Golden Bachelor Barry ‘Bear’ Myrden Confirms He Has Broken Up With Winner

A Single Status Update from Australia’s First Golden Bachelor

Amid swirling speculation about his romantic life, Australia’s first “Golden Bachelor,” Barry “Bear” Myrden, appears to have signalled that his relationship with the winner of the show is over. His Instagram bio currently reads simply “single father of three,” a status that was made public when his profile was reopened to the public on October 23.

It seems noteworthy that Bear chose to update his account’s privacy settings this week while leaving the “single father” label untouched, a move insiders find curious, especially if he were in a new, serious relationship.

Bear, aged 61, lost his wife, Audrey, to a brain tumour some fourteen years ago and has since raised his three sons, Jack, Declan and Charlie, on his own. Though it is still technically possible that his Instagram has not been updated to reflect a recent change in relationship status, multiple sources believe the link with his show’s winner has ended.

A Different Attraction?

Adding another twist, Bear has been the subject of romance rumours with his show’s host, Samantha Armytage. Sam previously announced her split from husband Richard Lavender in December 2024, and though she denies any romantic involvement with Bear, she has acknowledged there is an obvious rapport between them. Sam revealed that Bear was chosen for the role in part because of the natural chemistry he displayed with her in casting meetings. Bear himself told the Daily Mail at the show’s premiere in Sydney that it was “to be expected” he and Sam would be linked, but he dismissed such talk as mere speculation.

History May Be Repeating

Should Bear and his winner have parted ways, it would follow the pattern set by the first U.S. version of the Golden Bachelor franchise. In 2023, widower Gerry Turner selected Theresa Nist as his finalist, proposed to her, and married in a televised wedding special in January 2024—only for the pair to file for divorce three months later. Whether Bear will deviate from this precedent remains to be seen.

For now, Bear’s public status and social media sign-posts suggest his on-screen love story may not have blossomed into a lasting off-screen relationship.