The Bachelor fans BLAST Channel 10 for making Bella Varelis believe her grandfather had passed way

The Bachelor viewers have blasted Channel 10 after a psychic made Locky Gilbert’s frontrunner Bella Varelis think her grandfather had passed away.

Psychic medium Alison Maiden dropped by the mansion on Wednesday’s episode, where things quickly took a heartbreaking turn as she informed Bella that she was sensing the spirit of an older man with cancer.

In the scene which has been blasted as ‘cruel’ and ‘exploitative’ by fans, the 25-year-old broke down into tears as she revealed her grandfather has been diagnosed with lung cancer before she left for the show.

Scroll down for video 

The excitable buzz of finding out their future fates was short-lived as psychic Alison focused on Bella.

‘I have an older man in the spirit world here. I’m getting a feeling it’s someone with cancer – he’s telling me.’

The look on Bella’s face quickly crumbled, as she responded: ‘My grandfather, he has cancer… I’m not sure if he’s passed. He had lung cancer before I left [to film for the show].’

Speaking to the producers, a crushed Bella said: ‘The way Alison spoke about my grandfather made me think that he may have passed while I been in here, and I kind of just started to tear up.’

The scene cut back to the psychic reading where a teary-eyed Bella was comforted by Locky and the fellow girls.

Bella then told cameras: ‘I think something has happened, and I may need to go home. I need to call mum. I need to find out if my grandfather is okay.’

Following the phone call, Bella learnt that her grandfather was very much alive and doing just fine.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel 10 representatives for further comment. 

Viewers at home were none too pleased with the ‘shocking’ scene, as the blasted producers for ‘looking for drama.’

One said: ‘Eww at the producers for having Bella’s grandad be a “is he alive or not” storyline on the show! So f***ed up even if he is alive #TheBachelorAU.’

Another added: Nahhh it’s gross that they’re exploiting Bella’s anxiety and worries about her grandad’s health #TheBachelorAU.’

Someone else echoed: ‘Tonight’s Bella & the “Psychic” storyline shows just how damaging psychics can be on people emotionally, and shows they can cause more grief and fear than they help mend through their b******t. Shocking that someone thought this should make it to air. #BachelorAU.’

An onslaught of similar comments also expressed their horror at the scene:     

‘Why did we watch 10 mins of finding out if Bella’s grandad is alive?? Like she would have been told…producers really looking for drama…..#TheBachelorAU.’

‘Okay, now that we’ve established that Bella’s grandad is okay, I’m turning the TV off until this psychic s*** is over. If he actually had died we would be done for good, #TheBachelorAU

‘That whole scene seemed really cruel – and also showed us the psychic sucked.’

‘Bella’s grandfather is still not dead, despite the best attempts of our channel 10 psychic #TheBachelorAU.’    

‘The psychic using Bella’s ill grandfather for storyline fodder just then was pretty tasteless…#TheBachelorAU.’

This comes just a few days after Bella admitting she was on the verge of dumping Locky due to her grandfather’s health, who had been diagnosed with dementia and lung cancer shortly before she went onto the dating show.  

Recalling how she was willing to give up on finding lasting love, Bella told New Idea: ‘He had been given a while to live, but it was in the back on my mind knowing that he could pass at any time.’

The stunner added: ‘Although [my grandfather] gave me his blessing to go on the show, family means a lot tome, so I would have wanted to be there for them.’

Bella revealed that Locky was aware of her family circumstances, and supported her decision to quit the show, even if that meant he was left brokenhearted. 

The Bachelor continues on Thursday at 7.30pm on Channel 10.