Mel Owens claims to have a new lease on dating and relationships. The new lead of The Golden Bachelor angered Bachelor Nation with his “insensitive” comments on only dating women between the ages of 45 and 60, which defeats the purpose of the spinoff series, which is to feature goldens finding love.
Opening His Heart
In an interview with Glamour, Owens talked about his journey on The Golden Bachelor. He wasn’t afraid to “jump right in” with both feet. He’s still running on the high of exploring his journey to love. But Bachelor Nation fans are wary about watching Owens’ journey unfold in September.
In June, during his conversation on the In the Trenches podcast, Owens made some demands. He shared that he wouldn’t date anyone over 60. Owens preferred to date women between the ages of 45 and 60. In his interview with Glamour, Owens said that one of his female friends ripped him a new one following that interview.
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“She said, ‘What you said was insensitive, and it’s not just who you are.’ My reference of dating was 39, 40 years old. I hadn’t dated in 26, 27 years. That’s what I told her,” Owens explained. “She goes, ‘It doesn’t matter. You’ve said some things that are just incredibly wrong. And I go, ‘I’ve got to apologize.'”
Learning His Lesson
Owens admitted that he’s been taking all this feedback from his 65-year-old friend. As for the online backlash, he’s avoided it. His friends have sent him TikTok videos since Owens is only plugged into “ESPN and whatever’s on Apple News.”
As for why he joined the show, Owens admitted he didn’t understand The Golden Bachelor franchise, especially when it comes to the ages. He only watched Grant Ellis’s season of The Bachelor to get an idea of what to expect.
Owens was also questioned about his comments about “staying away from artificial hips and wigs.” He joked that he has “two artificial hips.” Despite the jokes, Owens understands that knee replacement can help improve one’s quality of life. He also shared that it doesn’t matter if someone underwent hip or knee replacement surgery.
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New Lease On Love
Elsewhere in the interview, Owens shared that he has a new perspective. He was “shocked” by the women who were vying for his attention. He couldn’t be how “active” and “brilliant” they were. Once again, he was questioned about what he meant.
“And I’m at the court, and there are tons of lawyers there, of course, but the things they do, like one was a bomb squad person, and there are a couple dentists, a doctor, a motocross racer, a flight attendant for 40 years,” Owens explained. “You have all these varied professions. And they’re not 40. They’re 60, 65, maybe 70. And they go, ‘Oh, I’m still working. I’m still riding. I have my practice,'” he added.
The Golden Bachelor is currently in production and will premiere on Wednesday, September 24. What are your thoughts on Owens’ new perspective on dating? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
