Since his debut TV appearance on The Bachelorette Australia in 2016, Matthew Johnson’s world has been turned upside down. Or perhaps right-side up.
In the space of two years, the 30-year-old, known as Matty J, shot to fame as the Bachelor, then scored a role as a guest presenter on The Living Room.
Now, his short stint on the popular Network Ten lifestyle show has earnt him a nomination for the 2018 TV WEEK Logie Awards.
And just when he thought life couldn’t get better, Matty reveals he and girlfriend Laura Byrne are ready to take the next step in their relationship.
However, it may not be wedding bells we hear first, but rather the patter of tiny feet.
“They say you’re a product of your environment, and we’re both surrounded by babies at the moment,” Matty − who is one of five siblings − reveals with glee.
“I’m hoping in 12 months’ time, we’ll be looking to start a family.”
Matty and Laura, 32, have been together since The Bachelor Australia finale in 2017. Having just celebrated their one-year anniversary, the two are more in love than ever.
“Laura’s definitely the person I want to have a family with, but we’re just so busy,” Matty says.
“Marriage is on the cards too – but we don’t want to rush anything.”
However, there is one person itching for Matty to get down on one knee.
“My mum has hinted that I should lock it down!” he laughs.
When Matty finally wrapped up his commitments as the Bachelor in 2017, he intended to drop out of the spotlight and return to his normal life. But a phone call changed his path.
“It was like getting called up to play first-grade sport,” he jokes of being asked to present on The Living Room.
“It was an unexpected but welcome opportunity – I was pinching myself.”
Across three consecutive weeks, Matty appeared on the show alongside regular hosts Amanda Keller, Barry Du Bois and Miguel Maestre. He was filling in for the fourth team member, Dr Chris Brown, who was in South Africa for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!
However, as a first-time presenter, the former reality star says he felt way out of his depth.
“They were big shoes to fill,” Matty admits. “I didn’t want to stuff up or embarrass myself. The show has won a lot of Logies, so I didn’t want to be a dead weight.”
Ahead of his television debut, a nervous Matty decided to brush up on his research.
“On Friday nights, we ordered Thai and watched Chris’ episodes back-to-back,” he laughs.
While Matty remains tight-lipped about his future on the Logie Award-winning show, it seems his hosting gig won’t be a flash in the pan.
“There are some exciting projects in the pipeline,” he hints. “So it’s likely you’ll see more of me.”
In this year’s Logies, Matty is in the running to win the Graham Kennedy Award For Most Popular New Talent, which the public vote for.
“It’s crazy!” he says of his first-ever nomination. “To be nominated for that short amount of time [on television], there’s no greater seal of approval from the audience. I’m so thankful.”
For Matty, the chance to attend the glamorous event is reward in itself. Last year, he was in the throes of filming The Bachelor Australia and wasn’t able to attend the ceremony.
However, he did briefly walk the Logies red carpet with The Bachelor Australia host Osher Günsberg before flying back to Sydney.
“We were still in our tuxedos at Melbourne Airport!” Matty laughs. “Seeing Osher in a suit is like Batman putting on the cape, so we had a few eyes on us.”
As for this year’s big event, Matty is ready to celebrate alongside Laura.
“I look at my life and think, ‘I’m so damn lucky with what I have right now,'” he says. “My life has gone in a direction I never thought possible, so the only way to top it off is if I win.
“Having a Logie in my hand will be the cherry on top.”
