When Matty ‘J’ first appeared on our screens on The Bachelorette back in 2016, he was fresh off a stint living in London and had been enjoying the lifestyle of any eligible bachelor in his late 20s.
The 34-year-old is now worlds apart from the life he once lived, but he has never been happier.
Matty became an instant fan favourite on Georgia Love’s season of The Bachelorette, then, a year later, he solidified himself as a household name when he became the leading man on The Bachelor, where he fell in love with Laura Byrne.
The two have since built a picture-perfect life together; getting engaged and welcoming two adorable daughters, Marlie-Mae, two, and Lola, eight months.
Matty and Laura have gotten engaged and welcomed two adorable daughters, Marlie-Mae, two, and Lola, eight months.
(Image: Instagram)In an opinion piece for 9Honey, Matty opened up about how fatherhood has changed him to his core.
“It wasn’t a slow burn or a gradual shift. It happened the very moment I laid eyes on Marlie-Mae, and it hit me hard, like a rusk stick right between the eyes,” he said.
“All of a sudden this little peanut was, without question, the most important thing in my life. Once that protective switch is turned on, there’s no off button.”
Matty’s girls and Laura have changed nearly every aspect of his life – but for the better.
(Image: Instagram)Matty’s girls and Laura have changed nearly every aspect of his life – but for the better.
The reality TV alum said his desire to be in the hustle and bustle of the city was replaced with a want to live in a suburb where the girls could have a backyard, help make a veggie patch and live a stone’s throw from the beach.
“Instead of being concerned about living near a good pub, I’m more interested about what the nearest schools are like. All these things have become so much more important to me,” he admitted.
Matty said that while prior to fatherhood he considered himself in touch with his emotions, becoming a dad has kicked his empathy up a notch.
“Being a dad has softened me in ways I had never expected – I mean, I’ve cried more in the last two years than I did in the 20 years prior. Sad tears, happy tears, frustrated tears, tired tears… all of the tears,” he shared.
Not only did Matty’s heart grow two sizes for little Marlie-Mae and Lola, but it also took his love and appreciation for Laura to a “whole new level”.
Matty was surprised by this, saying he didn’t think he could have loved his “best friend, soul mate and partner in crime” any more than he already did.
“We obviously have fights and there are times when we’re both worn out and we lose patience with each other (more than if we didn’t have kids) but our connection is so much stronger now that we’re parents,” he said.
Not only did Matty’s heart grow two sizes for little Marlie-Mae and Lola, but it also took his love and appreciation for Laura to a “whole new level”.
(Image: Instagram)The couple are one of the Bachelor franchise’s biggest success stories, and that may have something to do with their collaborative parenting style.
Laura recently gushed over Matty in an interview with Mamma Mia, praising him for being hands-on with their girls.
“He’s really great with all the house stuff as well, like Matt will cook dinners, and he’s not afraid of changing nappies at all,” she shared.
“I guess the big thing for Matt and I is trying to divide and conquer. He’s really hands-on with the kids, which is incredible, and I would say that we parent very, very 50/50.”
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