The Bachelor’s Irena Srbinovska’s surprising link to former winner Snezana Wood

Irena Srbinovska has been tipped as a favourite to win Locklan ‘Locky’ Gilbert’s heart on The Bachelor.

And it appears, the nurse, 31, has a surprising connection to former winner Snezana Wood.

Irena is Macedonian and interestingly Snezana, who met her husband Sam Wood on the third season of the show back in 2015, is from the same cultural background.   

Irena’s name is also reportedly an ode to her Macedonian heritage.

An inside source recently told Daily Mail Australia Irena’s pronunciation should be ‘Ee-renna (with a European-sounding ‘r’), instead of the version heard on TV – ‘Eye-reen-ah’.

It’s believed her name is written exactly the same, but the pronunciation on the show is not the ‘real’ intended way for Irena’s name to be spoken.

Meanwhile, former winner Snezana successfully found love with husband Sam Wood on the third season of The Bachelor.

They tied the knot in Byron Bay in 2018 and welcomed their second child, a daughter named Charlie Lane, last year. 

The pair are also parents to two-year-old daughter Willow, and Eve, 15, who Snezana shares with a previous partner.

Irena has long been the odds favourite to win this series of the dating show, closely followed by friend and rival Bella Varelis.

On Monday, Locky told TV Week he was happily in love with his chosen contestant and ‘can’t wait to tell people how great she is’. 

‘Excited is an understatement,’ Locky said of finally being able to reveal his girlfriend.

‘I cannot wait. I am beyond excited to be able to finally say it out loud… who I have chosen to spend the rest of my life with.’