The Golden Bachelor Australia’s first-ever season on Channel Nine has wrapped up, with Barry ‘Bear’ Myrden’s journey to finding love in the golden age is complete, and Bear has given the final rose.
Bear, a widower, tragically lost his first wife, Audrey, 14 years ago, after she was diagnosed with a rare and very aggressive malignant brain tumour in 2009.
After Audrey passed in 2011, Bear focused on raising their three sons, but as he became an empty-nester, he was ready to open his heart again to the possibility of love.
With 20 ladies vying for his affections, ranging in ages from 51 to 66, Bear had his work cut out for him as he wined, dined, and got to know the unique women, before hopefully getting his happily ever after and sailing off into the sunset.
So, who won the Bears’ hearts? Let’s find out!
Who won Bear’s heart?
In a breathtaking, and very windy, spot overlooking the Cape Town mountains, Bear declared his love for the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with.
The woman who captured Bear’s heart? The one and only Sunny.
“You amaze me with your resilience and your courage; you blow me away. You’ve overcome so much and are still so loving and full of life,” he said.
“When I think about the future, the life I want to live, how I want to spend the rest of my days, I can’t imagine doing it without you,” he continued.
“I feel so lucky that I have found you, I love you, he said.”
Sunny responded to Bear with a kiss and a sweet little leg pop.
“Dark days are gone, and bright days are here because of you,” she said.
“My heart is full of joy and happiness and love for you, and I’m looking forward to the journey with you in life.”
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This meant Janette was left absolutely heartbroken as the runner-up — and honestly, our hearts broke for her the moment she got into the car.
“You deserve a love worth fighting for, but I’m so sorry… It’s not with me,” Bear told her.
Janette held her composure, replying, “I’m fine. I read your eyes the minute I walked up here.”
In a tense exchange, Bear insisted he truly cared for her.
“I really do care for you,” he said.
As soon as she stepped into the getaway car, her tears finally came, telling producers that she “felt like a fool” and thought that she was Bear’s final pick.
Here’s who has left The Golden Bachelor Australia 2025
Episode 8 – Kim
In a surprise twist, Bear chose Sunny and Janette as his final two ladies, leaving Kim without a rose. It was brutal, considering Bear and Kim appeared to connect during a visit to her hometown, where she told the Golden Bachelor she was falling for him.
As Kim hugged Bear goodbye, her racing heartbeat could be heard on Bear’s lapel mic, which made her departure even sadder. “I really wanted to have my name called out, I really wanted this to go further, and I just feel really sad,” Kim told producers. “I’m ready to fall in love. I’m really ready to start my life… and he doesn’t want to do that with me, and that’s okay.”
Episode 7 – Gera and Jan
Well, damn. Early frontrunner Jan and the woman we actually predicted to win was sent home before hometowns, alongside Gera, proving you definitely can’t pick what the hell is going to happen this series!
Meanwhile, things heated up between Bear and Janette on a steamy date, while Sunny also wasn’t shy in coming forward about her feelings for Bear growing alongside her desire.
“I’m actually very sexually active,” Sunny told Bear, before she went on to express that she was falling for him and as an added extra, played him a song on the piano.
Might be time to wrap this thing up, folks and crown Sunny the winner.
Episode 6, part two: Catherine and Lauren
In the second part of episode six, Kim and Bear grew their connection on a solo date, while things got emotional on the group date as Bear surprised the ladies with video messages from their loved ones back home.
Lauren and Catherine narrowly missed out on Bear’s top five, and were the next two to leave the mansion after Bear said goodbye to, well, half the cast.
Episode 6, part one: Pippa, Bianca, Elizete, Shamse
Picking up where we left off after Terri’s shock goodbye to Bear, our Golden Bachie also bid farewell to Elizete, Bianca, Pippa, and Shamse.
Things are getting brutal around here!
Episode 5 – Terri
Bear surprised the ladies with a group camping trip, while Sunny nabbed the solo date with the golden Bachie. Sparks flew between the pair as they went for a boat ride along the Hawkesbury, shucking oysters and getting to know each other on a deeper level. Bear even gifted Sunny with a pearl necklace!
Not that kind, get your head out of the gutter.
However, in a shocking rose ceremony, Bear decided to bid farewell to five ladies – but there was one who chose not to accept her rose. We said a sad goodbye to Terri, who rejected Bear’s rose, choosing not to compete and risk being hurt.
So who else will we farewell? Come back here tomorrow morning and we’ll spill all.
Episode 4 – Laura and Katrina
Episode four saw Bear take Terri on a romantic date to Luna Park, with sparks flying between the pair as they recaptured their childhood on rides. Terri opened up to Bear about her previous marriage ending after her husband cheated on her, receiving a rose and a kiss from the Bachie.
The group date saw all the ladies participate in a charity gala for the Cancer Council, with many Channel Nine stars showing up to support a good cause. Half the group were given the task of raising funds, while the other half had to put on performances to the star-studded crowd.
Bear had the chance to meet Bachie alum Abbie Chatfield, who wasn’t sold he’d be the kind of person that’d participate in Christmas karaoke, and later on it was Abbie’s mum, Laura, who was left without a rose, as well as Katrina.
Episode 3 – Hamidah
During episode three, Bear headed off on a horse-riding group date with some of the Ladies. Bianca struggled with her horse, but during a one-on-one with Bear, she dropped her joker facade and had an emotional conversation, which saw her walk away with a rose.
Once the cocktail party rolled around, it was Hamidah who was sadly sent home. However, she left the mansion with a smile on her face and sashayed out the door.
Episode 2 – Linda and Nicolette
Episode two saw Bear take Janette on a beautiful sailing date and gifting her with a rose, while also partaking in the infamous photo shoot group date.
Themed on iconic movies, while some ladies (ahem, Catherine) basked in their chance to get close to Daddy Bear, things got emotional for Shamse, who donned a wedding dress for a Muriel’s Wedding-themed shoot.
Reflecting on losing her husband less than two years ago, Shamse left the shoot in tears, as both she and Bear struggled with the thoughts of their previous partners.
“I am grieving a lot of people, so maybe that’s what’s happening right now. I don’t know,” Shamse told Sam Armytage.
At the cocktail party after, Bear checked in on Shamse, giving her a rose and keeping her safe for another week.
It was Nicolette and Linda who left roseless, with Nicolette disappointed that she didn’t get much time with Bear in the photo shoot due to Catherine taking centre stage, and Linda being someone who was definitely on the show at some stage.
Episode 1 — Jane, Shana and Angela
God, we needed the tissues in episode one and not because we were sad to say goodbye to three women we barely knew. No offence to them.
The show opened with Bear sharing the story of losing his one true love, Audrey, describing her cancer journey with tears in his eyes as he looked back on old photos.
While he described her as “one in six billion” he then spoke of having his three sons’ support as he looks forward to “possibly finding love again”. “I’ve had the love of my life and lost her, and I think I’m ready to move on and find a lasting relationship,” Bear told host Sam Armytage, admitting that for a long time he didn’t think he’d find love again.
As he met the 20 vibrant women seeking his affections, there were a few standout bonding moments: first cab off the rank, Pilates guru Janette caught his attention, as did Terri and Catherine, who even nabbed a cheeky little kiss (and the sexy intro music) after winning an arm-wrestle.
Then there was Jan, who got the wifey music edit as she sauntered in with a welcome drink.
However, not all romances end in a fairytale and we had to bid farewell to three ladies: Jane, Sharna, and Angela.
Bye! We barely knew ye.
The Golden Bachelor airs on Mondays and Tuesdays at 7:30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.
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