The Golden Bachelorette: 8 Signs Mark Anderson Isn't Over His Late Wife Denise

The Golden Bachelorette contestant Mark Anderson was a fan favorite to win Joan Vassos' heart, but there are signs that he's not over his late wife, Denise Anderson. 58-year-old Mark isn't just any contestant, he's practically Bachelor Nation royalty. The retired Army veteran made his television debut during an entirely different franchise show. Fans first laid eyes on Mark during The Bachelor season 28, when his daughter, Kelsey Anderson, brought her now-fiance, Joey Graziadei, home to meet her family. At that moment, a star was born, and Bachelor Nation fans have been clamoring for more of the single father of five ever since.

There was speculation Mark could replace Gerry Turner as The Golden Bachelor, which may still happen, but in the meantime, he was chosen to join the cast of The Golden Bachelorette season 1. Mark competed against 23 other single older men, many of whom were also widowers, but he couldn't make it work with Joan. During the most recent episode of the unscripted dating show, Joan shocked audiences by eliminating Mark before her hometown dates. It's especially disappointing because Mark was so excited about showing Joan around his hometown, but, alas, it wasn't meant to be.

8Mark Talks About His Late Wife Often

He Hasn't Let Go

Long before appearing on The Bachelor season 28, Mark was a widowed father of five living in Leesville, Louisiana. Mark is no stranger to true love. He was married to his late wife, Denise, for 18 years, until she died of cancer in 2018. Like Mark, Denise was an Army veteran, and the two met while they were both living in Germany on military duty. According to Kelsey, her mother passed away just two months after receiving her diagnosis and left behind a devastated family.

During his appearance on The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Mark talked about his late wife constantly. During his limited one-on-one time with Joan, it was the only thing he could talk about, leaving huge gaps of awkward silence between them. It got so bad that Joan ended up surprising everyone and sending Mark home early. As a widower herself, Joan knows what it means to struggle to move on after losing a spouse.

7Mark Hasn't Dated Much Since His Late Wife's Death

He's Still Not Ready

The first time Mark met Joan on night one of The Golden Bachelorette season 1 was brimming over with promise. A glamorously dressed Joan stood outside The Bachelor mansion, as fleets of limousines delivered single men to her front door. When one limousine door opened, it was Kelsey who stepped out first. Joan recognized Kelsey and was delighted when Mark stepped out of the limo right behind his daughter. Kelsey introduced Joan to her father, and hopes were high he'd swoop in and steal Joan's heart.

Mark and Joan didn't connect, and she was far more interested in several other contestants on The Golden Bachelor season 1, like 60-year-old Chock Chapple and 66-year-old Guy Gansert. At one point, things seemed to look up briefly when Mark took Joan aside for an impromptu German language lesson that ended with a romantic kiss, but the moment didn't last.

6Mark Is Focused On His Children

Making Up For Lost Time

While Mark's five children were growing up, he was away working a lot, so his late wife did most of the day-to-day parenting. Mark's daughter, Kelsey, talked about her childhood during a date with Joey on The Bachelor 28. She talked about how she wasn't close to her dad growing up, but they got much closer after her mother died. After losing his wife, Mark understood his children needed him more than ever, and he made sure he was there for them. Kelsey is protective of her father and leans on him for his wisdom and his quiet strength. Though his kids are adults now, Mark probably still feels like he needs to be focused on his relationship with them.

5Mark & Joan Trauma Bonded

They Had Only One Thing To Talk About

During the most recent episode of The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Mark finally received a highly coveted solo date with Joan. He was thrilled about the opportunity to finally get to know Joan better. Joan picked Mark up in a red convertible and drove them to the ocean, where they boarded a gorgeous yacht for a romantic day at sea.

When they weren't powering through excruciating moments of awkward silence, they were talking about their late spouses. The only time Mark ever connected with Joan was when they were exchanging notes from their traumatic losses. The time between them seemed more like a support group meeting than a romantic date. Feeling that something was missing, Joan broke up with Mark before the rose ceremony, in a clip posted to YouTube by Bachelor Nation.

4Mark Is Gripped By The Memories

A Lifetime Of Photographs

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and pictures are all Mark has left to remember his late wife. Mark's enduring love for his late wife was on display during The Bachelor season 28, during Joey's hometown visit with Kelsey and her family. During their first meeting, Mark gifted Joey and Kelsey a photo album filled with pictures of him and Denise through the years.

He gave them a glimpse into his love life. It was a beautiful moment that proved Mark was still in love with his late spouse. It was one of many signs that confirmed Mark wasn't ready to be on The Golden Bachelorette season 1, and he was certainly not ready to be The Golden Bachelor.

3Mark Didn't Try Hard Enough With Joan

Low Effort

Mark wasn't ready to be a contestant on The Golden Bachelorette season 1, and he made it clear by turning in a very low-energy effort during his time on the show. Other than the time he took Joan aside to teach her some German, the single father of five just didn't put himself out there enough. He was always very quiet, and he never did anything to stand out from the other men.

When it was just Mark and the boys, he was having a great time and dancing around in a full-body dolphin costume, but when Joan was around he was downright somber. It's too bad that Mark agreed to participate in The Golden Bachelorette season 1 before he was ready to start dating again because he took a spot away from someone who may have been Joan's perfect man.

2Mark Wasn't There To Date Joan

Addressing The Speculations

From the moment it was announced that would be a contestant on The Golden Bachelorette season 1, there was speculation Mark was a producer plant. The theory goes like this: the show's producers had no intention of Joan ending up with Mark, who they only cast on the show to groom Mark to be The Golden Bachelor. If this theory were true, Mark wasn't ready to be The Golden Bachelor either.

If Mark can barely date one woman, he's certainly not ready to dive into the deep end and date over 20 women simultaneously. That being said before Joan eliminated Mark, he talked about feeling as if being on the show had changed him, so he may be closer to being ready to move on from mourning his late wife.

1Mark Is Still Thinking About What He Lost

They Ran Out Of Time

Mark's one-on-one date with Joan was full of solemn moments, but the saddest moment of all was when Mark talked about losing Denise. He told Joan he and Denise had a great life together and they tried to experience as much as possible, but they ran out of time. It was a heartbreaking exchange because Mark presented it in the most simple, poignant way possible.

Though the emotional moment may have felt cathartic to Joan, it wasn't ideal for a romantic date. Hopefully, being on The Golden Bachelorette season 1 will help open Mark's mind to the possibility of opening his heart. Though Mark can never replace his beloved late wife, it's never too late for another chance at love.