At 58, Sunny faced a difficult decision when her mother was diagnosed with dementia. She made the tough choice to leave her job and a 15-year relationship to travel to South Korea, dedicating herself to caring for her mother.

Now, the winner of Bear’s heart has revealed how a heartbreaking family tragedy left her searching for love.

When the 58-year-old’s mother was diagnosed with dementia, she dropped everything – including her job – to travel to South Korea and look after her, which signalled the end of her 15-year relationship. 

‘I don’t blame him because I can understand that you want your partner next to you, but I was away and looking after my mum because she’s not going to be with me for a long time,’ she told Mamamia. 

Despite their relationship coming to a sad close, Sunny said that she was happy for her former partner, who has moved on with someone else. 

The Golden Bachelor’s Barry ‘Bear’ Myrden finally found love on the grand finale, choosing to pursue a relationship with Sunny Long (pictured)

Now, the winner of Bear’s heart has revealed how a heartbreaking family tragedy left her searching for love. (Pictured with Barry ‘Bear’ Myrden) 

After eight nerve-wracking episodes, Barry ‘Bear’ Myrden eventually found his match on The Golden Bachelor with Sunny in Sunday’s finale.

But in what could be bad news for his winner, the 61-year-old engineer almost didn’t meet her at all.

Bear quit the Channel Nine show shortly after being cast as the new Golden Bachelor – because he had found love.

And in a surprising twist, it was the Canadian-born Sydneysider who auditioned for the role in the first place.

‘He applied, they liked him instantly, then he pulled out because he’d met someone,’ an insider told Confidential.

The source added that after Bear made his exit before the cameras had a chance to roll, the show’s creators were stuck for a star.

‘But once they saw the rest of the candidates… let’s just say Bear suddenly looked like a rock star, and they lured him back,’ the production insider explained.

According to the source, the other possible bachelors were ‘spectacularly underwhelming’.

Sunny’s mum was diagnosed with dementia and she dropped everything – including her job – to travel to South Korea and look after her 

Bear is said to be ‘loving all the attention’ the show has brought him.

Woman’s Day revealed Bear was engaged to a millionaire heiress named Jo Kinghorn after his wife Audrey died in 2014, despite claiming on the show he had remained single since becoming a widower.

An insider who attended the couple’s engagement party in 2016 revealed leaked information about their ill-fated romance and said Bear was commonly described as a ‘tosser’ by Kinghorn’s friends. 

‘Bear spent most of the engagement party showing off in the ski boat Jo bought him,’ the source told Daily Mail.

What’s more, according to the insider, Bear didn’t cough up for Kinghorn’s engagement ring.

‘It should be known that the engagement ring was purchased by the bride-to-be,’ the source claimed.