Bachelor Blake is ready for love

Knowing the relationship between Australia's inaugural TV bachelor Tim Robards and his lady love Anna Heinrich has endured the past year of tabloid gossip and public scrutiny, Perth heart-throb Blake Garvey has faith that he too will find the girl of his dreams.

Plucked out of more than 300 candidates from around the country to front the second season of Ten's reality dating series, the Innaloo real estate auctioneer has the plum job of choosing between 24 gorgeous, single women including three lovelorn hopefuls from WA.

"I look at Tim and Anna as an example and drew a lot of inspiration from that knowing that they're still together and going strong," Garvey says by phone from Sydney.

"Coming into this experience, I was open to finding that too."

Despite recent reports claiming he had broken off a long-distance online relationship to go on the show, the 31-year-old maintains he isn't out for his five minutes in the limelight.

"I'm ready for love," says Garvey who, like Robards, also worked as a topless waiter. "For some people, the focus is having the career, the house. For me, I've done that so I'm now in a position where I'm comfortable and the next step is finding that person to fall in love with.

"I haven't given love enough time or attention and right now I know I'm completely ready.

"On the same note, people see The Bachelor on TV and think 'Why is he single?' but you should see the girls, they are incredible.

"And that was my No.1 question, how are they all single? It doesn't make sense - they're gorgeous, they're driven, they're smart, they've got great personalities, they're funny . . . then you kind of realise maybe they've just been unlucky in love or it's not been the right timing, or it hasn't worked out.

"But you know what? We're all pretty happy that it hasn't worked out because it's given us the opportunity to meet each other and be on this journey together."

Garvey admits he only saw "bits" of last year's show and that it was his mates who dobbed him in to become the next bachelor.

"I was dobbed in by a mate at the time who recommended me to one of the scouts, who then gave me a call and they told me I should put in an application, so I went 'Oh well, sure the time is right'. But I'm kind of glad I didn't watch too much of it because I didn't know exactly what to expect and I didn't have any preconceived mindset going in."

There's no denying that Garvey - who is the son of a former American footballer, hence the athletic build and near 2m-height - fits The Bachelor's physical criteria for "tall, dark and handsome".

But bumping up his charming appeal is his down-to-earth personality and self-deprecating humour, which he says he gets from his mum.

"I saw my first billboard the other day and I was like 'God, who's that guy? Get him off'," he laughs when asked about the attention.

"I was raised by my mum to never take yourself too seriously and have that self-deprecating humour, so I carry that through with me."

As for how he plans to tackle the 24 single women swooning over him, Garvey heeded some wise advice from his mum, who raised him as a single parent. "My mum gave me some advice beforehand, she said 'Have fun but be respectful and open-minded'," he says.

"I know I have to keep an open mind meeting all these girls. I'm just trying to get to know them and it's been more fascinating than daunting because they are such incredible characters and great personalities; everyone is so different."

Osher Gunsberg returns to host the series and describes his role as being the "dream job". "I get to come to work every day and watch two people fall in love," he says. "It's pretty great."

In a world first, the second season will introduce the "white rose" in addition to the 20 red roses that are handed out in the initial meet and greet. For those unfamiliar with the show's format, bachelorettes who receive a rose get to stay, those without a rose are sent home.

As for what the mysterious white rose means for the unsuspecting recipient, Gunsberg remains tight-lipped.

"On the first night, we introduce, for the first time ever in The Bachelor history anywhere in the world, the white rose," Gunsberg says.

"No one has ever done it before and it's pretty fantastic what happens. It's going to be really good."