It's the month of love and Valentine’s Day. To celebrate, M-Net has introduced Marc Buckner to its audiences. And it makes perfect sense that the 36-year-old businessman, embedded in the property as well as trade and investment worlds, has been chosen as the guy to drool over in season two of The Bachelor South Africa.
Ruggedly handsome, Buckner is tall and has a chiselled body to boot. And if our tête-à-tête is anything to go by, he is easygoing, great at bantering and, best of all, he is disarming, witty and has a great sense of humour.
If it sounds like Buckner made a greenterat first impression, he did. I’m sure South Africa will agree after catching the first episode of the show.
The conversation kicked off with the most unusual of topics – renovations. He’s had some unfortunate trouble with leaks in his flats and he was in the process
of renovating one of the properties, which was causing some frustration as the contractor got the specifications for the tiling incorrect.
We then got back to the topic at hand – him signing up to be the new bachelor.
“I was very hesitant and I hadn’t watched the show, which is kind of silly on my part, maybe. When I said let’s chat further (after being contacted), I only ended up watching one episode straight after signing the contract. Not the smartest thing,” he says.
“My problem is that I always say yes to experiences. I was thinking, if I could meet someone, this would be a pretty amazing way to do it.”
Of course, the road to finding love is not paved with rose petals, there are a few thorny issues that crop up every now and again.
While acknowledging this reality, he adds: “That’s what makes things exciting. You start something, like a renovation, and there are always these
things that pop up, but it also teaches you so much along the way. You learn about yourself, other people, how to deal with situations.
“Honestly, I’m so happy that I did (the show) because of what I learned about other people and myself, especially with how I am in a relationship or how I think I am, and how I think I want to be.”
With 22 beauties jostling for his attention, there is much to learn. And for him, it feels like he is narrating his story. “There are so many different aspects to meeting the right person.
The Bachelor SA contests. Picture: Sean Brand
It’s like being with a psychologist, all day, every day, talking about every single thing that you do.
“Like a psychologist, they don’t do a lot of talking. You do all the talking. They just kind of ask questions.
And because of that, I learned that I really do need to become more romantic. I was, but I put that aside for everything else. That’s something I
want in a relationship.”
Aside from discovering things about himself, Buckner also knows what he is looking for – and it transcends physical appearances.
“That became a very important thing for me,” he admits. “I was always trying to figure it out. I know that I’m here to meet someone. But are they here to meet someone and settle down, or is this person here to benefit themselves in other ways?”
After getting to meet all the women, where one could be his potential partner for life, he reveals: “My head was buzzing in 700 different directions” (laughs).
“I think it’s the same for everyone. You are all shy, all uncomfortable. You are not going to be overly confident. You are not going to be overly confident. You are going to be a little reserved, maybe a little insecure, and it picks up over time.”
Buckner is looking for someone who is as driven and positive as he. Of course, he is not naive to the fact that his journey on the show might not have a happy ending, like Lee Thompson from the first season.
Marc Buckner. Picture: Supplied
“It’s not something I focus on. I want to meet someone and I would rather put my energy into that. You will never meet someone if you don’t
make an effort.”
South African can tune in every Thursday to find out how the road to love is working out for Buckner. Of course, there will be plenty of loved-up moments, heartbreaks and tears along the way as the sparks fly.
The Bachelor South Africa 2 airs on M-Net (DStv channel 101) on Thursday at 7pm.