It seems Mel Owens will not be handing out any roses this fall on The Golden Bachelor after all.
According to trusted Bachelor Nation insider Reality Steve, ABC has dropped Owens as the lead of season 2 of The Golden Bachelor. The news follows the negative publicity that followed his controversial comments on the In the Trenches podcast on June 4.
“I’m hearing that Mel Owens is OUT as the Golden Bachelor due to recent negative publicity surrounding his June 4 podcast appearance. Expect an announcement soon including who is going to replace him. Haven’t heard a name yet on who that is.”
News of ABC's reported decision to drop Owens as the lead of The Golden Bachelor season 2 comes after Owens made some seriously damning comments during a podcast appearance. During his appearance on the In the Trenches podcast, Owens quickly turned heads for remarks he made about the casting process which fans were quick to take issue with.
"It's blind up until they get out of the limo. But they asked me, 'What's your preferences?' So, I just said 45 to 60, just being honest. And then the process went, and I was selected, right? And then we had lunch with the executive producer. I said, 'You know, if they're 60 or over, I'm cutting them.’”
The 66-year-old former NFL player didn’t stop there, though. He proceeded to tell host Jon Jansen that he made sure to tell ABC he didn’t want any women with “artificial hips and the wigs.”
"I had no resume, but they asked me, what is my, like, my profile?" Well, they got to be fit because I stay in shape, should work out and stuff. And I told them, you know, try to stay away from the artificial hips and the wigs, you know, that kind of stuff, right."
Owens’ comments immediately raised red flags, and Bachelor Nation was quick to call on ABC to take action, calling out The Golden Bachelor lead for his ageist remarks and threatening to boycott the season. Clearly, ABC took notice and has decided to move on from Owens, a smart decision for the franchise, which has come under heat in recent years.
With The Golden Bachelor slated to return this fall for its second season, we anticipate ABC will need to announce a new lead soon so filming can begin on the season. We imagine it’s likely another member of The Golden Bachelorette cast will be selected to lead the season, though there is always a chance ABC could cast someone from outside the franchise.
One standout candidate from The Golden Bachelorette who seems like a perfect replacement for Owen is a man with strong ties to the franchise: Mark Anderson. Anderson competed on the debut season of The Golden Bachelorette, but fans first fell in love with him during season 28 of The Bachelor. Anderson is the father of Joey Graziadei’s winner, Kelsey Anderson, meaning his selection would give ABC the chance to bring back one of the most beloved Bachelor couples of the franchise’s history.
In tapping Mark to lead the second season of The Golden Bachelor, ABC would give Bachelor Nation fans another reason to tune in by having Joey and Kelsey not only appear in the end of the season when the finalists meet the lead’s family, but with appearances throughout the season to support Mark on his journey. The franchise could certainly benefit from Joey and Kelsey’s involvement, and it would certainly help bring some good press to The Golden Bachelor following Owens’ negative remarks and ousting.