"I had a few setbacks recently and a few big moments in my life, and didn't want to take anything for granted," the 32-year-old said. "This opportunity came up and I thought I'd definitely give it a go.

"I didn't really expect to make it to be honest. I just kept getting through each stage (of auditions) and I'm like, 'wow, this could become more of a reality than I thought'."

The Wollongong firefighter and carpenter, who grew up in Woonona, is one of the 20 bachelors vying for the heart of self-confessed "bogan Bachelorette" Angie Kent.

Trick said Kent was the right choice for the role of Bachelorette because "she seems very down to earth, and a normal person, instead of one of these big celebrities or anything like that".

This year's season of The Bachelorette Australia has only aired for a couple of weeks, but has already been marred by controversy.

Jess Glasgow, a Noosa councillor, was asked to leave the show after he bragged about kissing women against their will and is alleged to have made unwanted sexual advances towards the show's crew.

Trick has won some fans for his calling out of what he now refers to as Glasgow's "creepy behaviour that should be condemned everywhere".

Did Trick expect that his criticism of his fellow contestant would receive such a reaction from the public?

"Not at all," he told the Mercury.

"That really blew up a lot more... It was a comment I made out of disgust obviously, but I never thought they'd actually show it because I did swear in it.

"I pretty much brushed over it, thinking he got what I was putting down, but I didn't think the public was going to see that.

"Which I'm not upset about. I've received a couple of messages from people saying how well they received it, and for standing up to that kind of behaviour."

Filming took place in Sydney earlier in the year.

Now having returned to "normal life" and work as a firefighter, he joked that his colleagues "have been giving me a bit of stick".

"Every time the show airs, we're all sitting around watching it as much as we can," he said.

"A lot of the time they're like, 'yeah, that's exactly how you are'," he laughed.

"The bits that I've been shown in I'm pretty happy with, I think that's pretty much me."

Trick wouldn't be drawn on whether he eventually wins Kent's heart.

If you want to find out, you'll have to tune in when The Bachelorette Australia airs on Wednesday and Thursday at 8.30pm on The WIN Network.

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