Insider Says a ‘Golden Bachelor’ Replacement Is Already Set After Mel Owens’ Controversial Comments

Mel Owens’ reality TV career is likely over before it even started. The man tapped by ABC to lead season 2 of The Golden Bachelor came under fire last week after he appeared on a University of Michigan podcast to make ageist and misogynistic comments. Fans were aghast at his remarks, and it looks like ABC listened. Reports indicate Owens has been fired and that an announcement is imminent. The season, however, is not canceled.

Mel Owens reveals his desire to date much younger women

Mel Owens clearly didn’t receive the media training he should have. In a June 4 appearance on In the Trenches with Jim Jensen, Owens quickly and systematically made himself a Bachelor Nation villain when he opened up about the process executives go through to pick potential contestants.

The Michigan Football-focused podcast welcomed the would-be reality star because he once played for the college. Still, he focused much of his chat on his upcoming reality TV appearance, and it was there that he made a potentially fatal misstep. During the chat, Owens revealed that he told producers that he wanted to see women aged 45-60 and that he would be “cutting” any woman over 60 years old. He went on to claim he isn’t interested in “artificial hips and wigs.” Owens, who is 66 himself, was quickly lambasted by fans of the franchise for being ageist and misogynistic. Owens’ much-younger ex-wife hasn’t commented.

ABC reportedly canned the former NFL linebacker

Mel Owens seemed good on paper as a dating competition lead at first, but ABC is quickly learning that a bit more vetting should go into picking the men and women who appear in their now-infamous dating competitions. The network has dealt with a slew of contestant drama in recent years, and it seems they are just going to start throwing in the towel at the first sign of a problem.

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Reality Steve, the content creator known for his Bachelor Nation spoilers, has revealed that ABC moved swiftly to release Mel Owens from The Golden Bachelor. Steve Carbone, the creator behind the spoilers, took to X (formerly Twitter) to claim the network “cut” Owens shortly after fan outrage hit the internet. Carbone insists it doesn’t mean it’s a wrap on the second season of the now-beloved series. He said ABC has already replaced the former linebacker and is planning to announce the swap shortly.

While Owens appeared handsome and well-rounded when the network first introduced him as the next golden bachelor, we have to admit we were still a bit disappointed. We were hoping to see a former contestant from Joan Vassos’ season of The Golden Bachelorette take on the lead role, as is traditional. The network’s decision to stray from the tradition didn’t make a ton of sense in the first place, but the scandal makes it seem like an even bigger misstep. We are hopeful that the rumored replacement will resolve that issue. Several past golden contestants will appear on Bachelor in Paradise, but there are still plenty to choose from.