Golden Bachelor star Mel Owens was at a serious disadvantage before his season even began. In his first interview after landing the leading role, he made comments about an age requirement for his contestants. He said that he told producers he didn’t want to date anyone over the age of 60.
But the show is about senior citizens looking for love later in life. The ages of the women from the first season ranged from 60 to 75. Gerry Turner chose Theresa Nist, 70, as his winner. They got engaged, married, and divorced in less than a year, but her age had nothing to do with it.
The women who arrived at the Bachelor mansion for Mel Owens’ season were between the ages of 58 and 77 years old despite his preferences. Fans have a wild conspiracy theory about the age controversy. Did producers set up Mel Owens for a fall?
Mel Owens Makes Amends For Hurtful Comments
Mel Owens was on the University of Michigan’s football podcast a few months ago. It was his first public interview since he was announced as the next Golden Bachelor. It didn’t go well. He said that he told producers that he was “cutting” (eliminating) any women over 60. The former NFL player also said he didn’t want anyone with wigs or artificial hips.
Once the podcast went mainstream, Bachelor Nation fans immediately called for a boycott of the new season. Mel Owens eventually apologized for the comments, saying he had never watched the show before and didn’t realize the show casts women over 60 for the Golden Bachelor spinoff.
But he still had to face the women chosen as the contestants on Season 2. They confronted him when they arrived at the Bachelor mansion in California. Mel Owens was contrite for his hurtful remarks and hoped he would get another chance with the women and viewers.
Did Golden Bachelor Producers Set Him Up For A Fall?
Mel Owens made a name for himself playing for the University of Michigan. He was drafted ninth by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1981 NFL draft. He spent nine seasons with the team before retiring and pursuing a law career.
The former professional football player was married for almost twenty years before his divorce in 2020. He said in the intro to The Golden Bachelor that he hadn’t dated much since the divorce but was ready to find love again.
But did the producers set him up to fail from the beginning? One Bachelor Nation fan took to social media to share a wild theory about the controversy surrounding Mel Owens.
“The whole podcast thing was a setup to generate publicity for his season. He was coached by ABC to make those sh**ty comments to generate controversy,” they wrote.
The theory was met with mixed reactions. One fan agreed, and wrote, “Actually it doesn’t seem that unrealistic! It is super weird they didn’t replace him when given the chance.” But a second fan disagreed, writing “No. He was married to someone 20 years younger than he is. Hes just icky”
It may seem unlikely that the producers would go to such extremes to garner interest. But several previous contestants have spoken out about how the producers manipulated them for drama. Daisy Kent revealed how they get the contestants to cry on cue.
Do you think the Golden Bachelor producers set Mel Owens up for ratings?
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
