With rumours circulating that the 2026 season of Farmer Wants a Wife Australia will feature older farmers, insider sources have confirmed to New Idea that none other than Richard Lavender is the top pick for casting executives to take part.
Following in the footsteps of The Bachelor, which is releasing a ‘Golden Bachelor‘ season in the latter half of 2025, hosted by Samantha Armytage, ‘The Golden Farmer’ will also star mature men and women looking to find love if Channel Seven has its way.
“Production doesn’t want the format becoming stale, and they’re desperate to give the show a fresh new look and format in a bid to rival its growing competitors,” a source close to production exclusively tells New Idea.
“Channel Seven is determined to convince former Farmer host Samantha Armytage’s ex-husband Richard Lavender to front a Golden Farmer series.”
“While Richard has always avoided headlines and fame, he is a successful equestrian businessman and he owns a lavish 40-hectare property in the NSW Southern Highlands,” they add.
If Richard did indeed get cast on the show, it would be “perfect” for the network, which is desperate to rise in ratings.
But his potential involvement is sure to strike up some strong feelings for ex-wife Sam, who confirmed their amicable split in December 2024.
“Sam wouldn’t love the idea of Richard being involved in Farmer, in fact she would probably see it as a bit of an insult, but she is the one that had him pose for magazine covers and put his name in the spotlight, he’s of interest because of his high profile marriage and seperation to Sam,” our source adds.
With two daughters of his own, Richard’s casting would certainly bring an interesting dynamic to the series, which has long been touted as Australia’s “most successful” reality TV dating show.
Watch Farmer Wants a Wife on Channel 7 and 7plus.
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