THE GOLDEN WEDDING – After lifetimes of love and loss and a whirlwind journey on “The Golden Bachelor,” Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist will walk down the aisle to begin their next chapter, happily ever after. Hosted by Jesse Palmer, “The Golden Wedding” airs LIVE on ABC.
Matt James is staying hopeful that his mom Patty will find love again — and he isn’t ruling out using reality TV as a matchmaker.
The 32-year-old starred on Season 25 of “The Bachelor,” and two years later, Patty James followed her son into the throes of Bachelor nation when she became a contestant on “The Golden Bachelor,” a 2023 spinoff about older adults finding love in their golden years.
Her time on the show was short-lived when bachelor Gerry Turner sent her home during the premiere episode, but Matt James says she's still "open to any way of finding someone," including a lead role as the "Golden Bachelorette."
When asked if his 70-year-old mom would consider starring in the woman-leading spinoff, which ABC recently confirmed would air this fall, Matt James tells TODAY.com that she wouldn't turn the opportunity away.
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"I think that she's open to any way of finding someone to be with. 'The Golden Bachelor' worked for Gerry, so it's obviously proven that it can work," Matt James says while partnering with Samsung to promote their spring sale, running until March 10.
The "Bachelor" franchise also worked for Matt James: He's still dating Rachael Kirkconnell, his season's winner.
Patty James was disappointed when things didn't work out with Turner, her son says.
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"She was bummed," Matt James recalls. "But I think that the silver lining is that you're closer to finding someone that you're meant to be with, because if you're not with that person, then it's for a reason."
For now, he's prioritizing the positive experience his mom had on "The Golden Bachelor" and how the spinoff gives older adults hope that they can find love later on in life.
"It was exciting, because my mom doesn't really put herself out there like that. And I think that as people get older, they lose hope in the 'finding love' aspect of life," Matt James shares. "For her to be that energized was inspiring for me. It's never too late to find somebody."
Whether she's "Golden Bachelorette" or not, James says his mom is out there, looking for her partner.
“If you’re out there and you’re single, slide into my mom’s DMs,” Matt James says.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
