Days away from The Golden Bachelor finale, a controversy about Bear's dating history has surfaced.

The Golden Bachelor is leaping towards the finish line with the big finale mere days away.

Bear is all set to pick his winning lady between Sunny and Janette in a spectacular finale in stunning South Africa. But just as we're getting hyped for the big decision, some curious rumours have surfaced about Bear's dating history.

In the first episode of The Golden Bachelor, Bear suggests that after his first wife Audrey's death, he has stayed single.

"My life has been pretty much devoted to my boys since my wife passed 14 years ago," he said. "Now it's my time, she'd want me to move on."

But it seems, Bear has been very much dating in these past 14 years.

Woman's Day claimed that in Bear's interim dating years, he had a six-year relationship with his ex-fiancée and then another two-year relationship after that.

One of these flings might have ended badly because — according to podcast So Many Receipts — Bear was even spotted on the Facebook page 'Sis, Is This Your Man', which spotlights men on dating apps who are allegedly big ol' red flags.

Bear has been making headlines for his alleged former flames. Image: Nine.

Then came the revelation that Bear was engaged during the time between the death of his wife and joining the reality show.

In an exclusive with Woman's Day, friends of Sydney nanny Jo Kinghorn spoke about their relationship.

She reportedly met Bear at a friend's Christmas barbecue in Palm Beach in 2012, and they started dating. Apparently, Jo took on the role of "stepmum" to Barry's three sons, Charlie, Jack and Declan, who were aged nine, seven and five at the time.

"Jo really fell madly in love with him," one friend said, admitting that they were shocked to hear Barry claim on the reality show that he had been single since Audrey's death.

"We were all gobsmacked to hear him say that!"

Another source added, "I think quite honestly in the end, Jo probably loved those boys even more than she loved Barry. She did everything she could for them. She really opened her heart to them and dedicated her life to them – and they adored her."

Watch the hosts of Mamamia Out Loud discuss The Golden Bachelor. Post continues after podcast.

Jo came from a wealthy Sydney family and one of the couple's former friends claimed that Bear was financially supported by his partner.

"I know for a fact that she was paying for almost everything in the last three years they were together because Barry quit his job. I think the idea was he would eventually get another job – but he was still not working when they finally broke up in 2018."

Barry proposed to Jo four years after they met, with the couple holding an engagement party at Jo's parents' home in Mosman.

After they got engaged, Barry and his three boys moved into Jo's $6 million home in Manly, but shortly after, they broke up.

Their split sounded messy.

"It was a very acrimonious break-up. There were lawyers called in and they spent a whole day in mediation, before it was settled. Barry kept his own house and Jo kept hers, which she sold soon after because of the bad memories," our source said.

"He even asked Jo to return the diamond engagement ring he gave her. She's doing fine now. She's moved out of Manly and has built herself a great home and has an entirely new life. I know she found it really, really hard to be separated from the boys in the beginning, but she has zero regrets over ending the engagement."

So, umm: has Jo watched The Golden Bachelor? Big nope.

"What do you think?" the source said.

"She hasn't watched a second of it and has no intention of doing so." Oop.

Mamamia has reached out to Channel Nine for comment.

The Golden Bachelor finale kicks off at 7pm on Sunday on Nine and 9Now.

Feature image: Nine.