When the cheeky, charming new leading man of The Bachelor New Zealand first told us of his romantic past – sending flowers, making photo collages and labouring over mix-tapes – it wasn’t hard to imagine some very lucky ladies in Jordan Mauger’s little black book.
But we never could have guessed that none other than Chrystal Chenery, the outspoken breakout star of the first season of the TV3 show, was among the fortunate few!
Almost eight years ago, when he was the tender age of 25, Jordan risked it all for love when he followed Chrystal to Canada less than three weeks after they met.
“His approach to it was, ‘I’ll come over and see what happens,’” Chrystal, 31, reveals, speaking exclusively to Woman’s Day. “That’s what I loved about him – he was really spontaneous and when he wanted to do something, he just did.”
The bolshie blonde bombshell was 23 when she was first introduced to fellow Cantabrian Jordan, now 32, via mutual friends and they launched head-first into dating.
“He is an all-or-nothing kind of person,”reveals Chrystal. “In fact, we both are. On one of our first dates, we went out in Christchurch and after a few too many cocktails, we sparked up a conversation about who could get the most numbers from people in the bar.
“Our date turned into a competition in which whoever got the least numbers had to buy the next round. I can’t remember how it went down, but I’m going to say that I won hands-down! Jordan’s a real alpha male and dates like these are a good indication of how hilarious he is. He’s everything you’d want in a boyfriend – he’s fun and exciting, and always up for an adventure.”
Indeed, when he learned Chrystal had plans to start her OE in Vancouver just three weeks after their hot fling had begun, Jordan booked tickets to follow her and soon moved into her new home in Canada.
“It sounds crazy, but we were young, we didn’t have any responsibilities and we were having fun, so we just thought, ‘Why not?’ We partied all night and spent our days biking around the city. Jordan was a real romantic, always looking out for me and buying me presents.”
Broken hearts
But after a whirlwind three months, the couple’s “massive, full-on connection” fizzled out.
Chrystal explains, “What we had wasn’t really sustainable – relationships like ours only work out in the movies. “We didn’t have any of that steady relationship kind of stuff, where you go on a few dates and then get excited to see each other. “One minute, we were dating in Christchurch and the next we were off to Vancouver. It was a case of bad timing for us. If we’d met now, when we were older and more mature, maybe things might’ve been different. Who knows?”
Chrystal left Canada for Michigan, where she’d landed a job at an art gallery, while Jordan started working on a private yacht. Although the pair remained friends, they never could have anticipated their paths would cross again all these years down the track in such an unusual way.
While comparisons are already being drawn about who’s the better Bachelor – Jordan or last year’s hunk Arthur Green – Chrystal is probably one of the only women who is equipped to have her say. “My ex-boyfriends!” she grins. “It’s almost impossible to compare them. Art’s awesome in his own way, and seeing him and Matilda together is so cool – they are perfect for each other.
“Jordan’s definitely not as tall as Art. He’s the same height as me without shoes, so if all the chicky babes have heels on … Art used to ask a lot of the girls if he could kiss them, but Jordan will probably not be asking for permission.
“New Zealand hasn’t seen even half of how great Jordan is. He’s holding back a little bit now, which is only natural as everyone’s watching him, but he’s such a prankster. There have been a few cheeky comments here and there, but I hope his full personality shines through soon.”
Aussie odyssey
While Jordan’s exciting dating escapades are about to become the talk of the nation, his gorgeous ex has taken her love life across the Tasman.
Based on the Gold Coast, where the fitness instructor is studying prenatal and children’s yoga, Chrystal reveals she’s been sampling Australia’s talent. “I’ve been on a few dates here and there, but Aussie men are quite cold and hard emotionally. They’ve got a lot of baggage.”
But Chrystal’s not ruling out romance. “I feel like I’m more ready for a relationship now. If I was going on The Bachelor again, I would take it more seriously and rather than taking the piss, I’d be a little bit more open and vulnerable. “I want to meet a Kiwi man,” she smiles. “This is my home, this is where my family is and it’s the place I’d like to, one day, start my own.”
