The Golden Bachelor Season 2: Latest News, Lead, & Everything We Know

The Golden Bachelor has been renewed for season 2 after the tremendous ratings success of The Golden Bachelor season 1. The Golden Bachelor season 1 starred Gerry, a 72-year-old retired restaurateur from Hudson, Indiana, looking for the second great love of his life. His wife, Toni, passed away suddenly from a bacterial infection six years before his season, after 43 wonderful years together. Gerry had 22 women over the age of 60 from whom to choose, and he picked Theresa Nist, a 70-year-old financial services professional from Shrewsbury, New Jersey.

Shortly after The Golden Bachelor season 1 finale, Gerry and Theresa got married in a live, televised event called the Golden Wedding. However, they announced their divorce just three months later. A year after The Golden Bachelor premiered, one of Gerry's contestants, Joan Vassos, starred in the first-ever Golden Bachelorette season. She got engaged to Chock Chapple, and they're still happy together. Now, ABC has announced the newest star of The Golden Bachelor.

The Golden Bachelor Season 2 Latest News

ABC Announced The Show's Renewal

On April 22, 2025, ABC confirmed The Golden Bachelor season 2 in a press release, although an official premiere date hasn't been announced yet. However, because Bachelor in Paradise season 10 is airing in summer 2025, it's likely that The Golden Bachelor season 2 won't debut until fall 2025.

The Golden Bachelor Season 2 Lead

Retired Professional Football Player & Lawyer Mel Owens Is The Next Golden Bachelor

In an April 2025 Instagram post, The Golden Bachelor announced that the next lead of the show will be Mel Owens, a retired professional football player who later became a lawyer. The post included a photograph of Mel with the caption, "He’s 66 and single — for now. Meet Mel Owens, a former NFL player-turned-lawyer, proud father, and your next Golden Bachelor."

The ABC press release revealed even more information about Mel. He was born and raised in a close-knit Midwestern family in Detroit. Mel graduated from the University of Michigan, and he was selected as the ninth overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft by the LA Rams.

After he retired from football, Mel became a lawyer and moved to Orange County, California. He focused his law practice on those seeking justice for sports-related injuries. During that time, Mel met his first love, and they had two sons together. Life later took an "unexpected turn" for Mel when he lost his father and his marriage ended, so he "channeled his energy into being the best father he could be, focusing on raising his sons and coaching their extracurricular sports teams."

Now, Mel is "ready to rediscover a love rooted in the simple joys of companionship – sharing life’s everyday moments, making plans for the future, and growing stronger together as a couple. As the Golden Bachelor, he’s eager to meet someone who shares this vision and finally find that perfect teammate he’s been waiting for in his golden years."

The Golden Bachelor season 2 is certain to be thrilling, especially because the show has a brand-new lead who's not from The Golden Bachelorette season 1. The Golden franchise has been such a hit because the people have relatable stories that come from their many years of experience. The shows have romance, charm, and humor, and are full of inspiration, hope, and love. The Golden Bachelor season 2 starring Mel Owens is sure to carry on that legacy.