The countdown is on to find out if love is golden for the 22 contestants of the inaugural season of The Golden Bachelor.
ABC revealed on Wednesday, August 30, which senior ladies will be vying for lead Gerry Turner’s heart. While most of the women are new to reality TV, one of the suitors is already familiar to Bachelor Nation. That’s right: former Bachelor Matt James’ mother, Patty James, is set to compete on Gerry’s season.
Matt, 31, and girlfriend Rachael Kirkconnell, whom he met on season 25, previously told Us Weekly that they “truly, truly, truly” didn’t know if Patty, 70, signed up for the competition.
“I’m rooting for love [for Patty] any day, whether it’s on TV or off,” Rachael, 26, told Us in July, before noting that she is “excited” to watch Gerry’s journey unfold. “I think he’s going to be a great Bachelor. I mean, he seems like the absolute perfect candidate.”
Matt’s BFF and former roommate Tyler Cameron similarly gushed about the prospect of seeing Patty fall in love on TV. “I think she’d be great. I think she’d be fun [to watch],” Tyler, 30, told Us earlier this month. “She’s the sweetest lady ever, though. Don’t know how that fairs for people on the show being really sweet and nice.”
Keep scrolling to meet the women of The Golden Bachelor season 1:
