The Golden Bachelor star Mel Owens had a clear message for people who might be skeptical to watch him star on season 2 of the ABC dating show.
“The women are great, and you’re going to see that they’re great,” Owens, 66, told Us Weekly in an interview published just hours ahead of the season’s premiere on Wednesday, September 24. “They carry the show. They’re wonderful, and they’re feisty and smart, and truly, you’re going to see the passion from them. It’s a great, great show. Tune in and you’re going to see a lot of good things.”
Owens previously made headlines in June when he said on the “MGoBlue” podcast that he would prefer to date women between the ages of 45 and 60, despite the show featuring women up to 77 years old. Many fans also took issue with him telling producers that he didn’t want any of his potential love interests to have “wigs or artificial hips.”
In light of the comments, several fans said they wouldn’t watch the sophomore season. However, Owens admitted he wasn’t fully aware of how intense the backlash was, including some people demanding he be re-cast.
“I’m not really on social media, so I didn’t even know that. People are sending me screenshots and saying, ‘Oh, my God, are you still there?’” he said. “And I go, ‘I am,’ because I didn’t hear anything to the contrary. But I really didn’t give it too much thought, because that’s noise, I guess, and chatter in the background. ABC and Warner Brothers believed in me, and I’m glad they did, and it’s going to be a great season.”
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Owens was then asked what his dating preferences are now, and he said he would be “open to anything.”
“That’s what it really is,” he explained. “When I stopped dating, I was 39. Now, I’m 66 — it’s been 25 years in between. These women — they’re all accomplished, and they’re all funny and witty and smart, and we have shared experiences of the same age, which I found very refreshing.”
While he made the controversial comments before filming began, Owens shared the women on his season are “forgiving” and were willing to give him a second chance.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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