The Golden Bachelorette: 8 Signs Chock Chapple Could Be The Producer Plant, Not Mark Anderson (Is He Too Good To Be True?)

Though many fans of The Golden Bachelorette think Mark Anderson was a producer plant, there are signs that the actual plant was Chock Chapple. The female-led version of The Bachelor spin-off chronicles Joan Vassos' search for true love. 61-year-old Joan made her television debut during Gerry Turner's season of The Golden Bachelor, where she competed against 21 other women.

Just as Joan and 72-year-old Gerry started to connect, she got a call from home and had to leave early due to a family emergency. Though her appearance in Gerry's season was brief, she left quite an impression and was cast as the first lead of the female-led iteration of the unscripted dating show that focuses on the love lives of older folks. On night 1 of The Golden Bachelorette season 1, a glamorously adorned Joan stood outside the Bachelor mansion and greeted a fleet of limousines filled with the 24 men she'd be dating throughout the season.

Among them were 60-year-old Chock and 58-year-old Mark. Mark, who happened to be the father of The Bachelor season 28's Kelsey Anderson. There was rampant online speculation that Mark was a plant who was only cast on the show to groom him to lead The Golden Bachelor season 2. Upon watching the show, there were multiple signs to suggest that the real producer plant was Chock all along.

8Chock Seems Too Good To Be True

He's The Total Package

Nobody's perfect, but Chock comes pretty close. The Golden Bachelorette season 1 contestant is attractive, successful, and seems to adore Joan. When something seems too good to be true, it often is, and that's the concern when it comes to Chock. The father of two seems like a great guy, and he has doted on Joan from the moment he set foot in The Bachelor mansion.

From the moment Chock arrived at the Bachelor mansion on night one of The Golden Bachelorette season 1, it was clear he was there for Joan. While some of the other contestants seemed more interested in enjoying the lavish grounds and inviting swimming pool, Chock was focused on getting to know Joan. During their first one-on-one conversation, Joan connected with Chock on a deeper level than with the other men, and it may mean he's too good to be true.

7Chock Isn't As Close To The Other Men

Lone Wolf

One of the best things about The Golden Bachelorette season 1 is the men have connected with each other as much as they've bonded with Joan. Casts of Bachelor franchise shows tend to get along pretty well during filming, but there are always a few contestants who don't get along with the other contestants. There was a bit of a disagreement on The Bachelor season 28 when some of Joey Graziadei's contestants butted heads with 29-year-old Maria Georgas, whom Joey eliminated after hometown dates.

Even though Chock is one of Joan's favorites, he still gets along well with the other men, but he's not as close to them as they are to each other. This could be because he's there to date Joan, not to hang out with the guys. It could also be that he's not interested in hanging out with the men because he's a producer plant who was cast in The Golden Bachelorette season 1 for entertainment purposes.

6The Golden Bachelorette Suitors Are Very Close To Mark

They're Not Team Chock

Mark made his television debut during The Bachelor 28, when his daughter, Kelsey, brought her boyfriend, 28-year-old Joey Graziadei, home to meet her father. Bachelor Nation fans immediately fell in love with the widowed Army veteran, and couldn't wait for him to appear on another Bachelor franchise show. When he was announced as a contestant on The Golden Bachelorette season 1, he was expected to win Joan's heart easily.

In a clip posted to YouTube by Bachelor Nation, Joan pulled Mark aside and eliminated him before that night's rose ceremony. Joan was sad to send Mark home, but the men were devastated to say goodbye to the widowed father of five. Unlike Chock, Mark got close to the other men.

5Mark Seemed Better Suited For Joan Than Chock

They Shared So Much In Common

While Joan was initially excited to learn that Mark would be a contestant on The Golden Bachelorette season 1, the two didn't hit it off despite their shared history. Mark and Joan are both widowers who buried the loves of their lives. Joan was married to Joan Vassos for 32 years until he passed away in 2021, while Mark was married to Denise Anderson for 18 years until she died in 2018.

This shared loss connected Mark and Joan on a deeper level, but it wasn't enough. Chock also experienced the tragic loss of a loved one, losing his fiancé of nine years, Katherine Elizabeth White Goree, in 2022. Before meeting Katherine, Chock was married to Heather Chapple, with whom he had two children, for 12 years until they divorced.

4Producers Can't Risk Another Fail

Setting Themselves Up for Success

The Golden Bachelor season 1 was a huge hit with audiences. It ended with Gerry giving his final rose to 70-year-old Theresa Nist. The two were quickly married in a lavish Golden Bachelor wedding that was televised to a national audience. Though hopes were high for the love story, the senior couple announced their divorce in April, after only three months of marriage.

Producers likely cast Chock in The Golden Bachelorette season 1 to guarantee a happy love story. After the stunning failure of The Golden Bachelor, they couldn't risk the show's brand with another failed couple. Though the ethics of the strategy are questionable, casting Chock could have been seen as an insurance policy.

3Mark Is Too Young To Be The Golden Bachelor

He's Just Not Golden Enough

At 58 years of age, Mark is too young to be The Golden Bachelor. Casting him as the lead would require that producers cast women as young as 45 years of age, which is way too young. The whole point of The Bachelor spin-off was that it would focus on the love lives of senior citizens.

Casting middle-aged singles instead of senior citizens would be a huge betrayal of the show's concept, and it would rightfully anger the show's devoted following. Fans may think they want Mark to replace Gerry as The Golden Bachelor, but they likely haven't thought it through. On the other hand, producers have likely done a lot of thinking about Mark's age and the fact that it doesn't lend itself to his being cast as The Golden Bachelor.

2Chock Reminds Joan Of Her Late Husband

Producers Chose Chock For A Reason

Throughout her time on The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Joan has talked a lot about her late husband, John. John always made her feel safe and protected. She always felt like she was seen and understood by her husband, so it's understandable that Joan would look for a man who made her feel the same way. The fact that she likes Chock as much as she does is probably because he reminds her of her husband, and that's a powerful thing.

Though Joan will never replace John, she can find someone who makes her feel as safe as John made her feel. Chock is so similar to her husband, that it's possible the producers chose him for that reason, knowing that it would move Joan deeply.

1Chock Came Back

Contestants Never Get To Come Back

Joan and Chock have a lot in common, including the fact that they both exited Bachelor Nation shows because of family emergencies. Joan left The Golden Bachelor season 1 because her daughter had just given birth and desperately needed her mother. Chock left The Golden Bachelorette season 1 because his mother died after many years of battling cancer.

Similar values are important, and Joan and Chock's shared love of family is one of many reasons that Joan is drawn to Chock. His return after exiting the show could be because The Golden Bachelorette season 1 producers recognized they needed him to win Joan's final rose and her heart.