A year ago, Nick Cummins was the most hated man in Australia. This is his life now.

“Never corner a Honey Badger.”

Has there ever been a more telling Instagram bio?

Nick Cummins certainly doesn’t like to be cornered.

But then, that’s why a year ago thousands of people across Australia hated him. Because he told a reality TV show he wanted to settle down, get married, and have all of the children.

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He even took 24 women away from their homes and jobs for three months in an effort to get as cornered and locked down and settled as one can possibly get.

He had the country hooked with his larrikin-esque charm and cheeky jokes – with fans well and truly strapped in for his journey to love and a happy ending.

So when he flew his final two – Brittany Hockley and Sophie Tieman – over to New Caledonia, dumped them both and fled into the jungle. It was… a lot.

The question being directed at Cummins post-ghosting looked something like: "Why did he go on a show about finding love, if he he wasn't ready to find love?"

But as his final two devastated women digested the news, Australia's reaction as Cummins refused interviews and shied away from the public gaze evolved from confusion to anger.

A few months after the finale aired and the "hate" had somewhat died down, Cummins finally spoke.

“People are so brainwashed, you’re not going to get your fairytale ending every time,” he told ABC Radio National in December.

“What’s more important: me just saying ‘yes’ and going through the motions and dragging some girl through all the media about how we’re in love and then three months down the track after the contract’s over, we’re allowed to break up?” he continued, confirming there is a contractual agreement to stay together after The Bachelor.

In June 2019, we got more answers and a bit of an insight into how the fallout from the show affected the former Wallaby.

In a chat with Stellar he explained that The Bachelor took a huge toll on his mental health and he said the environment didn't foster the conditions necessary to fall in love with someone, because they were never allowed to be alone.

 

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Feels good to clear the air! Burn over and have a read of @StellarMag this Sunday.

A post shared by Honey Badger (@nickbadger) on Jun 27, 2019 at 8:54pm PDT

“It really gave me direction and forced me to understand that meaning is a non-negotiable. You have to have that in your life,” he said.

“We are on this earth for a reason, and that’s to make a difference in someone else’s life.”

After being shaken by the experience, Cummins found himself heading back to the bush and nature. It was this journey that led him to establish Rogue Gentlemen’s Club; a group therapy business that provides excursions for men who want to unplug and reconnect with themselves and nature.

A quick peek at the website and the club is described as Cummins' "passion project", a way to "share what he has learned about manhood from a life packed with adventure and challenge". The missions to farms, islands, and mountain ranges last between two nights and 10 and are all about off-grid freedom; hiking, foraging and camping in the Australian wilderness.

 

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"Connection is strong between man to man and man to earth" #gorogue

A post shared by ROGUE GENTLEMEN'S CLUB (@roguegents) on Jun 20, 2019 at 1:34am PDT

A life of adventure is exactly what the Honey Badger is living and breathing now a year on from his Bachelor disaster.

He's shied away from the usual post-reality route of event launches, public romances and sponsored social media posts. Instead, he's been travelling the world and raising awareness for not just men's health but other causes close to his heart. In South Africa, he educated his 467,000 followers on the horrors of rhino poaching.

He's also been lending his name to Tradie underwear, Volkswagen, GoPro, Samsung and BCF, some of whom have been following his travels and incorporating his love for nature in their advertising campaigns.

Despite losing a huge chunk of followers in the wake of the show, a year on Cummins has doubled his reach and appears stronger and more at peace than ever.

 

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Live, Learn, Love, Lead . . . . ???? @rge879

A post shared by Honey Badger (@nickbadger) on Sep 17, 2019 at 2:00am PDT

As for love, the Honey Badger doesn't regret The Bachelor and thinks it matured him a lot.

But for the past 12 months, Cummins says he hasn't been focused on love at all, telling Stellar he is "gun shy" and has developed "trust issues" post show.

Despite telling the publication "I'm not looking", the former bachie says he is still open to finding that special someone.

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