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The important reminder we need the day after The Bachelor finale.

 

Australians are waking up to a lot feelings today. Because last night, Matty J finally shared with all of us (officially, at least) the woman who had stolen his heart.

Laura Byrne – a fan favourite who many described as a mirror image of Georgia Love – took home the top prize, winning herself a mint condition, made-for-television, picture perfect boyfriend.

Of course, that meant one contestant’sh broken heart was left lying in the dust.

While some Bachelor viewers were happy to see Laura and Matty finally be able to confess their love for one another and sail off into a Thai sunset together, others were upset.

It's love. Image via Facebook.

They were angry. Furious, even.

Cries of 'How could he do this to Elise?' and 'How could he pick her? IS HE COMPLETELY BLIND?!' could be heard all over the country in the show's closing moments.

Within minutes, both Matty J and Laura's Instagram accounts were flooded with rude and hurtful comments labelling the duo as "fake", "stupid" and criticising Matty J for breaking a woman's heart on national television when the country had rushed to support him when the same thing happened to him last year.

READ: The Twins recap The Bachelor finale and the result we all saw coming.

Other comments were too cruel to even repeat.

But, no matter what we feel about Matty's final choice, there's one thing we need to remember: these are real people with real feelings.

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We can take the couple's claims that they are in love and living happily ever after with a grain of salt - after all, we've just witnessed a highly produced, highly edited version of a love story - but there's no denying that The Bachelor is not a fictional drama.

Image via Twitter.

It's not an episode of Offspring where it's okay to have irrationally strong opinions and feelings about characters and events.

Matty J and Laura Byrne actually exist, and are probably still in control of their own social media accounts and will read each and every hurtful word that's aimed at them.

And no real life person wants to be the fodder for internet trolls.

LISTEN: Once you've recovered from your heartbreak, tune in to hear Michelle Andrews and Zara McDonald discuss The Bachelor finale on Bach Chat.

It's a sentiment repeated by last year's Bachelor winner Alex Nation, who was the subject of criticism when she was chosen by Richie Strahan over fan-favourite Nikki Gogan.

"I swear some people are BACHshit crazy and have zero chill," she wrote on Instagram just hours before Matty's final episode went to air.

"It's not like you get to see the full 'journey' in its realist and most raw form anyway. I mean, all you saw of me was tears ruining my make up 96% of the time and my intense 'American Psycho' eyes (sic)," she said.

So, old mate Matty J is down to his final two. *cue trolls and their idiotic comments about all three parties*. #shouldhavechosen.... classic. I swear some people are BACHshit crazy and have zero chill. I've not watched this season of The Bachelor so I've not been privy to witnessing the "journey" unfold. However, it's not like you get to see the full "journey" in its realist and most raw form anyway. I mean, all you saw of me was tears ruining my make up 96% of the time and my intense "American psycho" eyes. I'm expressive... obvi. Anyway, enough about me because this stage 5 clinger is sooooo 2016. What I really wanted to stress to you all is to please be kind. From the bottom of my heart, please show kindness. What you're seeing and what you've invested yourself in are real human beings with real feelings. You don't know them and you damn well don't know their story. Sure, have your faves but do not stoop to the cowardly act of trolling. It can hurt, it's exhausting, I've been there. And I like to think I've got a pretty thick skin! So, yeah... just be cool people. Here is a photo of Nikki and I just hours before the finale was aired. We laughed together and we cried together. One year on and I still treasure seeing you for the first time after all the craziness @nikki_gogan #teamfuckinglove #ruok

A post shared by Alex Nation (@alexandranation) on

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"What I really wanted to stress to you all is to please be kind. From the bottom of my heart, please show kindness.

"What you're seeing and what you've invested yourself in are real human beings with real feelings. You don't know them and you damn well don't know their story."

As someone who has "been there", she asked fans not to "stoop to the cowardly act of trolling" in the wake of Matty J's decision.

So whether you are #TeamLaura or #TeamElise, it doesn't matter when it comes to showing a little kindness.

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