Screenshot via ABC
Brianna Barnes, known as “Bri B” on Season 23 of the ABC reality show The Bachelor, is a 24-year-old model from Los Angeles, California, who went viral for faking an Australian accent upon meeting the Season 23 Bachelor Colton Underwood.
Barnes, a working model who represented by the Newmark Agency, dons the fake Australian accent the moment she meets the unsuspecting Underwood (a former tight end with the Philadelphia Eagles, San Diego Chargers, and Oakland Raiders), who says that he “loves it.”
“The accent is Australian,” Barnes says. “I was hoping that you’re kind of a sucker for accents.”
As for why she decided to pretend to be Australian, Barnes said in the confessional interview — using her very natural American accent — that “you have to do what you can to stand out.” Credit where it’s due, that’s certainly a bold strategy.
While how long she’s able to keep the hoax going has yet to be seen, if Colton doesn’t pick up on it sooner rather than later, Barnes will risk wading into liar territory.
Season 23 of ABC’s The Bachelor premiered on Monday, January 7 at 8 p.m. It featured former NFL tight end (and former Aly Raisman boyfriend) Colton Underwood as the titular Bachelor. Underwood was previously a contestant on season 14 The Bachelorette.
Underwood, who played college football at Illinois State University, was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent following the 2014 NFL draft before being waived on August 30, 2014. On September 3, Underwood signed with the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad before eventually being cut again on September 9, 2014.
Colton eventually ended up back with the Chargers in September 2014, where he would bounce around on the practice squad and injured reserve before being cut again in September 2015. Underwood’s final NFL stint came with the Oakland Raiders, having signed to their practice squad on December 1, 2015, before being released on August 29, 2016.