The Bachelor star Marc Buckner breaks silence on romance rumours with fitness creator Timo Hagen
In recent months, Buckner has been the subject of fresh attention thanks to his frequent appearances on social media with German model Hagen
By Callum Wells
Former The Bachelor South Africa star Marc Buckner has broken his silence on romance rumours with fitness creator Timo Hagen after months of online speculation.
Buckner fronted the second season of the M-Net show in 2020, ultimately leaving the show with Marisia van Wyk. The pair’s relationship continued on-and-off for a couple of years.
In recent months, however, Buckner has been the subject of fresh attention thanks to his frequent appearances on social media with German model Hagen. Both are based in Cape Town and have been seen posting gym content, smartening up for events, watching rugby together and even exchanging shirts in a lift. Captions like, “It wouldn’t be nothing without [Hagen],” only fuelled speculation that the two were dating.
“He tried to pick me up at the gym” – Marc Buckner jokes about first meeting Timo Hagen
Appearing together on the podcast Wickedly Well with Natasha Viljoen, the pair spoke openly about first connecting and addressed the rumours head-on for the first time.
Buckner joked that Hagen had “tried to pick me up at the gym”, while Hagen added: “Yeah. I saw this guy and I thought, ‘Wow, I need to get in touch with him.’” Hagen explained that he had seen Buckner “all over” Cape Town on social media before they eventually met about a year ago.
“To make it simple – we’re not a gay couple,” Buckner said. “We’re just friends that have – as [Hagen] said – similar values. I enjoy training, he enjoys training, we’re both healthy, driven humans [that] motivate each other.”
“It’s more fun working together” – Buckner on his new friendship
Both emphasised that collaborating on posts comes naturally. “It’s more fun working together,” Buckner explained, adding that his own background in modelling and content creation had shown him how rarely people supported each other in that space. His partnership with Hagen, he said, reflects the opposite.
Buckner has also spoken candidly about his experience on The Bachelor South Africa. In an earlier interview with TFG Media, he said the show “destroyed the fantasy” of love for him.
While he still wants “mutual love and it to not be about anything else”, he stressed that his current focus is on self-growth. “I’m needing to be happy with myself, and that’s why I’m not ready to meet someone yet,” he said.