Georgia Love’s surgeon father opens up about their rift and the tragedy that drove them apart – after her Bachelorette love story came crashing down

The surgeon father of Bachelorette star Georgia Love has opened up about their at-times strained relationship, after her recent social media activity hinted at a rift.

Whispers of a possible falling-out emerged last month when Georgia – who split from husband Lee Elliott earlier this year – failed to acknowledge her dad, urologist Dr Christopher Love, on Father’s Day.

However, the following day – September 8 – the former Channel Seven reporter, 37, marked what would have been her late mother Belinda‘s birthday.

‘A September 8 Mum would approve of,’ she captioned a photo of herself lying poolside in a bikini. ‘Happy birthday, Mum.’

When asked about rumours of tension, Dr Love told Daily Mail that ‘things were tough’ in the past, but had improved in recent years.

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Dr Christopher Love (right), the urologist father of Bachelorette star Georgia Love (left), has spoken about their at-times strained relationship following the 2016 death of her mother

Speculation about a possible falling-out surfaced when Georgia didn’t post about Dr Love on Father’s Day – but the next day, she marked what would have been her late mother’s birthday

When approached by the Daily Mail at his Moorabbin office on Wednesday, Dr Love appeared to confirm the past few years had been challenging. ‘Things were tough,’ he said

Belinda died in 2016 following a six-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

Georgia, now an ambassador for the Pancare Foundation, has spoken candidly about her grief in the years since.

Her relationship with her father – a renowned penile implant surgeon and recognised expert in erectile dysfunction treatment – appeared outwardly close in the years after her mother’s death.

For instance, he attended her 2021 wedding to Lee – her winning suitor on Ten’s The Bachelorette. (The couple confirmed their split in February.)

But since then, their once-very public social media interactions have been noticeably sparse – culminating in her silence on Father’s Day, which was unusual given Georgia is typically effusive with her affections online.

When Daily Mail spoke to Dr Love on Wednesday, he appeared to confirm the last few years had been challenging.

‘As you know, Georgia’s mother died, eight, nine years ago. I think it’s fair to say for a short while afterwards things were tough,’ he said.

‘She’d just done Bachelorette with Lee and all the rest of it.

‘So, yeah, I think it’s probably fair to say that communication for a little while was not ideal, but that’s certainly not the case in recent times.’

‘I think it’s probably fair to say that communication for a little while was not ideal, but that’s certainly not the case in recent times,’ said Dr Love

‘I think “estranged” is a very strong word and I wouldn’t use that,’ Dr Christopher Love added

Georgia, now an ambassador for the Pancare Foundation, has spoken openly about her heartache in the years that followed her mother Belinda’s death from pancreatic cancer in 2016

Dr Love insisted, however, that he was on speaking terms with his youngest daughter.

‘I think “estranged” is a very strong word and I wouldn’t use that,’ he said.

‘I think families with grief and all the rest of it, it can be a bit of an issue. That’s all.’

Dr Love revealed he had recently helped Georgia move into a new apartment, following the sale of her four-bedroom marital home in Hampton East.

The townhouse, which she and Lee purchased in 2021, sold during post-auction negotiations for an undisclosed amount after being listed with a $1.58million price guide.

‘Particularly since she separated, I’m probably speaking to her much more regularly just to keep an eye on her,’ added Dr Love.

As Daily Mail was preparing this article for publication, Georgia was not following her father on Instagram, though he continued to follow her.

Dr Christopher Love and his late wife Belinda are pictured together

Georgia did not attend her father’s wedding to his new wife Susan (left) in February 2022 – nor did she publicly congratulate the couple on social media

Georgia’s social media interactions with her widowed father appeared to taper off before he married Susan in February 2022.

Dr Love shared several photos from the big day on Instagram, but Georgia was nowhere to be seen. She didn’t like or comment on any of his wedding posts, nor did she reference the nuptials on her own account.

Dr Love confirmed to Daily Mail that Georgia did not attend his wedding.

When asked if his daughter had any ‘issues’ with him remarrying, he replied: ‘No, no. Well, no is the simple answer.

‘I think basically, again, as I imagine with most families, that re-partnering when someone is no longer around is a tense situation, but that’s all I’d say.’

When pressed on whether the pair got along, he added: ‘Yeah, reasonably well. I mean, again, as a stepmother-type situation, I think, probably, that’s fairly common as well.

‘I think the summary of the period of time would be it was awkward early on with grief. Things are a hell of a lot better. I speak to her every few days, week, or so.

‘From what I can see, they’re not acrimonious at all. They’re talking and communicating, but it’s over,’ Dr Love said of Georgia’s split from her ex-husband Lee Elliott

‘I’m comfortable with it given she lost her mum, I’ve re-partnered, that changes the dynamic of families, doesn’t it?’

When asked about Georgia’s split from Lee, Dr Love said: ‘I still follow him on Instagram.

‘From what I can see, they’re not acrimonious at all. They’re talking and communicating – but it’s over. It’s not nasty or anything.

‘I just haven’t spoken to Lee because I probably wouldn’t have spoken to him that much regularly anyway, so that’s not very different.’

Georgia Love was contacted for comment.