The Golden Bachelor has been one of the most anticipated shows among Bachelor Nation viewers in the last stretch of years, but I’ve changed my mind about the show and am convinced it’s going to fail after so many controversies. Throughout the first seasons of The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette, many viewers flocked to the shows hoping to see genuine love stories from a more mature lead. While Gerry Turner didn’t wind up being the lead The Golden Bachelor season 1 viewers anticipated, he still made a great inaugural Golden Bachelor and paved the way for future leads.
Gerry and Theresa Nist had a live televised wedding ceremony just a month after the season finale. The lavish affair was full of Bachelor Nation alumni, including the future Golden Bachelorette herself, Joan Vassos. Though Gerry and Theresa’s wedding was a huge moment for the franchise, their marriage only lasted three months after the live TV event. Some were soured on the Golden spin-offs, but The Golden Bachelorette season 1 was still in the back of most viewers’ minds. The spin-off became a huge deal for Bachelor Nation, but after two shows with major controversies, things need to cool off.
The Golden Bachelor Is Set To Film Again In 2025
The Show Will Likely Return Next Fall
Although The Golden Bachelorette season 1 just came to a close with Joan choosing Chock Chapple, the franchise is already looking for its next big move. The Golden Bachelor season 2, which has yet to be formally announced, has a production schedule that coincides with a fall 2025 release date. While the show won’t be filming for a few months, there’s a lot for Bachelor producers to consider before they move into the next season of the series. After Gerry was such a difficult lead for the franchise, choosing the next face of The Golden Bachelor won’t be so easy.
Though there’s a production schedule in place, the fact that The Golden Bachelor season 2 hasn’t been formally announced is interesting. The series traditionally has a running order, meaning the show doesn’t always get announced as renewed or greenlit in the same way others do, but there are typically announcements or hints about it coming back from season to season. With a production schedule already in the works, The Golden Bachelor producers are likely thinking about who will be leading the season, where their journey will go, and what casting parameters need to be put in place to avoid scandal.
Bachelor Nation Has Struggled With Controversy
Divorce & Legal Issues Have Plagued The Spin-Offs
With Bachelor Nation struggling with the regular shows in the franchise, The Golden Bachelor and Bachelorette have been an interesting reprieve for viewers. Though there has been a levity to the Golden seasons that the other Bachelor shows don’t necessarily have, there’s been a fair amount of controversy within The Golden Bachelor side of the franchise. The Golden Bachelor season 1 featured Gerry, who deceived viewers throughout the season until he was called out by an ex for acting like he was someone he wasn’t. When Gerry’s lies were exposed, the facade was broken and he began to struggle tremendously.
While Gerry and Theresa’s quick marriage and divorce may have deterred some from trusting the series for a second season, The Golden Bachelorette was even more highly anticipated than its predecessor. Joan, one of the contestants on Gerry’s season who left early due to family complications, became the lead. Joan’s season was less controversial than Gerry’s, but there were still issues that cropped up with her cast of guys. Two of Joan’s contestants were discovered to have restraining orders against them, one being one of her finalists Guy Gansert, and her final choice was lackluster to most of Bachelor Nation.
The Next Golden Lead Hasn’t Been Chosen
There Are Rumblings About Former Golden Contestants
While there have been rumblings about who the next Golden Bachelor could be for months, it appears that the announcement will likely come after The Bachelor or The Bachelorette in 2025. Even if Golden Bachelor producers have candidates for who the next lead will be, however, it doesn’t seem likely that they’ve solidified a choice yet. I’m looking forward to finding out who the lead will be, but since it’s going to be a while before it’s confirmed, I have my own thoughts on who should be named the next lead, even if a lot of Bachelor Nation doesn’t agree.
While I was originally hopeful that we’d see Mark Anderson, father of The Bachelor season 28’s winner Kelsey Anderson, as the lead of The Golden Bachelor season 2, he appears to be dating former One Tree Hill star Barbara Alyn Woods. With Mark out of the running, I’m looking at Pascal Ibgui to become the next lead, though I know a lot of Bachelor Nation viewers don’t feel the same. With so much turmoil, I’d love to see The Golden Bachelor lean into the less squeaky-clean image it’s managed to cultivate with a more villainous lead than in previous seasons.
I’m Not Certain The Golden Bachelor Can Work Successfully
Too Much Has Transpired For Success
Although there’s no word on when we can expect news about The Golden Bachelor season 2 or if any changes are being made, I’m not sure that it will work as a series moving forward. Though I’m hopeful that The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette can continue with successful seasons as time goes on, I’m worried about the way the controversies that have already plagued the series will continue to create issues. From the problems with Gerry that Bachelor producers tried to hide or ignore to the casting issues on Joan’s season, I’m not confident things can run smoothly.
Bachelor Nation is already skeptical about the franchise, as there have been issues with cast member treatment throughout the last few seasons that have been sparking conversation about how the show is run. With so many people watching for any potential mistakes from Bachelor producers on all of the shows, it seems possible that The Golden Bachelor could be a struggle moving forward. While I’m hopeful that things can keep going, I don’t think The Golden Bachelor can continue successfully after so much controversy without changes being made to the way the show’s run and how cast members are treated.
