He’s about to charm the nation on The Golden Bachelor – but before Barry ‘Bear’ Myrden began his quest for love on television, he captured Australia’s heart for a very different reason.

Fourteen years ago, Barry and his late wife Audrey appeared on A Current Affair in a moving two-part special that brought the nation to tears.

Back then, Barry looked almost unrecognisable – with jet-black hair and no moustache – as he stood by Audrey’s side while she battled a terminal brain tumour.

Audrey’s final wish was simple but selfless: she wanted to secure a home for her husband and their three young sons, Declan, Jack and Charlie.

With the help of A Current Affair, local real estate agents, and hundreds of generous Sydney tradies, that dream became a reality.

‘The peace of mind that it gives me knowing that the boys, that Barry, have a place of their own,’ Audrey said, fighting back tears during filming for Audrey’s Wish.

He’s about to charm the nation on The Golden Bachelor – but before Barry ‘Bear’ Myrden (pictured) began his quest for love on television, he captured Australia’s heart for a very different reason

Fourteen years ago, Barry and his late wife Audrey (left) appeared on A Current Affair in a moving two-part special that brought the nation to tears

The courageous mum – who inspired a wave of national compassion – said the love and support shown by complete strangers gave her ‘an extra year of quality with my kids’, including one final Christmas together in their new home.

Audrey passed away in August the following year, aged 44. Her death left Barry heartbroken and their three boys, then just four, seven and eight years old, without their beloved mum.

Audrey grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada, before meeting Barry and moving with him to Manly in 1998.

The couple dreamed of owning a home near the beach, but that plan was derailed when Audrey was diagnosed in 2009 with glioblastoma multiforme, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer.

Having already beaten breast cancer in her 20s, she and Barry spent $90,000 on treatment, desperate for a miracle.

‘How am I going to tell my children they’re not going to have a mum?’ Audrey told A Current Affair.

‘I can’t imagine what their life will be without me and what my life would be like without them. I so don’t want to die. I don’t. It’s just so unfair. I thought what a cruel irony to give a mother a beautiful family and then to take her away from them, especially my young babies.’

Refusing to give up, Audrey’s determination inspired her local community to rally around her.

Audrey’s final wish was simple but selfless: she wanted to secure a home for her husband and their three young sons, Declan, Jack and Charlie

Now adults – Declan, 17, Jack, 20, and Charlie, 21 – they were reportedly the ones who encouraged their dad to take a chance on love again by joining The Golden Bachelor

It’s the first time the franchise has aired in Australia, with Barry, now 61, meeting 20 women hoping to capture his heart

A Current Affair, along with realtors Robert and Leonie Klaric, helped the family purchase a rundown home in desperate need of repair.

What followed was one of the biggest renovation rescues in Australian television history – with hundreds of tradespeople volunteering their time and materials to rebuild the house from the ground up in just 10 days.

‘I’m glad I’m alive to see this happen,’ Audrey said through tears as the home transformation unfolded.

More than a decade on, Barry and his sons still live in the home Audrey fought so hard to give them.

Now adults – Declan, 17, Jack, 20, and Charlie, 21 – they were reportedly the ones who encouraged their dad to take a chance on love again by joining The Golden Bachelor.

It’s the first time the franchise has aired in Australia, with Barry, now 61, meeting 20 women hoping to capture his heart.

Rumours have swirled that Barry wasn’t the producers’ first choice for The Golden Bachelor, but stepped in after another leading man pulled out. Barry confirmed he had been approached multiple times before finally agreeing to do the show.

‘I think I rejected it one, maybe two times,’ he admitted. ‘You know, you only live once, and it’s never too late [to find love].’

The widower revealed he did fall for one of the women during filming – and cheekily confessed to having a soft spot for host Samantha Armytage, admitting he ‘would have liked to have given her a rose’.