This season's star of The Golden Bachelor is catching heat for saying he'll cut any women over age 60 in a recent interview.
The entire point of the show is to feature folks 65 and older with a wholesome message that love is for everyone, and this guy's "preferences" aren't vibing with that. Fans of the show are so put off that some aren't sure they want to watch the new season.
"45 to 60"
On June 4, new bachelor Mel Owens went on the podcast MGoBlue for an interview and got a little too candid about what he's looking for among contestants.
"They ask me, ‘What’s your preferences?’" he recounted. "So I just said [ages] 45 to 60, just being honest. And then we had lunch with the executive producer. I said, ‘You know, if they’re 60 or over, I’m cutting them.’"
The producer then attempted to explain the premise of the show to Owens.
"‘Mel, you can’t. This is not The Silver Bachelor. This is The Golden Bachelor.’ He goes, ‘But they’re going to be hot. Don’t worry about it."
Owens, a former professional football player, is 66, according to Us Weekly. That makes his age preference anywhere from 21 to six years younger than him. The interview didn't improve much from there, either, as he continued to talk about the physical properties of his preferred match.
"Well, [the women] got to be fit, because I’m staying in shape, and work out and stuff," he said. "And I told them, ‘Try to stay away from the artificial hips and the wigs, you know, that kind of stuff, right?’"
Series fans aren't looking forward to season 2
ABC may have made an error choosing a Golden Bachelor who isn't into actual seniors. One fan of the show, TikToker @tessdhiggins, posted a video on Wednesday suggesting she might skip the second season because of Owens' interview statements.
"The whole tone of The Golden Bachelor is that it's supposed to feel wholesome and very second-chance-at-love," she pointed out. "It's not supposed to feel like some guy being like, 'okay, I want hot ladies from 45 to 60, and if they're older than 60, I'm cutting them.'"
"Just feels in poor taste and doesn't make me excited to watch this season."
Many commenters on the TikTok video agreed, feeling that casting younger contestants ruins the point of the show.
"He’s 66 & wants 20 years younger," said @christye469. "The women were the best part of the Golden Bachelor. I loved seeing older women proudly wearing sleeveless dresses, bathing suits, & being proud of who they are. Don’t think I’ll be watching this season."
"45??? For his 70-year-old self???" replies another.
Some wondered if picking Owens could spell the end of The Golden Bachelor altogether.
"And the fact that the entire franchise is close to being canceled altogether, you would think they would be scrambling to find an actual decent human as their lead," wrote @laura_b_wandering.
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