The Golden Bachelorette's Mark Anderson Found Love Off The Show (Signs His Life's Better Away From The Franchise)

Since his time on The Golden Bachelorette came to an end, Mark Anderson has been living his best life. Despite getting his heart broken by the lead, Joan Vassos, he seems to have found love quickly, moving on to a new woman he seems incredibly happy with. After the tragic loss of his wife and a tough journey on the reality series, viewers are excited to see Mark bouncing back.

Mark first appeared on TV when his daughter, Kelsey Anderson, and her now-fiancé, Joey Graziadei, visited Louisiana for Kelsey's hometown date. The widower quickly won over viewers, which led to his appearance on the first season of The Golden Bachelorette. Sadly, Joan let him go before hometown dates. Fans speculated that he may be the next lead on The Golden Bachelor following his departure, but with his new romance, it looks like he didn't need the show to find love.

Mark Found Love Organically

There's Less Pressure Offscreen

While Mark was initially disappointed by his early exit from The Golden Bachelorette, he moved on and found love in the real world. During Halloween, television actress, Barbara Alyn Woods shared an Instagram photo that sparked relationship rumors, which was followed by her spending Christmas with Anderson's family. Joey even confirmed their romance, referring to her as Mark's "girlfriend" while talking to Bachelor Happy Hour hosts Serena Pitt and Joe Amabile.

Though Joan and her final pick, Chock Chapple, are still together, the same cannot be said for a majority of reality TV couples. The Bachelor franchise doesn't exactly have a great track record, with many of the engagements on the show ending soon after. Mark was able to find love in a more natural way off-screen, which could lead to longevity for him and Barbara.

Mark Is Too Sensitive To Be The Golden Bachelor

He Wears His Heart On His Sleeve

Once Joan let Mark go before hometown dates, Bachelor Nation speculated he may be the next lead on The Golden Bachelor. Since he was a fan favorite even before he went on the show, a lot of viewers were rooting for him to appear once again, desperately wanting him to find love. But, even if he wasn't in a new relationship, he still wouldn't be a great fit for The Golden Bachelor.

Mark was married to his late wife, Denise, for 18 years before she tragically passed away from cancer. On The Golden Bachelorette, Mark frequently spoke about his late wife, and during his brief one-on-one time with Joan, his grief became overwhelming. This sensitivity is understandable, but as the lead for the series, he likely wouldn't be able to handle the intense emotions that come with it--especially when it pertains to his grief.

Mark May Have Found His True Love

This Could Be The Real Thing

While watching The Golden Bachelorette, it wasn't hard to tell how much Mark loves his late wife. Denise was diagnosed with breast cancer, and according to Kelsey, her mother died only two months after finding out she was sick in 2018. Before going on the show, Mark had not dated at all since his wife's passing, proving how much he loves and misses her.

Because of how strong of a connection Mark still has with Denise, it would take someone special to occupy his heart once again. Joan couldn't do that on The Golden Bachelorette, but now that he's found love with Barbara, it seems to be the real thing. For Mark to finally move on and even introduce his girlfriend to his kids, it must be a strong connection, and it may just be his forever match.