The second season of The Golden Bachelor has not yet begun, but its lead is already raising eyebrows about his journey for love.
Mel Owens, a 66-year-old former NFL player-turned-lawyer, is the lead this season, having played college football for the University of Michigan Wolverines, followed by a nine-year NFL career as a linebacker with the Los Angeles Rams.
On Michigan football podcast MGo Blue Podcasts with Jon Jansen earlier this month, Owens opened up about what he’s looking for in women on the show, which is set to premiere this fall. He explained that while going through the casting process, producers asked him, “‘What’s your preferences?’ so I just said, ’45 to 60,’ just being honest.”
When he was then chosen as the lead, Owens recounted having lunch with an executive producer on the show, telling him, “‘If they’re 60 or over, I’m cutting them,’” while also noting, “This is not The Silver Bachelor, this is The Golden Bachelor.”
“[The executive producer] goes, ‘But they’re going to be hot, don’t worry about it, don’t worry about it.’ He goes, ‘You can’t use the word cut,’ I go, ‘That’s an NFL term,’” he continued the conversation with the EP, adding that he had no say in the women chosen for his season. On top of the age parameters, “They’ve got to be fit, because I stay in shape and workout and stuff. And I told them to try to stay away from the artificial hips and the wigs.”
Warner Bros. and ABC, who are behind the hit dating franchise, did not immediately return requests for comment.
The first season of The Golden Bachelor starred Gerry Turner in the lead role, which was a ratings hit, although he faced his own dating life controversies as the series aired. Turner, 72, found love on his season with Theresa Nist, whom he married in a televised wedding on ABC in January 2024. However, three months after their vows, the couple announced they were divorcing in a joint interview on Good Morning America. Nearly a year later, Turner revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer.
Contestants from both previous seasons of Golden Bachelor and Golden Bachelorette will also appear on this summer’s milestone 10th season of Bachelor in Paradise, as ABC continues to invest in the newer iteration.
