He failed to find everlasting love when he was paired with ‘bridezilla’ Tayla Winter on Married At First Sight in 2023.
But it seems that Hugo Armstrong hasn’t given up on his quest for romance just yet.
Hugo, 33, has made a surprise appearance as one of suitors looking for love on popular TIKTok dating series Pop The Balloon.
Unlike typical dating shows, Pop The Balloon has contestants evaluate each other’s looks, personality, and compatibility – all with one unique twist: they must decide whether to pop a balloon and eliminate a potential partner as they go through a series of questions and interactions.
Some participants pop the balloon based purely on initial impressions, while others wait for deeper conversations before making their decision.
If neither person pops their balloon by the end, the couple goes on a date.
Things got off to a less-than-stellar start for Hugo with one potential lady love, Abby, popping her balloon just seconds into his introduction.
‘Don’t apologise, you’ve done nothing wrong, that’s why were here, Hugo said after the noisy rebuke.
When asked why she popped her balloon, Abby said that Hugo was simply ‘too old’ for her.
Things went from bad to worse for Hugo, with another potential love interest telling the reality star he was just too bland.
‘I’m going to be real. You’re not usually my type,’ the brunette said to Hugo. ‘I like my chicken seasoned well.’
Despite the cold assessment of Hugo’s character he took it all in his stride.
Speaking to camera Hugo remained philosophical about the not-so-subtle rejections.
‘I guess its hard out there being a pasty a*** f***er in 2025,’ Hugo admitted.
‘You play the hand you’re dealt. That’s all you can do.’
The reality star didn’t fare much better with a third potential love match who told him: ‘you’re not someone that I would usually go for.’
‘Is this also like a seasoning thing as well?’ Hugo asked in an effort to improve his luck with the ladies.
‘Yeah, I like my chicken seasoned, too,’ the brunette laughed. ‘With a bit of sauce as well, a bit of spice.’
Unfortunately Hugo appeared quite taken with the brunette telling host Olan Tekkers that anyone would be lucky to have her.
‘[She’s] a little pocket rocket,’ Hugo said.
‘Whoever ends up with you is going to be a very lucky man.’
The clip was met with a flurry of comments from followers, with many praising Hugo’s reaction to rejection.
‘Man’s running a clinic on how to handle rejection. Mad respect to him,’ one fan opined, while another offered a similar: ‘bro is top tier.’
Another suggested that it was the way that Hugo handled rejection that made him desirable.
‘He ain’t my type but the fact he takes rejection so well and makes it funny makes him attractive,’ they wrote.
Summing up the sentiment of many, a third jumped in with: ‘He seemed very emotionally mature.’
It’s not the first time Hugo has appeared on the dating series either, also trying his luck back in September last year.
Hugo’s pairing with Hobart-based Tayla Winter on MAFS was anything but smooth, with tensions running high between the two from the outset.
The bridezilla label came after a string of fiery confrontations and heated exchanges, leaving Hugo at a loss for love.