EXCLUSIVE: The two finalists open up about their unique dynamic on the Channel 9 reality show.

The Golden Bachelor finalists, Sunny and Janette, have opened up about their friendship. Photos: Channel 9

This year’s season of The Golden Bachelor has been unlike any other in the franchise. Not only does it mark the first Australian season with a mature-aged cast, but viewers have also watched 20 women wholeheartedly support one another as they pursue love with the same man.

Barry ‘Bear’ Myrden’s journey has led to pilates studio owner Janette Bendle and CEO Sunny Long being his final two ladies, with the 61-year-old leading man set to make his decision in Sunday night’s episode. The women tell Yahoo Lifestyle that while there would typically be a ‘rivalry’ between the final two contestants on a show like The Bachelor, they have nothing but love and support for one another.

“I have a different connection with certain ladies because there were two bedrooms and Janette was in the other room, but she is a lovely person and she deserves love as well,” Sunny said.

“If Bear chooses her, of course, I’m going to be sad, but I’m going to be happy, because this should be a love story, and love can happen at any time in your life.”

Janette added that while it was difficult to form strong connections early in the season when there were so many women in the house, she and Sunny developed a “lovely relationship” during filming.

“We used to sit in the kitchen and chat, and we had the common thing of caring for our mother, so that probably developed the friendship to be stronger, and from there, we had a lovely friendship,” she remarked.

“Everyone was there for everyone, no matter what happened.”

Sunny and Janette’s sweet moment in South Africa

The upcoming finale will see both Sunny and Janette fly to Cape Town, South Africa, to enjoy a final date with Bear and meet his family before he makes his decision.

Janette revealed that she and Sunny were “kept apart” for the majority of their time in South Africa; however, there was a brief moment where they could connect at the end of the experience.

“On that day of the ceremony, they allowed us to have a quick word,” she detailed.

“We toasted champagne and we both wished each other luck and had a cuddle, and it was just a really nice moment, but I would have loved to have got to spend more time with Sunny at the end, because I missed having my girls around me.”

 

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Regardless of the outcome, both women remark that they walked away from The Golden Bachelor feeling incredibly grateful for the experience.

“One lady is walking away with the final rose, but I can tell you, each one of us walked away with something very meaningful,” Sunny said.

“And the journey is something we’re never gonna forget in life.”