Barry “Bear” Myrden had his reservations about finding love on The Golden Bachelor Australia, and chose Sunny Long at the very end.
Having lost his wife, Audrey, in 2011, he was not sure if he would feel the same way again.
While there were concerns that he wouldn’t choose anyone, he ultimately made it to the end of the show with Sunny.
However, they have been plagued by split rumours ever since.
Scroll on for everything you need to know.
Are Bear and Sunny still together after The Golden Bachelor Australia?
They very much are!
After months of keeping their relationship a secret, the pair have enjoyed being together and bringing their families together.
On December 28, they were spotted enjoying a walk together in Manly, after their first Christmas as a couple.
At one point, they were photographed sharing a passionate kiss, and laughed as they walked along the waterfront.
During the festive season, Sunny took to Instagram to give fans a glimpse into their first blended Christmas.
In a series of videos, the CEO is dancing with her daughters, sharing laughs and kisses with Bear, and enjoying time with his sons.
While they chose each other at the end of the show, fans had previously wondered if they had parted ways.
Just before Christmas, Sunny took a trip to South Korea without her beau, making fans wonder if they were still together.
When one fan asked where he was, she said she was seeing him the following week for Christmas.
It isn’t the first time that she’s had to shut down split rumours.
Even though she’s been posting photos and videos with the Golden Bachelor on Instagram, Sunny raised eyebrows when she went to the premiere of Fallout’s second season without Bear on November 24. Instead, she went with her daughter, Chloe.
Taking to her Instagram stories for a Q&A, she confirmed that she’s still with Bear, and clarified that he was simply unable to attend the premiere.
“Well, I’m not single anymore, I’m with Bear,” she said to the camera on November 25.
She assured another fan who asked her to clarify her relationship status, who worried that they had split.
“Bear and I, we are still together, and we are a very happy, normal couple,” she began.
“We don’t have to worry about arranging secret dates and something like that, so, yeah, we feel free and very happy.”
She encouraged others not to believe everything they read.
Despite declaring their love for one another in the finale, Channel Nine has not included video footage of the couple in its video encouraging people to apply for the show’s second season.
With applications officially open for season two, the network posted a video on Instagram, which included Bear’s intimate moments with Jan, Janette, and Kim in the promotion.
It followed fans’ concerns that Sunny and Bear had parted ways because she had not been wearing the commitment ring or the pearl necklace that he gave her on the show.
But the couple set the record straight in an exclusive interview with New Idea.
“Because, you know, we don’t want to spoil it, so it has been very difficult,” Sunny explained after the finale.
But now, she said she can “finally wear it without any worries”.
Now that everything is out in the open after keeping their relationship secret for seven months, the couple said that they’re excited to do “normal” things together.
As the final chapter of the show unfolded, Bear had a party at his cul-de-sac, with his son, Sunny’s daughters, and 80 other guests.
While it was a big celebration, the inaugural Golden Bachelor confessed that his sons found out he chose Sunny on the night of the finale, along with Australia.
“I kept them guessing,” he said, while Sunny chimed in with, “That shows he’s a man of integrity.”
With the show now over, the 61-year-old said he’d be open to other projects.
“I’m currently open to maximising the potential, but I’d have to judge anything that comes through,” he explained. “It’s certainly a very unique and fun experience what we’ve done.”
For the CEO, however, she’s ready to continue her future with Bear.
Their future after the finale
“For me, from my end, I never pictured myself [as] the last lady holding the final rose, even thinking about other projects, still I don’t have any plans,” she said.
“My initial motive was I wanted to share my story, and I wanted to find friendship, not only finding love, but that was my journey, and also rediscover myself, you know, parts of myself I’ve forgotten.
“I really enjoyed the whole journey, and I just want to focus on our love story because the whole of Australia has been so invested.”
While there’s been a mixed reaction to the show’s outcome, she’s determined to focus on the positive comments.
Along with finding love, she was also thankful for the chance to meet the other women and was not aware of any rivalries.
“I can tell you the last rose came to me, but each one of us walked away with something meaningful and special,” she said. “And the journey we’re never going to forget in our lives. So, I think I can tell you everyone is a winner, and we just loved every moment of it.”
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