WARNING: POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD

Network Ten has slammed a “wildly speculative” and “unreliable” report claiming to reveal the The Bachelor’s winning contestant.

Gossip magazine New Idea claimed 24-year-old single mother Alex will win The Bachelor, potentially spoiling the reality show for hundreds of thousands of fans.

The article, in this week’s issue of the magazine, claimed that Richie chose Alex, but that he “regretted the decision” and was actually in love with fellow contestant Nikki.

“He’s confessed to close friends that he made a huge mistake and now knows [Nikki] was The One,” it reads, accompanied by pictures of the final three shooting on location in Bali.

A spokesperson for Network Ten was highly critical of the article.

“New Idea has consistently produced misleading, unsubstantiated and mischievous articles about The Bachelor Australia this year. This latest ‘report’ is no different,” she said.

Whether or not the New Idea report was correct, it highlighted the heated cat and mouse game between the network and paparazzi – a game that ended up spoiling the first season of The Bachelorette in 2015.

Mischievous articles

Network Ten may deny the article carried any weight, but Australian publications have a reputation for spoiling the fun.

Frost and Mielczarek were caught canoodling before the finale aired last year. Photo: Getty

Last year, the Daily Mail published images of The Bachelorette Sam Frost and her chosen bachelor Sasha Mielczarek just hours before the finale aired.

Network Ten took out an injunction against the publisher, but the damage was already done – everyone knew the winner.

Eventually, the TV station emerged the winner when the finale drew an even bigger audience than its stablemate, The Bachelor.

After lifting the injunction, Network Ten declared the Daily Mail had been already trialled “in the court of public opinion” – based on online fury from devoted fans.

Despite not hurting ratings (that time), the incident drew attention to what must be a mammoth privacy mission for the network.

In reality, this year’s bachelor Richie made his choice months ago, and has been hiding his love – legitimate or not – from the prying eyes of the paparazzi.

And the extent they are willing to go to was revealed in August, when The Bachelor set was shut down after producers caught wind of a “paparazzi drone” flying above them, according to Fairfax.

The accidental spoilers

It’s not the same as outright revealing the winner, but multiple Australian media outlets have been offering clues as to who the winner will be.

Evictee Keira Maguire has been spotted hanging out with Faith. Photo: Network Ten

For example, this Daily Mail piece about recently-evicted Stephanie frolicking on the beach with Ukrainian beauty Olena (who is still in the running) suggests Olena might not go all the way.

For a candid beach moment, both women are looking suspiciously made up.

Would the winner be hanging out with an evictee in front of paparazzi? Probably not, as they are instructed to avoid the media gaze until the big reveal.

Similarly, this article from the same publication showed ‘villain’ Keira – who was eliminated weeks ago – drinking with Faith, who is still in the running as far as viewers are concerned.

We’ll know for sure when The Bachelor wraps up next week.