Bachelor Nation fans were afraid that the Bachelor senior dating experiment was over after Gerry Turner’s disastrous first season. Gerry did find love on the reality TV show but ended up divorced after a few months of marriage. The breakup put a huge stain on the franchise. After over a year of silence on a possible second season, ABC announced former NFL player Mel Owens as the next lead for a new season coming this fall.
Season 2 of The Golden Bachelor is reportedly due to start filming this month. Mel Owens recently returned to his college alma mater for a revealing podcast interview about what he’s looking for in his next wife. He was previously married for 17 years before divorcing in 2020, according to Us Weekly. He has two sons with his ex.
The podcast interview sparked backlash in Bachelor Nation as fans called the new lead “shallow” for his surprising demands. Keep reading for all the details.
Mel Owens Reveals His Cut-Off Age For Next Wife
Mel Owens was a linebacker with the Los Angeles Rams from 1981 until 1989. An injury forced his retirement after nine seasons. After leaving the NFL, he had several career changes. He was a financial advisor before deciding to return to college for his law degree. He’s been a lawyer for over two decades, specializing in sports-related injury laws and workers’ compensation. He was involved in a massive lawsuit against the NFL over alleged steroid use.
Before his NFL career, Mel Owens was a star athlete at the University of Michigan. He was drafted ninth overall by the Rams in 1981. He was a guest on the University of Michigan’s In The Trenches podcast recently. The topic turned to his casting as The Golden Bachelor.
The former pro football player revealed that he didn’t apply for the show himself. A friend gave him the phone number of someone who works with casting for the show. Mel Owens didn’t call right off the bat but eventually called after pestering from his friend. The process was long, but he was eventually cast as the next Golden Bachelor.
This is where the podcast starts to get juicy. Mel Owens is nearly a decade younger than the first Golden Bachelor, Gerry Turner. The first season of the show had women between the ages of 60 and 75. But women that age are too old for Mel Owens. He said on the podcast that he wants the contestants to be between 45 and 60 years old. His first wife is 20 years younger than he is.
Mel Owens said on the podcast that he told producers he was “cutting” (eliminating) any contestants over 60. The producers allegedly told him that he couldn’t use that word on the show. But he explained on the podcast that “cutting” is a football term he uses often.
Fans Slam New Golden Bachelor As Shallow
As a former professional football player, Mel Owens is highly active. And he expects his contestants to live an active lifestyle, too. He spoke on the podcast about his preferences for the women who join his season. In addition to an age limit, he said he doesn’t want any women with “artificial hips and wigs.”
Fans of the show took to a social media platform to blast the next Golden Bachelor as shallow for his demands. Do you agree? Let us know in the comments.
