A source previously told New Idea producers of the smash hit reality franchise had been vying for the exes to appear on season one of Bachelor in Paradise, but their personal lives and busy schedules didn't permit at the time.
"Producers wanted these old lovers to join them in Fiji last year, but the timing was all wrong," the insider revealed.
Richie chose single mother-of-one Alex as his leading lady on his season of The Bachelor, but their romance soon faltered and the blonde bombshell embarked on another doomed relationship with ladies AFL star Maegan Luxa.
"Richie was heartbroken and certainly not ready to sign up to yet another reality TV show so soon after being publicly dumped just months earlier," our source revealed.
Shortly after their public split, Richie told New Idea the lead up to the break up was "the most difficult, crazy and confusing times I've been put through".
WATCH: Bachelor In Paradise's Richie Strahan finds himself in a love SQUARE!
"Having something wonderful dissolve the way it did was heartbreaking, but at the same time, there was a lot of relief that the emotional roller-coaster was finally over," he added.
But these days, it seems Richie has no shortage of options when it comes to female attention.
In a new teaser clip for the second season of Bachelor in Paradise, Richie is seen arriving at the Fijian resort of Mango Bay much to the delight of his co-stars Cass Wood, Cat Henesey and Rachael Gouvignon who all starred on Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins' installment of the popular show.
All three women reveal they are physically attracted to the 33-year-old Perth native, to which Richie replies: "I've got my work cut out for me!"
Since his stint on The Bachelor, Richie has done some part-time modelling and radio gigs as well as continuing his day job as an ad hoc non-destructive testing technician in the resource industry.
He also wrote a short film which he described as "a bit out there, like Quentin Tarantino meets Guy Ritchie".
