Rooting for their Bachelor! As Matt James gears up for the premiere of his Bachelor season, beloved faces from the franchise’s past have provided supportive and encouraging messages for him.
James’ BFF Tyler Cameron told Us Weekly exclusively that he advised the series lead to “have fun” during his journey. “I think one of my most important things I learned from my coach back when I was playing college football is, he said, ‘Be where your feet are.’ That’s just, like, be present, be in that moment and take it for what it is,” he explained. “Don’t get enamored by all the glitz and glamours of how amazing this can be. Really see what this is, be in that moment and see who that girl is for you, and see if it can work.”
Sean Lowe, who has been married to his Bachelor costar Catherine Giudici since 2014, gushed about how “awesome” James is. “I got to talk to him and he’s incredible, and I love him. I know we’d be just best friends if he lived here in Dallas. I think he’s going to be great,” Lowe, 37, told Us. “I would say my biggest piece of advice would be don’t let all of the stuff after the show distract you from who you choose, because it’s super easy to allow that to happen.”
Additionally, Tayshia Adams offered her words of wisdom after recently ending her own season with an engagement to Zac Clark. “You have our support and we’re so, so, so excited for you,” the Bachelor in Paradise alum, 29, told Us of James. “Continue to be yourself, listen to your gut and you’ve got this!”
ABC named James the first Black Bachelor lead in June 2020, and he filmed his season at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania. The 29-year-old North Carolina native was originally set to compete on The Bachelorette last year for Clare Crawley, who ultimately left the show with now-fiancé Dale Moss before Adams took over.
Last month, Chris Harrison teased what fans can expect to see during James’ “wild” journey as the Bachelor. “There is a depth and layers to him — the likes of which we’ve never seen on this show,” the 49-year-old host told Us exclusively. “There are issues that we need to dive into, issues that he realizes along the way, that if we don’t face head-on, we’re not going anywhere.”
Harrison said that season 25 “is contentious at times, it’s emotional at times, it’s gut-wrenching [and] it’s anger.” Additionally, he explained that viewers are “going to get it all” while watching James go “through the wringer.”
To see how other Bachelor Nation stars wished James well ahead of his Bachelor debut, check out Us Weekly’s video above!
The Bachelor premieres on ABC Monday, January 4, at 8 p.m. ET.
