The Bachelor’s Locky’ Gilbert shares ‘awkward’ first kiss with Bella Varelis

She may be the early favourite, but fans branded Locklan ‘Locky’ Gilbert’s kiss with Isabella ‘Bella’ Varelis on Thusday’s episode of The Bachelor as ‘awkward’.

The 30-year-old Bachelor and his date shared a kiss during a romantic one-on-one yacht date in Sydney.

But as they bobbed up and down in the water, the pair struggled to inject any passion into their tight-lipped kiss.  

‘Was that first kiss between #Bella and #Locky awkward to anyone else? Maybe treading water whilst simultaneously locking lips isn’t an easy task?’ tweeted a fan.  

‘Locky is a closed-mouth kisser?’ asked one fan, while another commented, ‘That first kiss was very awkward for watch’.

Added another: ‘That kiss was like an awkward one behind the shelter shed at school. Get into it Locky, please.’

But others remarked that Locky and Bella, 25, wouldn’t have had an easy time making out while trying to stay afloat in the water.  

‘Idk [I don’t know] I feel like you can kiss or not drown, you can’t do both,’ tweeted one understanding fan.

One viewer even labelled their close-mouthed kiss as ‘sweet’.   

‘Oh the kiss is actually sweeeet. One of those nervous first kisses where you kiss weirdly because you’re nerrrrvousssss awww,’ wrote one fan.

After presenting Bella with a rose mid-swim, the pair celebrated by locking lips in the water.

‘It was just the best surprise I could have asked for to finally kiss Locky after today. It was magical. It is the perfect kiss for the perfect date,’ said Bella.