Aussie blokes lined up for Kiwi bachelorette

Could Naz star in the new show? Photo / Supplied

Phar Lap, pavlova, Crowded House - now the Aussies want our women.

The Bachelor spinoff show The Bachelorette is coming to New Zealand - but the Herald on Sunday understands a lack of Kiwi blokes willing to look for love in front of the camera is likely to force producers to look for talent in Australia.

A broadcasting industry source said the search for eligible bachelors had to be broadened after a lack of interest in New Zealand.

MediaWorks would not comment on the mooted production, nor who the Bachelorette would be or whether overseas suitors would be in the show.

"Any speculation around The Bachelorette is exactly that, speculation," said content director Andrew Szusterman.

The Herald on Sunday understands producers of The Bachelor, Warner Brothers New Zealand, will produce the show for MediaWorks.

Joanne Law, who is a head of development at Warner Bros' International Television Production NZ, was unable to comment and referred the Herald on Sunday to MediaWorks.

The Bachelorette is a spin-off of The Bachelor reality dating show, which ended its second New Zealand series in heartbreak for the bachelor's winning choice, Fleur Verhoeven, and death threats to its leading man, Jordan Mauger, just 72 hours after the show's finale this week.

Most global productions of The Bachelorette see its leading role played by one of the women cast adrift by a recent series of The Bachelor.

There would be no lack of contenders for a jilted star for a New Zealand series of The Bachelorette NZ, with Mauger farewelling all 23 of its bachelorettes either during or after production.

Monday's finale saw Mauger choose Verhoeven over controversial contender Naz Khanjani.

But just days later, Verhoeven revealed she had been dumped.

The break up followed rumours Mauger had wanted to re-shoot the final scene amid fears he had chosen the wrong woman, and revelations from Khanjani she had slept with him more than once during the show's filming.

The break-up swiftly turned Mauger into New Zealand's most-hated man, to the point where Verhoeven felt she needed to step in and defend him.

On Friday, 26-year-old Verhoeven stood by her ex-man and said threats directed at Mauger had to stop.

"I am feeling physically ill by how badly Jordan and his family are being treated," she said.

"Can we for one moment step back and think, maybe the way Jordan has been portrayed over the last few days isn't completely accurate.

"Maybe what we see and hear isn't always 100 per cent true."