The Golden Bachelor is set to return with its second season on ABC this fall, but the new lead has already sparked controversy with his past comments about the type of women he wants on the show. Now that the official cast list has been revealed, it appears the network is doing a little trolling.
Former NFL linebacker Mel Owens is the new lead of the hit dating reality series. Back in June 2025, Owens went on the MGoBlue Podcasts with Jon Jansen and talked very openly about what he wanted from the women on The Golden Bachelor season 2. He said he told producers he only wanted contestants between the ages of 45 and 60, and he stressed that the women should be physically fit.
He even went so far as to say he didn’t want women with artificial hips or wigs, which comes across as setting very specific and arguably harsh or ageist standards. And if that wasn’t enough, he also shared with the podcast host that he told producers he would automatically dismiss any contestant aged 60 or older. After this podcast went live, fans immediately started calling for Owens to be removed as the new lead.
However, ABC decided to still keep him on. The cast list has now dropped, and it looks like the network either had a chat with Owens about his past comments and got everything squared away, or it ignored his requests entirely and decided to cast a lineup that challenges his stated preferences.
The Golden Bachelor season 2's cast is made up of 23 women whose ages range from 58 to 77, defying Owens' previously stated preference for contestants between 45 and 60. What's even more surprising is that the majority of women in the cast are over the age of 60. So the whole thing of Owens wanting a younger age range has clearly been tossed out the window.
I doubt he'll follow through on his "threat" now to eliminate contestants aged 60 and over. If he were to do that, then he would be left with only one contestant, which is 58-year-old college sports consultant Maia. Our guess is that ABC and the show's producers had a chat with Owens about his ageist remarks, and he changed his tune.
Here's a list of the other contestants for The Golden Bachelor season 2 via Variety:
- Amy, 63, full-time mom
- Alexandra, 67, luxury yacht sales representative
- Andra, 77, retired federal worker
- Carla, 62, former model
- Carol, 63, family manager for Freddie Freeman
- Cheryl, 66, retired IRS employee
- Cindy, 60, retired biomedical engineer
- Debbie, 65, fitness professional
- Diane, 71, Librarian
- Gerri, 64, home care agency CEO
- Lily, 72, retired elementary school teacher
- Lisa, 66, state park employee
- Monica B., 62, flight attendant
- Monica P., 60, cosmetic dentist
- Mylene, 61, casino VIP host
- Nicolle, 64, yoga instructor
- Peg, 62, retired firefighter and bomb tech
- Robin, 63, wealth advisor and vineyard owner
- Roxanne, 62, longevity nurse
- Susie, 62, realtor
- Terri, 71, cosmetic dentist
- Tracy, 62, interior designer
The Golden Bachelor season 2 is scheduled to start airing on ABC on Sept. 24 at 8:00 p.m. ET.