Hawke, 27, is one of the series’ leading provocateurs, bumping from one drama to another as the clashes in an increasingly spiteful group house become a parallel contest to the romance.

“I’m certainly used to being in the public eye at the moment,” she told the Mercury. “It’s a roller coaster … exciting and a little bit scary.”

But now filming is done and dusted Hawke, who in real life works in marketing for a health care company, isn’t complaining.

“It’s a little bit confronting at times [watching the show],” she said. 

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“I could sit here and be a contestant that sits there and says I was edited in a particular way, but I don’t want to be that contestant. 

“Things did happen and you only do see one side of the story – the interesting side of the story. There’s definitely creative editing, and that’s their job – but it’s my job to be entertaining.”

It’s all fun and games for the former Oak Flats High student, who ramped up the inter-housemate battles last week. Her tirade of insults against Queenslander Cobie (“she’s a hustler”) came after such early skirmishes as the “That Dress Is Putrid” episode with Elizabeth and the “You Said I Was Dark” exchange with Elora.

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Hawke, who admitted she knew who won this year’s show, said it was a “grey area” whether romance, or competing with the other women, was the main game.

“People who are watching at home they do forget we are actually competing for the same guy,” she said. “I think they get their support behind one girl and they don’t realise we do have feelings and we do react to girls coming home and waving their roses. There is jealousy between girls and as happy as you try to be to someone when they’ve had a great date, you [are] wishing it was you.

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“Sometimes living with 21 other girls isn’t the easiest thing, but you all develop this really weird kind of love for each other. It’s a really beautiful thing to be a part of.”