Barry “Bear” Myrden has been confirmed as Australia’s first Golden Bachelor – and we’ve now met the 20 glamorous women vying for his heart!
“Australia, meet your first-ever Golden Bachelor, Bear!” Channel Nine announced on August 1 on social media.
The spin-off of the beloved dating series centres on people over the age of 50 looking for love.
The series made its debut in the US and was a smash success, and 20 women are set to compete for Bear’s affections Down Under.
Samantha Armytage will host the series on Channel Nine, and there’s much to know about the show’s leading man.
Find out all about him below.
Who is Barry Myrden?
Originally from Canada, Bear is a widowed father of Charlie, Jack, and Declan, who are all between the ages of 17 and 21.
Now, he calls the Northern Beaches home.
According to Chattr, he was married to Audrey Myrden, who was diagnosed with a very aggressive malignant brain tumour in 2009 and passed away two years later.
Before her passing, he created a Facebook group dedicated to her recovery and provided updates about her progress.
“She is not very good and wasn’t expected to last this past weekend,” he wrote in 2011.
“It could be a matter of days, even hours. It is clear that the tumour has come back and they have exhausted all treatment options.”
What does Barry Myrden do?
His LinkedIn profile reveals that he’s a Sydney-based infrastructure engineer with the Woolworths group, specialising in data centre management.
He is also an advisor and investor for BlockScribe, which is a digital asset inheritance and estate planning service.
In his downtime, he is also a passionate sailor and has even competed in races such as the Sydney to Hobart. He also enjoys playing rugby with his friends.
Who are the women looking for love with Barry Myrden?
Twenty glamorous women have been selected to try and help silver fox Bear find his second chance at love.
Leading the line-up is Abbie Chatfield’s mother, Laura, 64.
Abbie rose to fame on The Bachelor, and now, Laura is trying her hand at finding love on The Golden Bachelor.
Radio star Bianca Dye is also looking for love on the show, hoping to find a partner to head off on spontaneous road trips with.
Also among the line-up are a military doctor, a hoist operator and a twice-divorced singer – as they all hope to find their happy endings.
See the full cast here.
When is the Golden Bachelor airing in Australia?
Set your alarm clocks, because The Golden Bachelor will start airing on from October 20!
Samantha Armytage will be hosting the program and helping Bear find his happily ever after.
The Golden Bachelor will be available to watch on Channel Nine and 9NOW.
What has Samantha Armytage said about Barry Myrden?
Samantha Armytage might be hosting The Golden Bachelor, but rumours began to circulate that she is actually dating Barry.
The TV host, 49, has been single since splitting from her husband Richard Lavender late last year.
And fans became convinced that sparks had flown between them since filming when they stepped out together at the 2025 Logie Awards.
However, Sam poured cold water over the rumours, insisting they are just friends.
“Well, you can’t host the show and then steal the Golden Bachelor. Hello. That wouldn’t be much fun, would it?” Sam said on Nova’s The Chrissie Swan Show.
“He’s a friend, and I’m the host, and he’s the golden bach. And there are 20 wonderful ladies who were just so excited to meet him.”
“I promise you, I have not been dating the Golden Bachelor, I would never do that to the ladies,” she added.
But she still sung his praises as she described him as a “good man” and revealed why he stood out in the casting process.
“He stood out to me from the start. He’s raised three boys, pretty much on his own, his wife died when the youngest was quite young,” she told Stellar.
“He’s been to rock bottom, he’s experienced one of the worst things anyone could go through in a marriage, so he’s got this enormous understanding of emotion, which is good for a man. He knows grief, which I think is quite valuable as an adult – to have been to some low places. It makes you a better person.”
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