It was to be The Bachelorette Sophie Monk's week - when the unlucky-in-love former Bardot singer would unveil her chosen one to the nation.
But reports that her new millionaire publican boyfriend Stu Laundy was spotted out with recently single and equally minted eastern suburbs socialite Tiffany Tilley would not quit.
Some say the story, first reported by News Corp, was a coincidence, others say it was perfect timing, not only giving extra hype to The Bachelorette finale, but also being dropped in the same week that interviews are being held for The Real Housewives of Sydney season two - Tilley has been on producers' most wanted list coming from such a notable Sydney family with close links to the Packers.
But in the reality television world, where "there is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about", she could not imagine anything worse, according to those close to her.
"Tiff told me she wouldn't know Stu if she fell over him. They have never met, she doesn't know him," a good friend of Tilley told Fairfax Media.
Another added that the reports linking her to Laundy are "complete nonsense" and have "really upset her" during this difficult time in her life when she is going through a separation from her property developer husband of 19 years, Ben Tilley.
Laundy, the son of Arthur Laundy and brother of Liberal MP Craig Laundy, echoed the same sentiments: "I have repeatedly said I have never met Tiffany Tilley and I feel sorry for her, for what she is obviously going through."
Tilley's split, the close ties with billionaire James Packer and the sale of her and Ben's Point Piper home that sits next door to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and has sale expectations in the order of $25 million, would be perfect fodder for any Housewives series, but it would not be Tilley's style.
"She is a very, very private person," her friends both said.
"She would not want that attention, she is a complete lady," one added.
So fans will have to make do with Lisa and David Oldfield's marriage ups and downs and Athena X Levendi's flashbacks to her past lives instead.
Fairfax Media has asked Tiffany Tilley for comment.
