Bachelor star reveals what REALLY happens behind the scenes of the first cocktail party... and the bizarre things producers asked her to do

She was a contestant on Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins' season of The Bachelor in 2018.

And ahead of Wednesday's season premiere, Alisha Aitken-Radburn has revealed surprising details of what goes on behind the scenes when the ladies meet the suitor for the first time.

During an Instagram Q&A, the 28-year-old confirmed the women have about 10 minutes each to greet the Bachelor, and even workshop ideas with producers on how they want to arrive on the red carpet.

'They didn't tell me until just before I went down the red carpet that I would have TEN MINUTES,' said the former Labor staffer. 

'I thought it was how it looked on TV: "Hello, I'm Alisha, nice to meet you, see you inside..." and that spooked me so much because I felt like I had to fill time.

'It would have been really fine if I'd just said a normal hello.' 

She explained all the quirky entrances on her season were 'real', adding: 'When you're cast, your producer workshops with you to figure out an entrance that captures your personality.

'Obviously they're keen on the novelty ones because they're entertaining.' 

But there was one thing Alisha flat out refused to do, saying: 'They wanted me to put a piece of duct tape over Nick's mouth and just stare at him for three to four minutes, supposedly to capture that I work in politics.

'I politely declined.'

Alisha, who found love with Glenn Smith on a later season of Bachelor in Paradise, added that the ladies never usually know who will be leading the show.

But after seeing a newspaper article saying it was Nick before she flew out, Alisha had a 'pretty good idea' she would be seeing Honey Badger at the end of the carpet.

She also revealed the women were able to 'vaguely' choose their outfit for night one.

'It was really down to how efficient and assertive you were,' she said. 'I walked into wardrobe and I knew I had been allocated 10 minutes.

'I said to the stylist "we're doing say yes to the dress", because I knew I needed to feel confident. 

'I would have tried on eight or nine dresses, but I knew it was the one as soon as I put it on.'

The Bachelor season nine premieres Wednesday, July 21, at 7:30pm on Channel 10