Hunky 'Bachelor' Star Matt James Is Catching Everyone's Attention — See 5 Of His Hottest Photos

Bachelor Nation got to meet Matt James for the first time when The Bachelor premiered on Monday, January 4. 

The 29-year-old was supposed to compete for Clare Crawley’s heart on The Bachelorette, but instead, producers asked him to be the next leading man, which sent fans into overdrive. 

James — who is Tyler Cameron’s bestie — got to meet over 30 women at the Pennsylvania resort, and let’s just say the handsome hunk embarked on an emotional journey. 

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“Love to me looked different before I got to Nemacolin because of what I experienced up to that point,” he said. “And yes, I guess I’d say I haven’t experienced love until I got out there.” 

Since James is new to the franchise, it wasn’t easy for him to wear his heart on his sleeve. "That was huge," he admitted. "That was kind of a crutch coming into this. Like, I don't want to force something. I don't want to put myself in a situation to hurt somebody or be hurt, and that was a realization I came to in quarantine. You're never going to be more so or less so ready to experience this. You just gotta go into it, and I'm glad I did."

Despite letting his guard down, James is happy that he took a chance to find his other half on television. "It really did break me down. There were a lot of conversations that I had, that I needed to have that I hadn't had and I wasn't planning on having," he said. "But that's where this whole experience took me, and I'm so fortunate for it."

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"I grew up as a man, and it allowed me to be vulnerable for these women and so I could experience what I experienced," he added.