The Bachelor Australia‘sMatty Johnson and Laura Byrne have major cause for celebration.
After four months of hiding their romance, they can officially share their love with the nation and they’re pumped!
When Now To Love caught up with the reality TV couple this morning, they were like a pair of giggling teenagers as they finished each other’s sentences, shared their hilarious code names for each other and looked back on their wild ride to love…
Congratulations! How does it feel to release the shackles and be free in your love?
Laura: It feels very, very good! It’s been a long time in waiting.
How did you celebrate the finale – you watched it in secret together last night?
Laura: Last night was the first episode that we got to watch together. We just got a couple of bottles of champagne and ordered room service.
Matty J: It was very low-key!
Australia loves a Bachie finale twist, but this year there wasn’t one because we all kind of knew who you’d fallen for…
Matty: It was fine! When I watch it back, I’m kind of paying close attention to my time with Laura.
Watching it back last night, it was really lovely. I thought as far as finales go, for me it was perfect.
WATCH: Matty and Laura thanks fans for their support. Post continues after the video…
What happened after the cameras stopped rolling at the finale? Did you get to spend the night together before being separated for four months?
Matty: It was interesting because you have literally spent every other moment with cameras in your face so I went back to my villa, Laura went back to hers and got changed…
Laura: And then I came on over!
That’s amazing! So it was like, “cool, now we’re together?”
Both: Yeah!
Laura: After that moment, it was pretty clear that we both felt the same so that was it. We had our first time hanging out with no cameras.
Matty, you’ve been in Elise’s shoes – how hard was that full circle moment, how did you prepare for that break-up?
Yeah it was really hard. I didn’t know how I was going to handle it. I think probably what I did was, almost numb myself to the situation.
I knew that for Elise it was going to be so difficult and so emotional. I knew she was going to feel so much pain at my hand, because of my actions. I had to almost shut off from the reality of the situation.
You were in such a tricky position not being able to tell Laura you were falling for her until the end, how did it feel to finally tell her you love her?
Matty: It was nice! It was interesting because I think Laura thought that I was going to break her heart. The very first moment I told her I loved her, she was still kind of crying. And I was like, “Don’t be upset. I’m saying I love you!”
Laura: I really resigned to the fact that it was probably not going to be me. I had accepted it before he’d even said what was happening. It was the most beautiful thing to be there and everything he was saying, I was expecting him to come out and say a “but…” It was beautiful!
Matty, there was an interview where you said you knew Laura was the one from the very first night. Is that true?
Not as blunt as that. I think the very first time I met Laura, it was just super easy.
As far as first impressions go, she nailed it. From that moment on, we just went from strength to strength. It was really only until the very end when I allowed myself to enjoy the fact that I knew I’d just found The One.
What is it about Laura that made you fall for her?
I think initially it was her confidence that really drew me in. She’s a really intelligent person and having a conversation with her is just really engaging and interesting.
It’s easier to sit on different subjects because we just see eye-to-eye on so many different things. Even how ambitious she is and how creative she is… there’s so many things about her that really appeal to me.
Matty when did you realise you were in love with her?
It was just gradual. Every time I spent with Laura, I left the date thinking: “She is just perfect. I really couldn’t fault her!” I think when she met my family as well – it just became clearer and clearer.
The morning of the finale, there was just absolutely no denying how I felt for her.
What does your future look like with Laura?
Matty: Do you know what? More than anything I’m excited to have her included in my life. To meet my family, and especially meet George for the first time! And I can’t wait to hang out with Buster again. I can’t wait to do things like go to the beach, go to the park, take Buster for a walk.
Laura: We’re thinking to do some holidays and planning things for this year but just the normal stuff that we haven’t been able to do together!
What’s going to be the first thing you do this weekend as a couple?
Matty: We’re going to have a lunch with our family. So my sister, her husband and my little nephew George will be there and Laura will bring her family as well.
There’s so many conspiracy theories that you guys already knew each other, that must be frustrating?
Matty: I just hope people don’t believe the rumours because they’re just not true.
Laura: It’s so frustrating for us because I feel like we have to go into this defending ourselves. We didn’t know each other. We had never spoken to each other prior to that day that we met on the red carpet.
We live in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney, we had crossed paths once where I had seen him. Obviously I had recognised him from being on The Bachelor. He had no idea who I was and we didn’t speak! That story has just spiraled into absolute nonsense and unfortunately some people believe it.
Let’s go back to keeping your romance under wraps for four months after the show finished, to now. How often would you catch up?
Laura: We would have secret meet ups every few weeks. So, every four-five weeks. It was a long stint in between. But it was usually somewhere pretty remote, the back-end of nowhere, where there would be no prying eyes.
We couldn’t go out and go and get a coffee or anything like that but we would stay in the ‘bnb and spend time with each other.
What about your top-secret code names, what are you saved in each other’s phones as?
Matty: I need to change it, don’t I? Laura’s saved under the name as Cindy. It’s the name of my bicycle.
Laura: Yeah, it’s so romantic isn’t it. Matty’s saved under my phone as Dezza… like Derek.
Matty: I chose that one, yeah!
Let’s chat about this stunning ring. What does it represent to you guys and Matty, was it daunting creating it for Laura who is a jewellery designer?
Matty: Yeah, it was! When I was handing it over, I told her I designed it. I almost felt like I had to justify my design.
Laura: I love it!
Matty: For me that ring really does represent what we’ve been through – I hate to say the word – but with this crazy journey. It really does signify that I do wholeheartedly love her and I think she’s perfect.
Matty had the ring specially designed for Laura.
How are you going to navigate this time going from a reality TV couple to a normal couple?
Laura: Oh it’s going to be weird! There’s no denying that. And I think that for a period of time, there will be a lot of public interest in us as couple but we really are just normal people. We’re not actors, we love each other and want to be together.
I think that as soon as Sophie Monk’s on TV, people are going to forget about us. And we’re fine with that!
Matty: As much as you can mentally prepare for what’s about to happen, I think nothing can really prepare you for the reality of it.
It’s nice to touch base with previous Bachelors, I’ve spoken to Sam Woods quite a lot and Tim Robards and to get their advice has been really nice.
Will either of you be keeping in touch with any of the other girls from the show and stay mates?
Laura: I am friend with some of the girls still and like, quite a few of them sent me really wonderful messages last night to say congratulations to us.
That’s one of the things you get to take away from this experience, the friendships you make! I’ll definitely keep in touch with some girls.
Matty: I think mates is a loose term… A few of them have reached out and messaged me to congratulate me, which has been lovely.
It will be great If we bumped into each other with some of the girls, it wouldn’t be awkward and we can say hi. Especially for those [girls] that are going to stay friends with Laura, if we can all hang out together and be friends. That would be nice.
The smitten new couple are going to celebrate with a family lunch.
