I often write about reality TV – but rarely do I get the opportunity to be PART of the shows that I love.
My eyes were opened and all things felt good in the world when I was offered the opportunity to spend a day on the set of The Golden Bachelor Australia.
As someone with a track record of being a huge fan of the Bachelor franchise, you could say I was a bit more excited to head along to over your average Joe (no offence to any Bachelor-loving Joes out there).
On Monday, March 24, 2025, I was a guest at the Golden Bachelor Charity Gala.
The aim of the gala was to raise money for the Cancer Council – an organisation close to the Golden Bachelor Bear’s heart, after losing his late wife to cancer.
Making me feel like a VIP guest, Channel Nine organised my transport to and from the event at the InterContinental hotel in Double Bay.
I was picked up in a vehicle that I recognised from Married At First Sight and arrived in style.
Before the gala started, all guests were put into a waiting room and given an NDA to sign (standard procedure to make sure that nothing gets leaked before the episode airs).
After a short wait, production assistants led us to the filming location – the bar.
We were offered a drink (one Coke Zero for me, thanks) and were told to find a place to sit or stand for the duration of the shoot.
As soon as I walked into the room, I got my first look at the Golden Bachelor – Bear.
He was standing up front, looking smart in his white suit jacket, chatting with guests.
I spotted some of the Today show stars there – Dicky and Sarah Abo, to name a few.
Abbie Chatfield (Laura’s daughter) and Angie Kent – both from previous Bachelor seasons were also in attendance.
It didn’t take the production team long to get the cameras in place – I spotted at least four – and get the show on the road.
Meeting THE Golden Bachelor
Initially, Bear, 61, wasn’t quite what I had expected.
I assumed that he would be loud and outgoing, as other Bachelors I had met in the past have been.
But – just because he wasn’t that enthusiastic doesn’t mean he didn’t have a certain amount of star quality.
After a kiss on the cheek and a firm handshake, Bear told me he was “overwhelmed and nervous at first”, but “not so much anymore”.
He was kind, and I could tell he was on the show for the *right reasons* (reality TV talk).
Lights, camera, action!
Before the cameras started rolling, some of the women vying for Bear’s hearts approached guests asking for donations.
Many of the cast had been affected by cancer in one way or another, so the cause was close to many of their hearts.
The first thing I noticed was how professional Sam Armytage was (not that I expected otherwise).
During her welcome speech, she made a mistake at one point but easily picked up where she left off, like nothing had happened.
She made the crowd – and the women in the talent show – feel at ease and excited for what was to come.
The talent show kicked off, and each act was as entertaining as the next.
A highlight for me was Bianca’s comedy show, and the chaotic (and quite frightening – to be frank) bird that Lauren brought out.
As for Bear’s reactions to the acts, I noticed him look around the room with some ‘comical’ faces at times.
He was LOVING it.
I noticed that he didn’t have wine on the table he was sitting at – instead, a glass of water for when the cameras were rolling – but I did see a producer hand him some champagne for a sip or two between takes.
Throughout the afternoon, I had my journalist hat on (it never comes off, to be fair), and after each act, I was trying to see which of the women Bear flirted with most.
I did notice he gave some women a kiss on the cheek and not others… suspicious, but sadly for me, nothing Bear or any of the women did gave away any big hints.
Production asked me to stand behind a group of women from the show who weren’t partaking in the talent show.
I considered them to be the lucky ones as being asked to perform a talent on stage – let alone have it aired on national TV – is my worst nightmare.
What I noticed from the women was so wholesome – they were so supportive of each other.
So much so that it caught me a little off guard – this is a reality show, is it not? Where are all the villains?!
I heard them whispering to each other phrases like “she’s nailing it” – it was actually lovely to see.
The women spill the tea – or lack of?
After the talent show ended, I had a chat with Laura and Bianca.
They were both raving about being on the show, saying they were having the time of their lives with all the other ladies and loving it.
At the time, it got me thinking… was it just because they hadn’t gotten that deep into the season yet, and it was too soon to have any drama? Or is this genuine, and are the producers going to have to work hard to get some good dramatic storylines going?
But now, after watching the show play out on TV, my conclusion is that The Golden Bachelor is as wholesome as it looks.
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