In his first interview since failing to choose anybody on Thursday’s dramatic finale of The Bachelor, former Wallaby Nick Cummins has used his diving and stiff-arm defensive skills to say he regrets nothing.

“As far as I had control, I wouldn’t do anything different. What was in my grasp … I’m happy,” he told Lisa Wilkinson on Sunday Project.

He didn’t say much – only about five reasonable TV sound bites – and he wasn’t falsely apologetic, which has probably appeased some of his semi-critical fan base.

While Cummins gave a shout out “to all the girls” – the show started in August with 24 Bacheloretttes – he refused to apologise for claiming the “timeline” of any relationship was out of whack, despite going on a TV romality show to find love.

“I went through a lot of stuff and I want you all to know if I ever see you again I’ll buy you a drink and say hello,” he said.

Cummins, 30, skipped town before the finale – filmed four months ago – aired, heading to the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea where he was “going to get lost in the jungle and really let it all sink in”.

The interesting part is that Cummins must have had a genius contract or a preternaturally mature sense that things on the show might not work out, because it is unheard of for a Bachelor not to be obligated to face a media firestorm.

He was polite on the show, but it hardly seemed he was spilling his few beans to The Project by choice.

The Honey Badger mounted a simple defence for his indecision decision, which divided armchair critics about whether he was following his heart or heartlessly breaking others.

“Yeah, well, you wouldn’t read about it until you saw it or read it. Some would say, ‘Yeah, too fussy’,” he told Wilkinson.

But, “It hit me with the thunderbolt,” he said of his epiphany that he didn’t see any romantic future with either of his two finalists, radiographer Brittany Hockley or property valuer Sophie Tieman.

“It was like, ‘You know what, out of respect to these women, I can’t stand her now and say, ‘I’m picking her and I love her’.

“If I can’t say that, why would I start something with someone?” Cummins asked.

Lisa speaks exclusively to The Honey Badger Nick Cummins and the final four women to hear where it all went wrong. #TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/7wLLrGaaqM

— The Project (@theprojecttv) October 7, 2018

Wilkinson failed to ask Cummins about reports he had reunited with an ex-girlfriend since The Bachelor finished filming, but she did quiz him on the “timeline” monologue he put on Sophie, 25, when dumping her.

His answer was either cryptic or plain nonsensical.

“So timelines is … you can think you know what you want and then someone comes into your life and your view of what you thought what you wanted gets absolutely blown out the window,” he said.

No indication was given by Cummins of who has blown his mind and expectations.

“Why would I go in and start something that has a high potential three months down the track breaking her heart?” he said.

“I’d rather make a very hard decision then at that point than save a bit scar on the heart later on.”

The Project also spoke to Brittany and Sophie and third and fourth place getters, Brooke Blurton and Cass Wood to try to prod them into dissing Cummins.

All were teary but reasonably forgiving. Sophie and Brittany, whose emotional reunion after Cummins kicked them both to the kerb was the genuine heart of the whole series, looked spookily, wonderfully like twin avengers in matching striped jackets with nothing underneath.

“He couldn’t see enough in one girl out of 28 … I still don’t quite understand,” Sophie said.

Brittany chipped in: “You don’t go to an all-you-can-eat buffet when you’ve just had lunch.”

Wilkinson asked her to explain: “Who is the buffet and who is the lunch?”

Cummins was asked whether he could have seen a future with Blurton, who walked out on him before his final rose ceremony.

“Um, I’m never going to force that sort of thing,” he said.

“She’s 23 years old. She needs a support base. She lives in Perth. I can leave it there. It’s bloody difficult and it hurt, but it is what it is.”

Still he admitted there was “sort of something left unsaid” with Blurton.

“There was a lot of emotions that were swirling, left unsaid. She got away on that regard, but I wouldn’t change it because I want what’s best for her and I want her to be happy.”