This week, audiences will meet Mel Owens, our Season 2 Golden Bachelor. Wildly, this man is already coming in hot, complete with his first controversy well before Episode 1 even drops.
However, the first season of this spin-off series also had its fair share of fires. In Season 1, the Golden Bachelor reportedly lied about his status before filming. Then, his marriage to his chosen short-term bride failed to last longer than a handful of months, thanks to another reported lie involving their chosen home base. So, cheers?
Regardless, when Season 2 debuts, Mel will be bringing us a scandal of a different nature. Unlike the first guy, though, his errors are reportedly corrected by the end of the first episode. So, when does The Golden Bachelor Season 2 start, and what do we already know about Mel and his controversial statements ahead of filming? Here’s the tea.
When does The Golden Bachelor Season 2 start in 2025?
Are you ready to watch Mel, a Michigan native, search for his second act as our newest Golden Bachelor? Having finalized his divorce from his first wife in 2020, we can bet that Mel likely is. But will Mel find his one in a million sea of 23 hopeful contestants? Only time will tell.
As for when we can expect to watch this new chapter unfold, this answer is soon. Season 2 of The Golden Bachelor premieres this Wednesday, September 24, on ABC at 8 p.m. ET. Luckily, this first episode is two hours long. And in this extended showing, viewers can expect to see an introduction of our new Golden guy, dramatic limousine arrivals, several quirky talking heads, and even the first group date.
Following this extended introduction, all remaining episodes will air every Wednesday night until the close of this season. However, following Episode 1, the start time moves to its regular time slot of 9 p.m. ET.
But what about the viewers with conflicting calendars? Is The Golden Bachelor streaming anywhere? Yes, it is! Every Thursday, each new episode of Season 2 will be available to stream on Hulu.
Who is the Golden Bachelor, Mel Owens?
Mel is a 66-year-old NFL player turned lawyer. Born and raised in Michigan, his career took him from the fields of the Los Angeles Rams to the courtrooms in Orange County, where he still works as a sports lawyer with an emphasis on workers’ compensation. Mel is actually a founding partner at his firm, NBO Law, so zero sugar mommas need apply.
From 2002 to 2020, Mel was married to Fabiana Pimentel. He and his ex-wife have two sons, Lucas, 20, and Andre, 18. But now, Mel is looking to find love that is “rooted in the simple joys of companionship.”
Not hurting matters, according to host Jesse Palmer, “Mel is obviously super handsome,” “very charming,” “very intelligent,” and also, “very successful.” He also has a compelling story to share, Jesse shared. So, Jesse hopes this former football player finds love by the end of this new season.
What Mel is not, however, is a fan of this franchise. Instead, a friend of his urged him to apply for The Golden Bachelor Season 2. Mel followed their advice, and the rest is history. Starting tomorrow, he is the new lead of this series.
What else do we know about The Golden Bachelor Season 2?
On paper, Mel comes across great. But when this man opened his mouth to speak ahead of Season 2, he found himself in the hot seat, and fast. Ageism, or any biases, will do that, really.
To explain, on a podcast, Mel shared, “They ask me, ‘What’s your preference?’ So I just said 45 to 60. And then we had lunch with the executive producer. I said, ‘You know, if they’re 60 or over, I’m cutting them.’”
Apart from their age, Mel also stressed that his pick needed “to be fit, because I’m staying in shape and working out and stuff. And I told them, ‘Try to stay away from the artificial hips and the wigs, you know, that kind of stuff, right?’” Right away, listeners of this podcast started calling Mel out. He was trying to take the Golden out of this series, they said.
After cries for a new lead sounded, Mel confessed that he “didn’t know” how offensive his comments would be. “I didn’t know the age range [for Golden Bachelor] because I wasn’t watching it. I’m thinking, to me, the age range was 45 to 60,” Mel said.
Unfortunately for Mel, his future picks have already heard his statements ahead of filming. So, when Episode 1 lands, we will all watch Mel beg these women for grace. As teased, he will admit that his statements were “unfair [and] insensitive.” He will also have to ask these women for a chance to earn back their trust as The Golden Bachelor Season 2 progresses.
The Golden Bachelor is streaming on Hulu.
TELL US – ARE YOU TUNING IN TO THE GOLDEN BACHELOR SEASON 2? IF SO, WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO SEE?
