorInParadiseAU — Rach (@rachl_amm) April 10, 2019 Okay i know we all wanted the grubby details but after what Alex and Richie alluded to... i feel like the grubby one for intruding on that personal conversation... #bachelorinparadiseau — Trista (@twista202) April 10, 2019 This is so awkward watching such a personal discussion on national television #BachelorInParadiseAU — SHANI (@shanizzll) April 10, 2019 The discussion between Richie and Alex on #BachelorInParadiseAU is both heartbreaking and infuriating- he clearly left Alex in a time where you need support... no matter what you think is the right decision it’s still confronting and emotional.. — Charlotte (@charlotteg483) April 10, 2019 considering what alex is hinting at, it makes me uncomfortable this is not something that maybe the producers should've gotten a counsellor involved in and not cameras #BachelorInParadiseAU — taryn ʕง•ᴥ•ʔง (@thereafter) April 10, 2019 Bachelor In Paradise Australia host Osher Gunsberg live tweets each episode, and last night he found himself having to defend the decision to air the heated conversation. Both Richie & Alex were comfortable with it. And don't forget as part of our Duty of Care, they both have access to Mental Health professionals before, during & after production. #BachelorInParadiseAU https://t.co/3BA1oYnGA6 — Osher Günsberg (@oshergunsberg) April 10, 2019 Have we ALL been there? You tell me, Osher. What a disaster. — RhodaPenmark (@BondiFem) April 10, 2019 Thank m all honesty, I don’t though Australia needed to hear that. We got the gist and I know they sign their lives away but somethings are too personal to air — Heidi Davenport (@hillself) April 10, 2019 Bachelor In Paradise continues tonight at 7.30pm on Channel 10<doc-sep>
Bachelor In Paradise's Alex Nation crashed ex-boyfriend Richie Strahan's cosy chat with Alisha Aitken-Radburn during Wednesday's episode of the show. The 27-year-old interrupted the pair as they enjoyed a private moment, saying: 'Oh, I've like walked in on something.' Alex then sat down, hijacking their discussion about Richie's blossoming romance with Cassandra Wood to take several swipes at him. 'Oh, I've like walked in on something' Alex Nation crashed Richie Strahan's cosy chat with Alisha Aitken-Radburn on Bachelor In Paradise during Wednesday's episode 'I decided to have a chat with Richie, he's been taking it very slow with Cass,' said Alisha as she whisked the hunk aside. As Alex crashed their chat, Alisha said in a piece-to-camera: 'That was sort of really awkward. Like, how have I ended up in this situation where I'm sat between The Bachelor and Alex Nation? I'm like, 'Oh s***, yeah.'' Richie said he has no interest in rushing physical intimacy with Cassandra, to which Alex bluntly replied: 'That surprises me, actually. I didn't know you were such a slow mover, Rich.' Room for another? The pair were discussing Richie's blossoming romance with Cassandra Wood, before Alex sat down and started taking several swipes at her former flame After Alisha then asked Richie if he'd kissed Cassandra yet, he responded: 'I'm certainly not that guy that talks to a million girls or kisses a million girls.' Interrupting once again, ex-girlfriend Alex said: 'What do you mean you're not that guy? You did that.' Speaking to producers afterwards, Alex ranted about Richie: 'You were The Bachelor, that is literally what you did. Dude, what you doing? You need to grow a set.' 'I'm certainly not that guy that talks to a million girls or kisses a million girls,' said Richie, prompting Alex to hit back, 'You were The Bachelor, that is literally what you did' Remaining calm, Richie responded: 'The reason why I kissed a few girls on The Bachelor is because I think kissing someone is important.' Re-capping the conversation, Richie said: 'Both of these two girls have been through a few relationships already, why are they now judging me?' Speaking of Cassandra, he added: 'I'm just trying to take things at my pace and be really respectful and honest.' 'Dude, what you doing? You need to grow a set': The conversation quickly became awkward, with Alisha sat between the exes Alex and Richie fell in love during his series of The Bachelor in 2016, before calling time on their romance several months later in 2017. In an 'unedited and uncensored' conversation last week, Alex and Richie spoke about their breakup but omitted a crucial detail about why their relationship ended. Looking visibly emotional, Alex said: 'I feel like people would have a very big opinion of a woman, being left alone, to do something that involved both of us.' Wasn't meant to be! Alex and Richie fell in love during his series of The Bachelor in 2016, before calling time on their romance several months later in 2017 Richie replied: 'Don't beat around the bush Alex, say it. Because you're not gonna like my response. Because we did talk about it. We talked about the whole thing and what you said to me blew my mind... I've had to come to peace with this.' 'I was left alone, to go through something massive that no woman should go through!' Alex responded. Richie then said: 'But you wanted to do it! You wanted to go down that pathway because remember, you said to me, that you wanted to focus on your AFL career. That was part of it.'