Binge Original Series FBoy Island has landed and host Abbie Chatfield says it “flips the script” on how women “normally date”.
Premiering on May 29, the 10-episode reality series follows three Australian women, Molly O’Halloran, Sophie Blackley and Ziara Rae as they navigate the dating pool together to uncover who are the self-proclaimed “nice guys” looking for love, and who are the self-proclaimed “FBoys” only there to play the game and take home the cash prize.
“We’re usually told to be so small and gaslight or gaslight ourselves into thinking that the problems that we have with men in relationships, that you’re ‘crazy’ to bring it up. That you’re being too much or you’re taking things too personally,” Chatfield said in an interview with Mediaweek before the series premiere.
“But in this show, everything is super analysed and I think it’s quite invigorating. It’s quite validating for these women and to me and hopefully for those watching at home as well. To see that it isn’t you, [that] you aren’t crazy for pointing out things that you think aren’t how you should be treated and I think it’s been such a great experience.”
Ziara Rae, Sophie Blackley, Abbie Chatfield and Molly O’Halloran. Binge
Abbie Chatfield admits that she always falls for “FBoys”
As host of the show, Chatfield is in the driver’s seat, helping O’Halloran, Blackley and Rae find love; however, in her personal life, the 27-year-old admits to attracting those that she’s helping the women steer clear from.
“I think all I attract is Fboys, which is super hot and iconic from me,” Chatfield said, while giving her own definition of what the term means. “I think that the definition would be somebody who is going to mess you around and lie to you and string you along.”
And for the TV and radio personality, being strung along is “the most painful part”.
“I can be rejected, I’m fine to be rejected,” she admitted. “But when someone is pretending they like you and doing all these things that you think should mean that they want to be with you, that you’re the only one that they’re really interested in and then you get the rug pulled from underneath you, then it’s an Fboy move to have unclear intentions.”
Abbie Chatfield on her time on the FBoy Island set
While overally the gig was great, The Masked Singer Australia judge said that she did experience a little bit of cheeky on set behaviour from some of the men.
“There were a few wolf whistle moments that were a bit much,” she said. “I just went, ‘shut up’. These men are in this environment where they get called out for things. It was quite amazing really, even on set. They’re completely under scrutiny all the time, so it’s really easy for them to be put back into their place.
“It’s really easy for them to be put back into their place because they are so used to being on a pedestal and being so high up on the pyramid that is the patriarchy, the structure is that when they’re in this environment, if I say shut up, they do. It’s absolutely wild. I hope the boys learned a thing or two to be honest.”
The male cast of FBoy Island. Binge
While Chatfield has the “courage that some people don’t” in these kinds of situations, she praised the three women for banding together to call the crappy behaviour out.
“They were very honest,” she said. “It was really great casting with these three women. They’ve done such a good job by themselves, so I wasn’t needed that much until the end.”
FBoy Island premieres on May 29 only on Binge.