\n<\/p>\n
Matt James<\/b><\/a> previously made a name for himself when he starred as the leading man during season 25 of <\/span>The Bachelor<\/span><\/i><\/a> in 2021, though it\u2019s now his mom <\/span>Patty James<\/b>\u2019 time to shine as a contestant on <\/span>The Golden Bachelor<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n After Patty, 70, was announced as one of the women vying after Gerry Turner<\/b><\/a>\u2018s heart on the upcoming <\/span>Bachelor Nation<\/span><\/a> show on Wednesday, August 30, Matt, 31, took to his Instagram Stories to show his support. \u201cI ccc uuu mama,\u201d he wrote alongside Patty\u2019s headshot for the show.<\/p>\n Patty revealed she was cast on the show by sharing the headshot via Instagram<\/a>, which she captioned, \u201cSooo exciting \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Matt continued to hype up his mother by leaving three heart emojis in the comments section. Meanwhile, his girlfriend, Rachael Kirkconnell<\/strong><\/a>, also showed her support by writing, \u201cShe\u2019s ready to find love.\u201d<\/p>\n Rachael, 26, and Matt were not the only franchise stars to congratulate Patty on her journey to find love. Former Bachelorette<\/span><\/i><\/a> star <\/span>Hannah Brown<\/b><\/a> wrote, \u201cPATTY! So exciting,\u201d while former contestant <\/span>Susie Evans<\/b><\/a> commented, \u201cLet\u2019s go Ms. James!!\u201d<\/p>\n The Golden Bachelor is the latest show in the ABC dating franchise. \u201cAfter more than 20 years of fostering young love on The Bachelor<\/em>, The Bachelorette<\/span><\/i><\/a> and <\/span>Bachelor in Paradise<\/span><\/i><\/a>, The Golden Bachelor<\/em> showcases a whole new kind of love story \u2014 one for the golden years,\u201d the network said in a May press release.<\/p>\n Fans got their first introduction to Gerry, 71, in July. The retired restaurateur married his high school sweetheart<\/span><\/a>, Toni, in 1974. They were married for 43 years before she died in 2017. Gerry and Toni had two daughters, <\/span>Angie<\/b> and <\/span>Jenny<\/b>, while the reality star is the proud grandfather to Charlee and Payton. He is now looking to find a partner to spend the rest of his life with, which ABC <\/span>announced the full list of women<\/span><\/a> competing to win him over on August 30.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not currently known how far Patty makes it on the season or if Matt will make an appearance. However, it\u2019s possible he will make a cameo because he and his mother seem to have a close bond<\/a>.<\/p>\n Matt previously called Patty his \u201cinspiration\u201d during an interview with Wake Forest Magazine<\/span><\/i><\/a>, while she regularly appears in his photos via social media. Meanwhile, Patty documented her trip to visit<\/span> Matt and Rachael in New York City<\/span><\/a> in May and she <\/span>spent quality time with the couple<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in July.<\/p>\n Fans will get to see if Patty and Gerry hit it off when The Golden Bachelor<\/em> premieres on Thursday, September 28, at 8 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n