Having 24 women fight over one man on national television was never going to be natural, but did it have to be that uncomfortable?

Wednesday night’s episode of Network Ten’s reality dating series The Bachelor was proof even the greatest producers in the world can’t create chemistry where there isn’t any.

The evening’s first ‘single date’ (a big deal when your love interest is dating 10 other women) saw Richie and Perth beach babe Megan sip orange juice on a platform precariously suspended above Sydney’s cliffs.

Richie’s take was that it was adventurous and fun.

Megan, meanwhile, kept describing it as “insane” and “out of my comfort zone” in an attempt to placate the paralysing terror seizing her body.

Finally, after 10 minutes of awkward chat in gale-force winds 150 metres above the ground, Megan admitted this date idea was “kind of terrifying”.

The most terrifying part? Realising you need to go to the bathroom while suspended by a crane.

https://twitter.com/bachelorfanoz/status/760772316972191744

In case Megan hadn’t already endured enough, she was then taken to a strange wine cellar for more stilted conversation.

“There are so many things to look at,” Richie remarked, to the sound of Twitter’s collective sighs of exasperation.

"There are so many things to look at…here." Wow, Richie. Big with the insight. #TheBachelorAu

— Abulizey (@abulizey) August 3, 2016

After various attempts at normal conversation, the pair proceeded to share one of the most awkward moments in television history – a non-kiss of epic proportions.

Richie went for the lips, Megan gave him the cheek (possibly because she was still bitter about being dangled above rocky cliffs on a first date) and both lamented their “missed opportunity”.

Thankfully, this is highly edited reality television so they had their chance to have a do-over, but it wasn’t without its shortcomings – mainly Richie’s attempt at post tongue-lock conversation.

“That was really nice,” he observed.

“Yeah, nice kiss,” Megan agreed. Fireworks.

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Meanwhile, the other women – who apparently spend their time at the mansion playing cards – were selected for a group date with Richie.

The lucky few were then transported to a roller derby where they were forced to put on sumo suits and physically humiliate themselves for Richie’s affection.

“I’m a princess, I don’t do that kind of stuff,” Keira, the resident villain, complained.

That didn’t stop her from tackling a fellow contestant to the ground in an effort to win the prize – a “street party” with Richie and a smaller amount of other women. Dreams do come true, ladies.

As if we hadn’t already been subjected to enough awkward pauses and surprisingly direct questions, the street party saw Richie attempt to bond with the women he would eventually eliminate.

“So do you, um, play sports?” he asked poor Janey from Queensland, who clearly hadn’t played a sport in her life.

Then he got surprisingly deep with Tolyna from Victoria, who felt so nauseous from the forced interaction she started blurting out facts about herself like: “I’m not ready for kids … shall we head back to the group?”

That interaction proved fateful for Tolyna, who was sent packing mere minutes later. Joining her on the road back to romantic purgatory were Janey – lover of clouds and fairies – from Queensland and Tiffany, a blonde from Western Australian who looked strangely similar to Tolyna.

The rest of the ladies farewelled the departing nemeses with a wistful look in their eyes, knowing deep down their prize merely was to endure yet another week of Richie’s empty questions and frustrating half-kisses.