After going through one of the most unfathomable tragedies anyone can experience, Barry ‘Bear’ Myrden is ready to find his next great love as The Golden Bachelor’s first-ever ‘senior suitor’!
In 2011, Bear lost his wife, Audrey, to an aggressive malignant brain tumour. She’d been diagnosed just two years earlier. The couple shared three now-adult sons Charlie, Jack and Declan.
Ahead of the show’s big premiere next week, Bear, 61, tells New Idea that, after Audrey’s passing, he has spent the past few 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,” he tells us exclusively.
Originally from Canada, Bear, an engineer and keen sailor, has called Sydney’s Northern Beaches home since 1998. It was only when his sons started to “move out into the world” that the widower realised how long it had been since he had put himself first.
“I finally took my head up, had a breath and said to myself, ‘wow, 15 years have gone by’,” he says.
When Channel Nine approached Bear to do The Golden Bachelor, he says Charlie, Jack and Declan were all “so supportive”.
“It’s an adventure that we are all taking, really,” he explains. “They were telling me that life is short, and to follow my heart and go for it.”
Although, he’s not sure if they are regretting being so encouraging now that the air date is finally here.
“I don’t know if they’re proud, or if they cringe a little as well. Or, maybe I’m a bit of an embarrassment!” he says with a smile. “I don’t know. But I think I’m doing all right.”
Bear confesses that he’d only ever seen a few snippets of the original American The Golden Bachelor series before “switching it off”.
“It kind of scared me!”he says with a laugh. He’s also never seen any of the regular iterations of the franchise.
“I knew the premise, but I didn’t go too deep into it,” he admits.
But Bear assures us he went on the show as his true authentic self, saying he’s “not putting on an act”.
“The scariest part is opening your heart to someone new,” he confesses.
“But the whole show is based around such a positive and successful way for people to find love. Whatever doubts or concerns I had just kind of dissipated because I had a good chance to meet and to get to know these ladies, and I follow my heart.
“This is who I am. I’m genuinely looking for love – that’s why I signed up.”
Having host Samantha Armytage by his side was also a huge help.
“She was a good guide and support. She told me to follow my heart,” Bear says.
As for whether or not he has found his new life partner on the show, Bear teases that we’ll just have to watch and see, but says he “made the right decision” at the end.
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