Golden Bachelor Winner Defends Her Approach to Love
Sunny Long, the 58-year-old CEO who won the heart of the inaugural Australian Golden Bachelor, Barry 'Bear' Myrden, 61, has fiercely responded to critics who questioned how she secured his affection. The infrastructure engineer and her chosen partner saw their televised romance culminate in a tense finale this year, but their joyful moment was soon met with negative commentary.
'A Double Standard' on Reality TV
According to reports from Yahoo Lifestyle, some viewers claimed that Barry only selected Sunny because she spoke openly about sex. Sunny has labelled this criticism a 'double standard', pointing out that younger contestants on shows like Love Island regularly have candid conversations about intimacy without facing similar judgement.
"We were on a show to find love, and as my feelings for him grew, I wanted to understand his feelings around intimacy," Sunny explained. She asserted that this is a normal part of building a relationship and that it is "a perfectly valid thing for a woman to care about."
She added that there remains a significant amount of slut-shaming directed at women who dare to voice their desires. However, Sunny stands firm, stating, "I refuse to be ashamed of that. I won't apologise for being honest about who I am and what matters to me!"
The Secret Seven-Month Romance
After filming concluded, Sunny and Bear embarked on an extraordinary covert operation to keep their relationship hidden for seven months until the finale aired earlier this month. Their secret meet-ups across Sydney were tightly controlled by producers to prevent the outcome from leaking.
Bear confessed to the Daily Mail that his final words to Sunny as filming wrapped were, "Do not forget about me." The Northern Beaches-based star revealed the extreme measures taken, including saving Sunny's number in his phone under a fake alias. "I can actually put her name in my phone now because the secret name would pop up," he said.
Sunny admitted that maintaining the secret was far tougher than viewers could imagine. "It was really hard. But he texted me and called me nearly every day. He is a really romantic guy," she shared. The couple described living a strange double life, keeping their bond alive through late-night phone calls and the occasional producer-approved visit.
"We had a few visits, but they were few and far between," Bear recalled. "It is good to finally be able to have coffees together and breakfast." Now, with their love story public, the pair can finally enjoy a normal life together, free from secrecy.
