The triumphant winner of Australia's The Golden Bachelor, Sunny Long, has broken her silence, sharing her expert opinion on which of her former co-stars would be perfect to lead a female-fronted spin-off.
Sunny's Top Picks for The Golden Bachelorette
The 58-year-old South Korean-born entrepreneur revealed that, based on overwhelming public feedback, she would love to see either Bianca Dye, 52, or Lauren, 60, take the lead in the proposed The Golden Bachelorette.
"I was going through all the comments with my daughters and judging by the feedback from the public – a lot of people were talking about Bianca," Sunny told Woman's Day. "Or even Lauren? I don’t know, it's up to them. Each and every one of them are very capable of being a Bachelorette."
Sunny was so impressed by the collective spirit of the women she shared the experience with that she found it difficult to single out just one frontrunner. "They definitely have the courage to be in public, I'm sure they’re all eligible. I can't really pick one," she stated.
Viewer Demand and Franchise Future
The conversation around a Golden Bachelorette spin-off has been heating up amongst fans. Earlier this month, viewers passionately rallied behind Jan Herdman, the 66-year-old transformation coach who captured hearts with her charismatic personality and dedication to fitness.
After Barry 'Bear' Myrden did not form a romantic connection with her, audiences immediately began calling for Jan to get her own show where a group of refined gentlemen would vie for her affection.
This mirrors the successful path taken by the US version of the franchise. Nine's The Golden Bachelor is itself a spin-off from its American counterpart, and the US ABC network commissioned its own The Golden Bachelorette in 2024, starring a former contestant, Joan Vassos.
Series host Samantha Armytage has hinted that the franchise could well expand. "As we say with this show, you don't know what the future holds. So I think let's just get the inaugural Australian season to air and see how that goes... I think there is a bright future ahead for this show," she told Yahoo Lifestyle.
A Secret Love Revealed
This news comes fresh on the heels of Sunny and Bear going public with their relationship after he chose her during Sunday night's dramatic finale. The reality TV stars confirmed they have been secretly dating for seven months, waiting for the Channel Nine series to finish airing before announcing their romance to the world.
Sunny shared a gallery of loved-up photos to social media, captioned: "After seven months of dating in secret, we can finally be public and tell the world we are happily together!"
The couple managed to keep their love alive after filming wrapped through a series of clandestine meetings. "There were a few secret meetings at Airbnbs. We had to show up at different times and sort of rush in," Sunny confessed to Woman's Day.
In a tantalising hint about their future, Bear even suggested that marriage could be on the cards. For now, however, Sunny confirmed they "have huge feelings for each other" and are taking their relationship one step at a time.
