It has emerged The Bachelorette's Charlie Newling has an eight-year-old son.

Charlie Newling entered The Bachelorette mansion telling Ali Oetjen he wanted kids, but it has now emerged that he he already has one of his own.

The front-runner confirmed to NW magazine that he has a son, who was born in 2010, after an unnamed acquaintance shared online he was a dad.

NW reports that Charlie does not reveal this information to Ali at any point during the show’s filming – a decision the 31-year-old carpenter said he made to protect his eight-year-old son.

“I chose not to speak publicly about my child as I wanted to ensure their privacy was protected,” he told the magazine.

The Daily Mail has published photos of Charlie posing with his newborn son in hospital.

Mamamia has reached out to Network Ten for comment.

That Charlie has not mentioned his father status is markedly different from the mums who appear on The Bachelor, including Snezana Markoski and Alex Nation, as they generally speak about their children within minutes of screentime.

However, according to a source who spoke to the Daily Mail, many of the Sydney man’s friends don’t know he has a son.

“Charlie keeps this part of his life very private,” they said.

“I’m not surprised it hasn’t been mentioned on the show, but it would be interesting to see what Ali thinks.”

During The Bachelorette, viewers watched Ali and Charlie bond instantly over his desire for a family.

“I’m here to find somebody, I’m here to find love. I want the house with the white picket fence, I want the kids and I want to settle down,” he told Ali in the first episode.

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