Terri Reveals Why She REALLY Rejected a Rose From Bear Myrden

When the goal of joining The Golden Bachelor is to find love, sometimes what ends up being discovered is something entirely different. For 61-year-old property investor Terri this turned out to be the case.

Although Terri entered the show hoping to meet the man of her dreams, she ultimately chose to walk away on her own terms, and most importantly, with a renewed sense of self-worth. She stunned the room when she declined the rose offered by Barry ‘Bear’ Myrden, simply stating: “I will not accept your rose.”

Reflecting on the experience in an interview with New Idea, Terri admitted she found the weekly rose-ceremonies utterly uncomfortable. She told us that although she felt a spark with Bear, he was indeed her “type of guy”, the ritual of standing there week after week waiting to be selected by a man “just didn’t sit right” with her.

Terri explained: “I realised that hoping to be picked by a man is not who I am at my core. I needed to choose myself.” She said that when Bear offered her a rose at a point when five other women were due to be sent home, her insecurities rushed in. She thought “he’s not going to pick me” but when he did, she paused, then decided: “No, I just can’t do this.”

Looking back after the episodes aired, Terri admitted there is a part of her that wonders “what if”. She mused that maybe if she had met Bear elsewhere, at a family barbecue or through friends, things might have been different. But she doesn’t know.

Since leaving the show she hasn’t had contact with Bear, not even at the series premiere. She said: “It just happened in that moment and I wished him all the best. I didn’t really stand there and go into why I made that decision. But I’d like one day maybe tell him.”

Despite her exit, Terri remains supportive of the experience for others. She said: “I’ve made friends for life. You might meet the man of your dreams. But be prepared for the rose part! I want women to know that you don’t have to wait for a man to choose you. You can choose yourself first.”