Bachelor star Matty 'J' Johnson lists his achievements in the 'parenting space' after being slammed for receiving Father of the Year award: 'Absolute joke'

Matty 'J' Johnson has clapped back after he was criticised for being granted the 2026 Australian Father of the Year award. 

The Bachelor star's honour was questioned by Influencer Updates podcaster Amber Paul, who said she found the choice strange and did not understand how it was made. 

'I hate it.... I don't care who wins it and who doesn't win it. I don't even understand what the criteria would be for this. This is so random to me,' Amber said in a clip shared on Instagram on Tuesday. 

Amber went on to say that she felt that the decision must be a shrewd marketing move for The Fathering Project, who hosts the annual Australian Fathering Awards.

'I think that Matty is obviously a very famous person, and whoever is hosting this award... great marketing to give it to Matty J,' she said. 

'I'm sure he's a great dad. I don't deny that, but I just thought it was a very strange award.'

The social media star had plenty of support in the comments section underneath her video. 

'I find these awards absurd. I can think of a few other stellar dads who deserve to be awarded too,' wrote one person. 

Another said: 'Yes, what was the criteria? Be famous and be a dad? What has he done that's so exceptional?'

'I fully agree hahaha, so weird,' wrote one person, while another called the award an 'absolute joke'.

'Being famous because of reality TV and now a podcast and an endless stream of Instagram ads makes one father of the year these days?' asked someone else. 

However, others supported Matty and praised his achievements. 

'I suggest you listen to his podcast Two Doting Dads, shedding light and awareness about so many parenting things and a strong focus on men's mental health and vulnerability,' one person wrote. 

'He's a very worthy winner. He's helping so many people through that podcast and undoubtedly helping many dads be better, supportive partners as well.'

Another said: 'Hamish Blake won it previously. It's just about shining a light on great dads who set a good example and Matty is undeniably that. He has stepped back in his career to support his wife, can we please celebrate that?'

Yet another commented: 'Have you listened to his podcast and seen the things he goes around doing for Australia in regards to parenting? He's trying to use his fame for good.'

Matty, 39, who shares three daughters with his wife, fellow Bachelor star Laura Byrne, 40, also hit back at the video, admitting that it made him 'sad' to see.   

'I don't wanna sit here and justify why I deserve to win that award. I just wanna make you aware of some of the things that I've done in the parenting space that you might not know,' he began in a video posted on Instagram on Wednesday. 

'I work as an ambassador for three really awesome charities in Australia. One is the Australian Childhood Foundation, with kids in the foster care system. The Starlight Foundation, working with seriously ill kids in hospitals, and Movember, raising awareness for men's mental health issues,' the reality star explained. 

He also listed his podcast, Two Doting Dads, which he has hosted for the past three years and attracts 100,000 listeners per month.  

'We try to normalise the everyday struggles parents are facing. More importantly, we bring on experts to educate us and the listeners, mums and dads, about really important topics,' he said. 

Matty said some of those topics include child safety, bodily autonomy, miscarriage, sobriety and postnatal depression. 

'I'm so lucky to have such an amazing audience on social media and I hope that you can see that I push for dads to be more involved, more present, more emotionally available,' Matty continued. 

'Does that mean that I should be Father of the Year? Who knows. But I hope that you can see that I've done something, one little thing, that might maybe be considered for the award,' he concluded. 

Matty's fans were overwhelmingly on his side, with the comments section alongside his Instagram post flooded with positive comments, including from his wife, Laura. 

'Well bloody said,' Laura wrote, while Influencer Updates host Amber also chimed in with: 'Love this explanation.'

One person wrote: 'Outside of the incredible work you do for charity, you are an outstanding role model and advocate for young dads.

'This is essential and something not everyone will understand is so needed and makes such a huge difference.'

Someone else commented:  'We love you Matty. You are influencing dads to be more present and involved and that is VERY IMPORTANT work. 

'You are normalising dads talking about dadding, and making that sexy! All the mums here cheering you on.'

Yet another person said: 'Outrageous! You are an amazing dad and you're inspiring so many other dads out there to do and be better.'

Matty shares three daughters with his wife, Laura: Marlie-Mae, seven, Lola, five, and Poppy Pearl, who turns one this month. 

The couple met on season five of The Bachelor Australia in 2017, and married in 2022.