Mark Anderson Should Turn Down The Golden Bachelor (He's Outgrown The Franchise & Needs To Move On Forever)

Mark Anderson is a fan favorite to be the next The Golden Bachelor, but he has outgrown the franchise and should turn it down if offered. Audiences first fell in love with the 58-year-old retired Army veteran during The Bachelor season 28. Mark's daughter, Kelsey Anderson, was a contestant on Joey Graziadei's season and brought her boyfriend home to meet her father during hometown dates. Mark's brief time on screen left a surprisingly big impression on viewers. They immediately started clamoring for him to replace 72-year-old Gerry Turner as the spin-off's next male lead.

Mark joined the cast of The Golden Bachelorette season 1 and arrived at The Bachelor mansion to meet 61-year-old Joan Vassos. Mark and Joan hit it off, but the excitement fizzled quickly. After an awkward solo date, Joan told Mark that though she loved him, there was "something missing" between them and sent him home early. His elimination led to immediate online speculation about Mark's Bachelor future, but if producers offer him the role of The Golden Bachelor, he should turn it down.

Mark's Famous Now

He Doesn't Need The Franchise Anymore

Due to his brief appearance on The Bachelor season 28, fans already knew who Mark was when he joined the cast of The Golden Bachelorette season 1. His newfound fame must have come as quite a shock to the retired widower. Before his daughter decided to look for love on network television, Mark was living a quiet life in Louisiana. He was married to Denise Anderson for 18 years, and they had five children together. Sadly, she was diagnosed with cancer in 2018, and she passed away only two months later.

During his awkward solo date with Joan during The Golden Bachelorette season 1, he confessed to Joan that he hadn't dated much since his wife's death. His life has changed completely now that he's a celebrity who likely gets recognized. At this point, he is famous enough that he doesn't need to be The Golden Bachelor. He could easily decide to become a lifestyle influencer, like his daughter, Kelsey, and his future son-in-law, Joey.

Mark's Been Hanging Out With Celebrities

Couples Costume With A One Tree Hill Actress

Being sent home from The Golden Bachelor season 1 was devastating for Mark, but he wasn't down for long. He was recently photographed with Barbara Woods, a television actress from the series One Tree Hill. In the photo, Mark is dressed as Prince Charming and Barbara is in a Cinderella costume. Fans of The Golden Bachelorette season 1 and One Tree Hill were excited about the potential match between Mark and Barbara. The post has 5.5K likes and Barbara's caption reads, "When Cinderella and Prince Charming have a baby..."

At this point, Mark and Barbara hadn't confirmed or denied their relationship status, so they appeared to be friends. There was even some online speculation the photo was a publicity stunt to get fans talking. Regardless of their status, hanging out with celebrities is a great example of how much Mark's life has changed since he made his Bachelor Nation appearances.

Will Mark Be The Golden Bachelor?

He's Bigger Than The Show

Though Mark is a fan favorite to replace Gerry as the next The Golden Bachelor, he's just too big for the show now. He recently appeared alongside Kelsey on Dancing With The Stars season 33 to cheer Joey on and is growing his Instagram following. Mark doesn't need The Bachelor franchise, because he's already more famous than most of their leads.

One reason The Golden Bachelorette's Mark shouldn't be the next The Golden Bachelor is that he may still be too young. At 58 years old, the women would have to be younger than he is, an age range that doesnt include women in their golden years. Gerry's season included many contestants in their 60s and 70s, so a much younger cast would feel like a downgrade. The main reason Mark should turn down The Golden Bachelor is that he may not be ready to move on from his late wife, Denise.