Golden Bachelor Fans Demand Recast After Season 2 Lead Mel Owens Reveals He'll Only Date Younger Women

The Golden Bachelor season 2 star Mel Owens made some controversial comments about only wanting to date younger women, and now fans are demanding that the show recast him before filming begins. In an interview on the In the Trenches podcast, Mel, a 66-year-old NFL player-turned-lawyer and divorced father of two, revealed that he told producers before he was cast that he preferred women aged 45 to 60.

Mel went on to say that he'd be "cutting" any women who were 60 or over who were cast in The Golden Bachelor season 2. He also admitted that he told the producers that he expected the women to be "fit" because he stays in shape, and that he didn’t want them to have artificial hips or wear wigs.

In the comments section of the Golden Bachelor Instagram post in which Mel was originally introduced, fans demanded that he be recast before his season begins filming due to his unwillingness to date women in the Golden age range. Some even threatened to boycott the show. One fan wrote, "We already hate him. Recast."

Another viewer added, "Can y’all literally pick someone else? You guys are promoting a man who is quite literally age shaming women, and this is not the move in 2025. Like let’s stop regressing please and get a real man that just wants a strong beautiful woman, idk, maybe his age."

Many women over 60 were understandably offended by Mel’s comments, and they stated that they wouldn’t be watching the show. One wrote, "Welp I just turned 60 yesterday and now he is repulsed by women my age. Guess I’m not watching. Good luck buddy."

Another fan pointed out that Mel was going against everything that the Golden franchise stands for with his ageist comments. They said, "@goldenbachabc Loved the sentimentality and kindness of first two seasons. Zero reason to watch an overgrown frat boy who has made it clear he’s only looking for arm candy. Disappointing."

Someone else said, "I was so excited for this season until I heard his ageist comments. This series is meant to be wholesome healing by helping a silent generation be seen and accepted."

Other viewers hoped that the show would recast Mel with one of the men from Joan Vassos’ Golden Bachelorette season. One wrote, "Nope. Recast right now, @goldenbachabc . This guy is ageist and misogynist. Pick one of the sweet guys from the Golden Bachelorette season."

Another fan wrote, "Mel has alienated the core audience for the show, which will result in low ratings for the show and lost advertising dollars. Please replace Mel with somebody from Joan’s season. The men are already fully vetted so that person can step right in. Popular and handsome Jonathan [Rone] would be a great Golden Bachelor!"

Another comment came from an account called agelessaestheticsbysonia, who claimed that she was one of Mel’s potential contestants, but she was recently rejected. She wrote, "I was a potential candidate for season 2. I learned last week I was not picked for the final selection, now I know the real reason."

The woman continued, "I’m hot in shape I don’t wear wigs or extensions nor do I have an artificial hip. I’m 64 wow Mel should not be the lead. We are Golden! @goldenbachabc executive producers. I know you can do better!!"

What Fans Demanding Mel Owens Be Recast Means For The Golden Bachelor

The Golden Bachelor Season 2 Might Be A Tremendous Failure

Although The Golden Bachelor season 1 eventually led to lead Gerry Turner's divorce from his final choice, Theresa Nist, the journey itself was sweet and inspiring. The show broke new ground and proved that it's never too late for people to find true love.

The Golden Bachelor brought attention to an overlooked generation, especially when it comes to women. Mel's comments completely go against the premise of the show, and fans are outraged by him. This could mean that The Golden Bachelor season 2 will be a colossal failure for ABC because people won't want to watch him if they think that he's ageist and misogynistic.

Our Take On Fans Demanding That Mel Owens Be Recast

The Golden Bachelor Deserves Better

I'm in complete agreement that Mel should be recast before The Golden Bachelor season 2 begins filming. Women in their 40s and 50s are much too young for the show, and casting them will only reaffirm the stereotypes about older women that the first installment of the show worked so hard to break. It's shocking that they cast Mel when they knew that he didn't want to date older women.

I found it so beautiful to see two people in their 70s--Gerry, 72 and Theresa, 70--fall in love and get engaged. Mel's outright rejection of older women and his requirements for their physical appearances are offensive. He's already insulted anyone over the age of 60 who might be cast on the show.

Mel was the wrong choice for The Golden Bachelor, and I'm worried that he's going to ruin the show. Perhaps it's not too late to choose one of Joan Vassos' wonderful Golden Bachelorette men or someone else who's more open-minded. I don't understand how The Golden Bachelor season 2 can work with Mel as the lead, and I agree that he should be recast.