The Golden Bachelor Australia has begun filming in Sydney and glamorous senior ladies from across the country have jetted in to win the heart of Barry ‘Bear’ Myrden.
The inaugural 50-something silver fox of the series was spotted filming scenes for the show on Friday, with one lucky lady streaming ahead in the boat race for his heart.
Bear was spotted getting cosy with a mystery blonde during the filming of his first one-on-one date, with the widowed father-of-three quite literally sweeping the woman off her feet.
The Northern Beaches man wasn’t afraid to be hands-on with his lady love, as he romanced her with a boat ride across Sydney Harbour followed by a barefoot stroll on the sand.
Dressed casually in a pair of white shorts and an unbuttoned blue shirt, Bear wrapped his arm around the woman on their boat trip, carefully placing his hand on her behind.
The tanned blonde grinned from ear-to-ear as she lapped up the scarce one-on-one time with Australia’s first Golden Bachelor, on one of the series’ first dates.
The upcoming Channel Nine series will see a group of leading ladies vye for the heart of the respected infrastructure engineer.
Now the Bachelorettes have arrived on set at the Tresco mega-mansion in Elizabeth Bay, and they are pulling every trick out of the book to woo the widower.
With the full cast yet to be revealed, the identity of the woman who won Bear’s first one-on-one date is unknown—but she is neither Abbie Chatfield’s mum Laura Junner, nor radio star Bianca Dye.
The passionate sailor flaunted his strength as he carried his date from the inflatable dinghy to the sand, so she didn’t have to get her maxi jumpsuit wet.
The blonde looked positively gleeful as Bear extended his hand to help her clamber onto the dinghy.
And with the ice broken, the pair continued to pack on the PDA throughout the date.
The blonde wrapped an arm around Bear’s shoulder as they walked, and later looped her hand through his arm in a touching display of old-school courtship.
She donned a bright floral-print jumpsuit for the occasion, tying her shoulder length blonde locks back from her face with scrunchie, and wore minimal accessories.
Despite the presence of producers and camera crew on the beach, the couple looked relaxed and at ease in each other’s presence as they got to know one another.
Cameras officially started rolling on the Samantha Armytage-hosted dating show for older, single romantics last week.
Unlike The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, which feature young men and women, The Golden Bachelor is targeted at a more mature audience.
‘Bear is not your usual reality TV type,’ an insider told Daily Mail Australia.
‘He’s charming, intelligent and has really lived a full life.
‘He’s been through love, loss and he’s ready to open his heart again. Women are going to adore him.’
With decades of experience in his field, he has held senior roles at major companies like Macquarie Bank and the NSW Port Authority.
But while his career has flourished, sources close to Daily Mail Australia reveal that his personal journey has been marked by tragedy. Bear lost his wife to a rare brain cancer in 2011.
‘Bear is always complaining that his boys are saying that he is bringing around the wrong kind of girls that are just too young and hot for him,’ one friend revealed.
Fans of the The Golden Bachelor have been calling for an Australian version since the US rendition premiered last year to critical acclaim.
In November, it was reported The Golden Bachelor has been scouting for contestants in a very unusual way.
A talent scout for the show was spotted handing out business cards to attendees at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney.
Host Samantha got involved with the casting call, urging people to give their family members a ‘nudge’.
