Tyler Cameron just might be the best, best friend a person could have—and Matt James, a.k.a. the next Bachelor, knows this better than anyone else.
The two have been pals and business partners for years, and as Matt prepares to take the helm of the ABC dating series' 25th season, Tyler is using his own experience with the franchise to make sure that Matt is not just ready for the show, but perhaps ready to fall in love, too.
"Being the Bachelor and being the lead is a huge responsibility," Tyler told E!'s Scott Tweedie exclusively during the Instagram Live series HappE! Hour. "Better him than me, for sure."
The 27-year-old appeared on Hannah Brown's season of The Bachelorette—she chose Jed Wyatt over him, but shortly after they split, rumors began circulating that she and Tyler had romantically reunited—and right away, he was (and continues to be!) a fan-favorite.
Lucky for Matt, Tyler's advice is pretty straightforward: "I told him to just to be himself. 'Cause that's what everyone loves. They all love Matt for who he is."
"'Just be yourself and nothing else,'" he recalled saying. "You'll do just fine!'"
Tyler also acknowledged one of the most difficult parts of the show—"telling a girl that she's not the one"—but according to him, Matt will be able to handle it because "he's good about having those tough conversations. A lot better than I am."
Plus, Tyler's always down to meet up with his BFF if he needs some emotional support.
"Hopefully I can bring him some food, man," he told Scott. "I don't know where he's going to be traveling, but hopefully I can go bring him some good homecookin'."
In the meantime, Tyler was able to dole out his dating advice to anyone who tuned into HappE! Hour, as Scott asked questions about everything from dating a friend's ex to posting thirst traps.
"You gotta make them laugh," he explained about messaging other people first. "You only get one chance to make the first impression. It's kind of like the elevator pitch at the job. You only get one chance to show up. So make them laugh. Be a little creative, put some time into it. If you're going to slide into their DMs, make it worth it."
Tyler also answered with a resounding "yes" when Scott inquired about whether or not a person should give constructive criticism if their partner isn't doing it for them in the bed.
"Communication's important in the bed, and you also gotta be able to take the constructive criticism and be able to give it too. Feel free to give it as well," he responded before declaring, "Men, we need to listen and help them get whatever they need to get!"
Tyler's plans for the future, he shared with Scott, include launching a YouTube channel and maybe even joining Dancing With the Stars.
"Oh, I would love to do Dancing With the Stars! They just need to hit my line," he expressed. "It would be so much fun. I was almost a dance minor in college. I missed it by like two classes. I love doing it. I dance around all the time. My buddies make fun of me, but I still love it."
Plus, Tyler does have TV experience beyond appearing on The Bachelor. Recently, the model even had a cameo on Single Parents!
"I'm kind of, like, at a point in my life where I'm just gonna build myself at everything and see what sticks," Tyler said. "I had a lot of fun with the cast there. They are amazing people. I'm so glad to be a part of that. So, we'll see what happens!"
Ideally, Tyler explained, in the future, he would to do something along the lines of a reality TV show with his brothers: "That would be a lot of fun."
Tyler's definitely too busy for any of that at the moment, though. He's currently taking part in Uber Eats and Off the Menu's The Wing Showdown, which brings celebrities' own personal wing recipes to local restaurants in cities across the U.S. and Canada.
His competition? Shaquille O'Neal, Snoop Dogg, Tyra Banks, and more stars.
"There's a bunch of people that are involved. [It's an] awesome cast," Tyler admitted. "I don't know how the hell they got me involved, but I'm so stoked to be a part of it."
The contest is for a good cause, too! A donation to the Center for Policing Equity—an action think tank that reduces the causes of racial disparities in law enforcement—will be made in the celebrity winner's name.
"It's incredible and it's great that we can all take all this excitement around wings and kind of fall into something positive, which I was so happy to be a part of," Tyler added.
Hear more about the competition by watching the complete HappE! Hour interview in the above clips!