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Home / Entertainment

Zac and Viarni: 'We just want to be a normal couple'

NZ Herald
21 May, 2017 08:25 PM2 mins to read

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After weeks of drama, kisses, roses and intruders, the winner of Zac Franich's heart on The Bachelor NZ has been revealed as Viarni Bright.

Clutching each other's hands, gazing longingly into their eyes, and dreaming of the future - Zac Franich and Viarni Bright seem quite the happy couple.

The pair put on a loved up show for onlookers after they were declared the winning couple of The Bachelor NZ last night.

But they admitted they were going to "take it slow" together.

Franich chose Bright after a long elimination process that saw Franich date then discard 20 different women on nationwide television.

In the final, it came down to Bright and Lily McManus, a free spirit from Wellington.

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Franich said he wasn't the right guy for McManus and he didn't want to try and "cage a butterfly," and instead gave a ring to Bright.

Shortly after the show, Franich refused to discuss his reasons for choosing Bright over McManus, saying he wanted to talk to McManus in person first.

But he and Bright appeared smitten with each other as they fronted media at a glitzy event in Auckland that doubled as their first public appearance together.

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Gazing into each other's eyes, they giggled nervously and talked about doing "normal life" together.

Things like, "walking down the street holding hands ... get a coffee, get a beer".

"We're just seeing each other when we can, taking it slow, enjoying each other's company and seeing where it ends up," said Franich.

Zac and Viarni take in some views.
Zac and Viarni take in some views.

Bright admitted she'd struggled to keep their relationship a secret since filming had finished.

Discover more

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She lost Zac, but Lily is still a winner

21 May 09:00 PM

"It's horrible not letting the people who care about you most know that you've found someone you really care about and you're with them," she said.

"We just wanted to be a normal couple and we had to wait to do that."

Zac Franich gives Viarni Bright the happy news.
Zac Franich gives Viarni Bright the happy news.

Last year's winning couple of The Bachelor NZ, Jordan Mauger and Fleur Verhoeven, imploded just a day after the finale, with Mauger dumping her amidst suggestions he should have chosen runner-up Naz Khanjani.

Verhoeven fronted media in tears saying she had no idea it was coming. Mauger later revealed he'd flipped a coin to decide the winner.

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