After weeks of cocktail parties, late night confessions and more than a few emotional exits, Australia’s first Golden Bachelor has handed out his final rose and chosen the woman he wants beside him for the next chapter.
The finale takes place in Cape Town, where dramatic cliffs and a glittering coastline set the scene for an undeniably romantic conclusion. Before Bear can make his choice, though, Sunny and Janette must meet the three men closest to him: his sons, Charlie and Jack, and his brother, Tim.
Janette arrives first, bringing a calm, grounded presence that immediately puts the boys at ease. She answers their questions with warmth and clarity, even when Tim pushes her to declare love on a six-week timeline.
Charlie and Jack appreciate her steady approach, though Tim remains unconvinced. Janette holds firm, insisting that real feelings cannot be forced.
Sunny’s arrival brings a different energy entirely. Bright and effervescent, she charms the room instantly. However, when she reveals she has been single for only six months, the boys’ protective instincts flare. They worry she may be moving too fast, unsure whether her feelings reflect lasting love or something still forming.
Their final dates serve as emotional turning points. Bear takes Janette on safari, where the vastness of the landscape softens her reserve. She allows herself to imagine a future with him and finally articulates that she is falling in love.
Sunny’s date feels lighter, beginning with a tentative swim with penguins and ending with oysters, champagne and an emotional confession about how profoundly Bear has revived her sense of self.
The final ceremony unfolds on a clifftop above the Atlantic with Bear telling Samantha he’s “found the one”. Janette arrives first, which long time franchise fans know is rarely a good omen.
Dressed for a proposal, she walks towards Bear believing that the safari and her late blooming confession have secured their connection. Instead, he ends their relationship with gentleness and remorse, telling her that she deserves a love that completely reflects her own.
Sunny arrives moments later, and the atmosphere shifts instantly. Against the Cape Town skyline (in somewhat windy conditions) Bear tells her that he has found a love he never expected to experience again.
She responds with luminous joy, describing how he has brought light back into her life and replaced old heaviness with something expansive and hopeful. We have our golden couple!
After Bear gently told her he had chosen someone else, Janette left in tears, visibly heartbroken as a car drove her away from the clifftop.
Speaking to 9Entertainment, she admitted just how deeply the moment cut.
“I was sure it was me and then when it wasn’t I thought, ‘How did I ever think that?'” she said. “I felt like a bit of a fool and this has shown me to be very protective of my heart.”
In the days that followed, she found herself moving between shock and reflection.
“I had a lot to stop me thinking about it too much and I probably didn’t get a lot of time to really process it. In the end I trusted that what is meant to be happened.”
Although the ending was painful, Janette has remained composed and optimistic, trusting that her own love story will unfold in its own time. We’re rooting for her!
