Tyler Cameron is dishing on best friend and new The Bachelor star Matt James' potential as the franchise's leading man for 2021 and also revealed what Matt will be looking for in his ideal woman.
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During Monday night's episode of The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons -- Ever!, Tyler touched base with The Bachelor host Chris Harrison over videochat, and Matt, who has been quarantining with Tyler in Florida for months now, briefly joined the conversation.
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Matt, a 28-year-old real estate broker, entrepreneur and community organization founder, initially came into the limelight last year as Tyler's best friend.
Matt was selected to compete for Clare Crawley's heart on The Bachelorette's upcoming sixteenth season, but ABC already chose to promote him and announced earlier this month he'll be starring on The Bachelor's 25th season instead.
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"Matt's built for this. He's a great person," Tyler, who finished as the runner-up on Hannah Brown's season of The Bachelorette last year, told Harrison.
"His heart will really show and shine, and it will be interesting to see where his heart leads him now."
Tyler from Florida and Matt, originally from North Carolina, recently got an apartment together in New York City and started a small charity, ABC Food Tours. The guys first met their freshman year at Wake Forest University, where they played on the football team.
"I graduated high school early and was coming in early, and Matt was already there as a freshman. And right away, he just took me under his wing," Tyler shared.
"He showed me the ropes and showed me a lot of things to do and not to do."
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Matt and Tyler were teammates on the school's football team before Tyler transferred to Florida Atlantic University.
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"And so we've just been rocking out with each other since I was 19 or 20 years old," Tyler added.
When Matt joined the videochat, he told Harrison that "the grandkid counter" for his mother started right after he was announced as the next The Bachelor star on Good Morning America.
"How many does she want?" Tyler asked Matt.
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"Ugh, she wants a basketball team," Matt joked. "I'll have a minivan. That's the max -- as many as we can fit [in one car]."
Matt revealed his phone has been "off the hook" with people calling to congratulate him and share their excitement about his Bachelor casting.
Matt said may of his black friends, who aren't big fans of The Bachelor franchise in general, are especially thrilled for him, which has made Matt feel "honored" about the opportunity to serve as the show's first black Bachelor ever.
Matt shared he's going to "represent what it's going to look like to have diverse relationships and tell love stories."
"I couldn't be more excited about that," Matt noted.
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Harrison then asked Tyler what kind of woman he believes Matt will be looking for on the show.
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"I think what [Matt] is going to look for is someone that kind of resembles his mother," Tyler began, as Matt nodded his head in agreeance.
"His mother is one of the sweetest ladies -- very loving, caring and compassionate -- someone willing to serve others and help out the community, and someone that's ready to get on the ground with Matt and change the world."
Tyler added, "Because that's what Matt is going to do; he's going to change the world. [So he needs] someone to take on that challenge with him."
Given Harrison will be by Matt's side as they film The Bachelor's 25th season, Tyler warned the show's host he'll be eating and working out -- a lot -- with Matt.
In fact, Tyler said he and Matt ran up and down stadium steps right after Matt made his first appearance on GMA.
Harrison pointed out the response to Matt being the next Bachelor has been "phenomenal."
ABC reality chief Robert Mills told Ryan Seacrest during an appearance last week on On Air with Ryan Seacrest that The Bachelor had already seen a "record-setting pace" of 6,500 applicants for Matt's season by that point, which he called "fantastic."
Mills explained Matt's The Bachelor season will probably begin filming even before Clare Crawley's edition of The Bachelorette airs. (A premiere date for Clare's season has yet to be announced, but the show will air this fall on Tuesday nights at 8PM ET/PT on ABC).
"It made more sense to announce him [early] and get people applying and ready," Mills said, adding, "Matt's season, we're hoping to start on time, which would be end of September."
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While The Bachelorette has yet to begin production, Variety reported earlier this week cameras will start rolling "soon" after Clare and her cast of men are tested for COVID-19 and go through a quarantine period.
Mills said there's a chance Matt's season could tape at The Bachelor mansion and feature some travel but times remain uncertain as coronavirus continues to spread globally.
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