Mel Owens is expected to star in the next season of The Golden Bachelor, but some fans of the show aren’t looking forward to it after hearing more about the former football player’s dating preferences. Although Mel is 66, he’s made it clear he has no interest in dating a woman his own age. To make matters worse, he’ll only consider women who are at least six years younger than he is. Yikes.
During an appearance on the In the Trenches With Jon Jansen podcast, Mel made it clear that he’s looking for an age gap relationship. While not on the Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson level, Mel described his type as “45 to 60” years old.
The producers for the second season of the show seemed to warn him that this preference might be an issue given that the show is called The Golden Bachelor, not The Silver Bachelor, and Mel is, once again, 66 years old. “We had lunch with the executive producer,” Mel said on the podcast. “I said, ‘If they’re 60 or over, I’m cutting them.’ [They said], ‘Oh no, you can’t. This is not The Silver Bachelor, it’s The Golden Bachelor.'”
The producer reportedly assured Mel that he has nothing to worry about because the women are “gonna be hot.” However, Mel’s requirements don’t end there. He also expects his future partner to “be fit,” a preference that he has because he likes to “stay in shape and work out and stuff.”
He added that he “told them to try to stay away from the artificial hips and the wigs.” Understandably, many fans of the reality show found the former football player’s comments disgusting. Some even suggested that producers need to “get a new guy.”
Mel Owens, 66, ABC’s new Golden Bachelor, sounds like a real winner. He told producers to only cast women who are “45 to 60” years old, adding “if they’re 60 or over, I’m cutting them”. He also said “I told them to stay away from the artificial hips and the wigs”. pic.twitter.com/DQs7N6ZjXX
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) June 27, 2025
After all, he seems to be missing the whole point of The Golden Bachelor. “Fire him,” one critic wrote on Reddit. “Get someone else. He’s missing the point of the show. Also he is 66??”
Another person added that Mel was “a bad choice” for the show because he seems “so offensive and disrespectful.”
“They have to recast — this is an insult to women,” a third critic said. “I would definitely never watch another show from this franchise if he isn’t immediately removed.”
Someone else called Mel’s comments “gross,” writing, “I am 47 and no way in hell am I dating a 66 year old, he is out of his d— mind.”
