With The Golden Bachelor premiere just hours away, fans are counting down the minutes to meet the silver fox himself, Barry ‘Bear’ Myrden.
After a short hiatus, The Bachelor franchise is serving up romance once again, only this time it comes with life experience, second chances and the kind of romance that ages like good wine.
Samantha Armytage steps in as host, and while whispers about her chemistry with Bear have caused a stir, it is one of the glamorous contestants who is truly vying for his final rose.
Channel Nine announced Bear as the first-ever Golden Bachelor on Instagram back in August, and the reaction was immediate. Fans flooded the comments with excitement, with one viewer writing, “Of course they had to choose someone that good-looking.”
Appearing on Today to talk about The Golden Bachelor Australia, including what audiences can expect from the wholesome franchise, Armytage spoke about its unique position in the world of reality TV.
“This is for people who are looking for love again. I kind of love that – these are people with life experience, and it’s totally fascinating.”
Watch the trailer below.
Who Is Australia’s Golden Bachelor?
Bear, a 61-year-old Sydneysider and father of three, captured the nation’s attention the moment he was announced as Australia’s first Golden Bachelor.
An infrastructure engineer and keen sailor, Bear moved to Australia with his late wife Audrey in 1998, according to Network Canada. His life changed dramatically when she passed away from an aggressive malignant brain tumour.
Since then, he has raised their three sons, Charlie, Jack and Declan, now aged between 17 and 21, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches where he remains close to the ocean.
Chosen to lead the new dating franchise in Australia, Bear is now being given a second chance at finding love.
Speaking to Skynews.com this week, he teased that his final decision “will be totally unexpected to everyone.” He added, “All I can tell you is, I made the right decision.”
He also admitted he found it difficult to send contestants home, saying, “They’re all such great and incredible women. It was really tough to say goodbye to any of them. I wanted to take all 20 of them.”
In an interview with New Idea, Bear revealed that after Audrey’s passing, he spent years in “survival mode”. “It’s been so long that it was just me focusing on my boys, and now it’s my time to focus on me.”
Who Will Be Hosting Australia’s Golden Bachelor?
Samantha Armytage is lined up to host, ready to greet a line up of inspiring women at the mansion doors. The 2025 season promises to deliver an entirely new version of love, that will see the drama unfold with a more mature edge and less chaos between contestants.
Who Will Be Joining The Golden Bachelor Cast?
Twenty women from across the country have been revealed, each with their own unique story to tell, including a contestant with their own ties to the franchise and radio host and media personality, Bianca Dye, who at 51 is ready to bring her bold charm to the mansion in an attempt to find love. Other notable entrants include:
- Kim, a twice-widowed doctor with five children.
- Laura a 64-year-old teacher and mother to media personality and former contestant, Abbie Chatfield.
- Pip, a 60-year-old graphic designer turned hoist-operator.
- Jan a 66-year-old age-transformation coach.
Unlike other seasons, the emphasis is no longer on rivalry or spectacle but on authentic connections between people who have already lived full lives.
What Is The Golden Bachelor?
The Golden Bachelor first premiered in the US in 2023, and was centred around providing a platform to older contestants who may have, through various reasons, been unlucky in love or in search of someone to spend their golden years with.
Its first bachelor, 72-year-old widower Gerry Turner proved to be a wildly popular casting choice, skyrocketing The Bachelor franchise into its most watched series to date.
When Is The Premiere Date Of The Golden Bachelor?
The Golden Bachelor Australia will premiere on Monday October 20 at 7:30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
This article originally appeared on Marie Claire Australia and is republished here with permission.
