Mr Templeton, 26, who works as a Crossfit trainer, proved he has the good looks, charm and personality to secure the majority of more than 1000 votes in the Bachelor of the Year competition run by Cleo magazine.
He was named the winner in Auckland on Friday night in front of hundreds of screaming fans.
"They brought the top three out on stage then they announced the winner, which was me, and I decided to crawl down the catwalk,'' Mr Templeton told the Bay of Plenty Times.
"Everyone was screaming then for the rest of the night I got the VIP treatment.''
The bachelor party featured a catwalk fashion show and a question-and-answer section.
"I think people voted for me because I was the most ripped for a start and on my video interview I was nice and genuine. I wasn't worried about the questions they asked because I gave them the truth,'' he said. "I was quietly confident, [the other finalists] were really cool and there were a couple of good-looking dudes so I didn't know how I was going to go but it was really cool [to win] ...''
Mr Templeton won $1000, alcohol from sponsor Vodka Cruiser and a $250 clothing voucher.
Tauranga pro golfer James Hamilton, 22, who was also among the 12 finalists, said he thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
"There was a few things I'd never done before and I probably won't get the chance to do again but this was such a unique experience and I had a lot of fun.''
- Genevieve Helliwell, Bay of Plenty Times
