Bachelor Matty J lands surprise TV hosting gig: ‘Only person available’

Four years on from his starring role as The Bachelor and Matty ‘J’ Johnson has managed to secure himself as a regular fixture on Australian TV.

The 34-year-old is one of the few reality show contestants to successfully transition to TV host, having appeared on The Living Room and Luxury Escapes in recent years, and his skills came in handy on Thursday morning.

Alongside reporter Lachlan Kennedy, Matty filled in for Studio 10’s regular hosts after Tristan MacManus tested positive for Covid and Sarah Harris went into isolation as a precaution.

The pair appeared on the show briefly via Zoom, with Tristan explaining that he was “feeling a bit shady” when he came into work on Wednesday morning and ended up returning a positive rapid antigen test in the afternoon.

Sarah also said that she had a negative result on Wednesday night but a second test the next day showed “the faintest little line”.

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Shortly after filming wrapped on the Channel Ten morning talk show, Matty J took to social media to give more details on how his surprise appearance came about.

“Got a call at 8pm last night (which I thought was a prank) to fill in and host Studio 10,” he posted on his Instagram Story. “They asked if I had any experience with live TV/autocue - I lied. Good news… I got the job!”

He also shared a selfie from the studio alongside the caption: “You know the entertainment industry has been hit hard with Covid when you’re the only person available to host Studio 10!”

A number of Matty J’s followers rushed to the comments to applaud his temporary gig, with many people saying that they hope he continues to host the show in the future.

“Damn I’d actually tune in with you as host!” one person wrote, followed by another who added, “Need to call in sick for work so I can watch”.

“Finally, someone we could get behind / relate to,” a third remarked, while a different user said they will “tune in and watch for sure”.

“I turned on TV to switch on Netflix and saw your smiley face, Netflix can wait,” someone else shared.

Tristan MacManus also commented “Smashing it bud”, to which Matty jokingly replied, “Thanks bud - how random someone sent you a package laced with Covid. I hope they find the culprit!”

Matty J first made his debut as a TV host when he landed the travel presenter role on Channel Ten’s The Living Room in 2017, which ended up earning him a Logie Award nomination for Most Popular Talent.

In 2019 he co-hosted the travel show Luxury Escapes: The World’s Best Holidays, and last year he competed as a wildcard entrant on Dancing with the Stars.

His latest hosting gig comes just a few days after he and his partner Laura Byrne recovered from Covid themselves, which forced them to spend Christmas in isolation with their two young children.

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