Bachelor Nation is gearing up for the return of Bachelor in Paradise to the 2025 TV schedule, but it seems trouble may be brewing for another of the reality dating shows. The Golden Bachelor Season 2 lead Mel Owens went on a podcast earlier this month, where the 66-year-old said he told producers he wouldn’t date any women over 60, and fans are calling on the network to “do better” with its casting.
Mel Owens Reveals His ‘Preferences’ Ahead Of The Golden Bachelor Season 2
Mel Owens, a former NFL player — who was cast to follow Gerry Turner as the second Golden Bachelor — went on the In the Trenches podcast on June 4, where he was asked how much control he had over the women cast for his season. He said he won’t know anything about them until they exit the limos at Bachelor Mansion, but he said during the casting process producers asked him about the kind of women he wanted to date. Owens recalled:
They asked me, like, ‘What’s your preferences?’ So I just said 45 to 60, just being honest, right? And then the process went and I was selected. And then we had lunch with the executive producer. I said, ‘If they’re 60 or over, I’m cutting them.’ [He said] ‘Oh no, you can’t. This is not The Silver Bachelor, this is The Golden Bachelor.’ He goes, ‘But they’re gonna be hot, don’t worry about it.’
Say what you want about Gerry Turner, but The Golden Bachelor’s first season warmed viewers’ hearts with its messages about hope and never being too old to find love, so as a longtime Bachelor Nation fan, I’m kind of surprised to hear that the Season 2 star apparently has a pretty specific age limit when it comes to who he’ll date.
It’s unclear which producers he told this to, but it’s disappointing to hear that they apparently knew Mel Owens has no interest in dating women his age and decided to cast him anyway. For context, none of The Golden Bachelor’s cast members were under 60 in its premiere season, and The Golden Bachelorette had just one 59-year-old (Mark Anderson). Owens continued:
I know they’re gonna be beautiful, I know they are. But I had no say in them. I had no résumé. But they asked me what is my profile. Well they gotta be fit, because I stay in shape, work out and stuff. And I told him, ‘Try to stay away from the artificial hips and the wigs,’ you know, that kind of stuff.
This definitely isn’t a great look for ABC, and Bachelor Nation viewers are not taking these comments lightly.
Bachelor Nation Fans Are Calling Out ABC For Casting Mel Owens
The Golden Bachelor’s second season hasn’t even begun filming yet, but already fans are speaking out about the decision to cast Mel Owens after hearing his comments on the podcast. On the official Instagram announcement made by ABC months ago, social media users are returning to comment on the latest developments, writing:
- Too bad he’s a walking red flag before the season even started. Do better ABC! – jade.brooke
- Did you really keep telling us you are going to “do better” with casting and then cast a Golden Bachelor who has said he would “cut any woman 60+ on night one”? – sherrieatsplants
- This man is a walking red flag, and definitely doesn't signal to me personally that this franchise is interested in doing better… – abundant.heart.tarot
- Too bad he’s not looking for a woman over 60 ☹️. I think for all the golden women who watch this show that’s a real slap in the face. I for one won’t be watching 😡 – kathy4more
The Bachelor franchise has already been under fire the past few years, particularly over its casting of men (Golden and otherwise) who have had restraining orders against them or been involved in race-related scandals and other controversial behavior. In March, executive producers Claire Freeland and Bennett Graebner exited the franchise amid accusations of a toxic workplace environment, and the 2025 cycle of The Bachelorette was canceled.
Mel Owens’ comments are a really tough pill to swallow. I don’t want to see 40- and 50-somethings on The Golden Bachelor, but I also don’t want the quarterback-turned-lawyer to pretend to date women he’s not interested in.
It’s quite a pickle, but while we wait to see if ABC or Mel Owens addresses the comments, Bachelor in Paradise is set to premiere at 8 p.m. ET Monday, July 7, on ABC and streaming the next day with a Hulu subscription.
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