It’s every public relations worst nightmare – the star of a reality romance show getting too close to the host! But that’s what Nine is said to be dealing with after the host of The Golden Bachelor Samantha Armytage and Barry “Bear” Myrden were spotted looking more than a little cosy at the TV WEEK Logie Awards earlier this month.
According to Woman’s Day‘s insiders since the event, Nine has been desperately trying to squash romance rumours about The Golden Bachelor’s Sam, 48, and the silver fox, 50-something, set to search for love on Nine’s new reality dating show.
“Sam was telling everyone at The Logies there’s nothing going on between them,” spills one insider. “But that didn’t stop the whispers flying!”
Golden chemistry
The duo’s red carpet debut quickly became the talk of the night, with guests buzzing about their undeniable chemistry and more than a few cheeky onlookers wondering if Sam, who looked incredible in a floor length gown, had already stolen the show (and possibly the Bachelor’s heart!).
“Sam looked the best she ever has – glowing and confident,” says one attendee. “People were joking that maybe Bear is the one making her so happy!”
Even Bear hinted that The Golden Bachelor host Sam caught his eye on several occasions.
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Bear’s crushing on Sam!
“Sam is absolutely beautiful, I was tempted to give her a rose many times,” he chuckled to TV Week.
“She was a fabulous mentor. She told me just to relax. It was inevitable that someone would have to go home [each week] and she told me, ‘Well this is part of it’. It was tough, but I was very grateful to have her there.”
But while fans might love the fairytale idea, Nine execs are quick to shut it down.
“Sam’s the host, full stop,” a well-placed insider tells Woman’s Day. “She’s been hugely supportive of Bear and the show, but there’s no romance happening between them.”
The chosen one
Behind the scenes, Nine has gone to extreme lengths to protect the integrity of the upcoming series reportedly organising weekly secret rendezvous for father-of-three Bear, who is an infrastructure engineer, and the woman he ends up choosing, all to keep the spark alive and under wraps before the finale goes to air.
“It’s been a very expensive and carefully managed rollout,” confirms a network source. “They want the public to believe in the love story. If people start thinking Sam’s in the picture, it could throw everything off.”
Some fans have noted that former Farmer Wants A Wife host Sam never exactly socialised with the farmers in the same way she has with Bear – making their relationship seem even more different from her normal jobs.
“She was friendly with the farmers, sure, but this was different,” adds one Logies source. “They arrived together, posed together and really looked like a team.”
With The Golden Bachelor set to air right after The Block, the pressure is on for Bear to deliver the real deal, a heartwarming romance that connects with audiences across the country.
And while Sam’s radiant appearance might’ve added an extra dash of sparkle to the launch, Woman’s Day is told she’s firmly sticking to her role as host and nothing more.
“It’s just good TV,” a friend of the production says with a wink. “And Sam’s a pro. She knows how to play the part.”
