After a revamped tenth season of Bachelor in Paradise and a game-changing Bachelorette Season 22 lead reveal, the Bachelor franchise is returning to its Golden era with The Golden Bachelor‘s highly-anticipated Season 2. Despite the overwhelming success of Gerry Turner’s debut season, however, the senior spin-off may struggle to find its footing this time around as its lead, Mel Owens, sets out to make his second impression on Bachelor Nation in an unconventional two-episode premiere.
ICYMI: The 66-year-old former NFL player-turned-lawyer went on MGoBlue’s In the Trenches podcast back in June and revealed that he told Golden Bachelor producers he preferred women between ages 45 and 60. “If they’re 60 or over, I’m cutting them,” Owens said, and requested producers “Try to stay away from the artificial hips and the wigs.” Following serious backlash and calls for recasting, Owens took accountability for his “unfair, insensitive” comments in an exclusive August interview with Glamour and set out to regain trust.
So how did Owens’ 23 women react to the pre-filming controversy? Did Owens apologize? And if so, were the contestants open to forgiveness? Which woman got Mel’s first impression rose? And who went home during the Golden Bachelor Season 2 premiere’s rose ceremonies? Decider’s Golden Bachelor Season 2 premiere recap breaks down the memorable limo exits, cocktail hours, kisses, and dates of Mel Owens’ Golden Bachelor premiere.
Before Mel headed to the mansion, the Season 2 lead gave Bachelor Nation a crash course on his childhood, career, and family. Born in Detroit, Michigan, he started playing football at age seven, played for the University of Michigan in 1976, and was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams. Everything in life was great, until his COVID hit in 2020, his dad died, and his wife filed for divorce. “She found someone new. I was shocked. It’s heart-wrenching. It’s the toughest thing that I have ever gone through,” Mel explained.
Right out of the gate, Mel addressed his pre-production controversy, admitting, “I’m excited to meet the women, but I’m nervous they’re going to have misconceptions about me… I messed up. I was wrong. I replay it in my head a lot. I have regrets and I’m sorry for all the things I said on the podcast. I know what a lot of people are thinking about me, but that’s not who I am.”
Mel went on to say, “Age doesn’t matter. When I walk out, I’m not thinking age. I’m looking and feeling for connections. It’s the chemistry. I hope these women don’t judge me based on what they’ve heard, but they probably do so yeah I’m nervous. I know I messed up, and I hope they’re gonna give me a chance to redeem myself and to earn it back.” And that was far from the final time he addressed his careless words…
Mel’s 23 contestants knew he messed up, too. As a montage of women packing played, contestants responded to his infamous podcast, saying everything from “I was offended” and “Just because someone might be 50 doesn’t mean they’re more attractive than someone who is 62” to “If he’s really looking for somebody in a younger age category, what am I even doing wasting my time?”
The general consensus was that the women wanted to meet Mel to form their own opinions, but that didn’t stop them from giving him pieces of their minds. While some ladies arrived with creative pick-up lines and others brought gifts to make lasting first impressions, more than a few ladies confronted and challenged Mel’s misunderstandings of women over age 60. And thank god for that!
Standout limo exists of the night? Carol, Dodgers player Freddie Freeman’s aunt, caught Mel’s eye with her interest in baseball. Diane, an angelic firecracker/hockey player, asked, “What the puck was that interview?! Peg, the retired bomb technician, was The Bomb. Cheryl promised Mel a “wild ride” when she rode up on her bike. The Golden Bachelor‘s Sandra introduced her twin, Andra. (Yes, really!) And the delightful Gerri, well, you’ll hear about her in a sec…
Before Golden Hour commenced, Mel made a toast to his Golden Group, explaining, “Every one of you ladies is wonderful, and some of the questions were about the podcast that I did, and I sincerely apologize. It was insensitive. It was unfair. And I seriously thought to myself, ‘What the puck was I thinking?’ It’s truly a privilege for me to be the Golden Bachelor. And I hope you forgive me and let me earn it back. Age is just really a number. And spirit has no age it really doesn’t. Let’s raise a glass to love, happiness, and fun.”
After chatting until the sun literally came up, Mel grabbed his first impression rose and pulled Gerri Flowers, a 64-year-old Home Care Agency CEO, aside. Cheryl may have gotten Mel’s first on-screen kiss, but Gerri got his first stem. She won our hearts with her graceful limo exit, a sweet note from her daughter, and her giving spirt. Want to know more? We’ve got the full breakdown on Gerri’s bio and first night with Mel in our First Impression Rose explainer.
With 16 roses remaining, Mel hosted his first rose ceremony of the season and sent several Golden Gals home, including Sandra’s twin! Rude! Peg, Carla, Terri, Cheryl, Nicolle, Cindy, Amy, Alexandra, Monica P, Mylene, Carol, Roxanne, Monica B, Robin, Diane, and Debbie moved on to Week 2, which featured a romantic one-on-one and the first group date of the season.
First to spend quality alone time with Mel? Cheryl, the 66-year-old motorcycle rider from Englewood, Colorado. She got all dressed up for a night by the water, where she and Mel opened up about their lives. Cheryl revealed she cares for her 93-year-old mother and her son’s father left them when he was born, and after getting vulnerable, the two danced and kissed under a fireworks show.
Did Cheryl Get The Rose? You bet! Cheryl called the night “a fairytale.”
Next up? A group date at LA Memorial Colosseum, original home of the LA Rams, where the one and only Paula Abdul graced The Golden Bachelor with her presence to help judge a cheer competition. The women split into two squads, and the winners spent more with Mel. Though he used the night to catch up with several ladies, he really enjoyed his time with Cindy, a 60-year-old retired biomedical engineer from Austin. He showed her a video from her daughter, and the two packed on the PDA by the bleachers.
Who Got Mel’s First Group Date Rose? Yep, you guessed it! Cindy snagged the stem.
After The Golden Bachelor Season 2’s first official pool party and a group dance party, Mel got back down to business for his second rose ceremony of the episode. This time, he sent four women packing, including Alexandra, Carla, Mylene, and MY QUEEN DIANE. (UGH! NO! We love you, D! You deserve the world!)
Next week, Mel continues his journey with Roxanne, Debbie, Gerri, Monica P, Monica B, Carol, Peg, Nicolle, Robin, Amy, and Terri. Are you tuning in to see what romance, drama, tears, and fireworks await! Or were you unimpressed by Week 1 and Mel’s second impression on Bachelor Nation?
New episodes of The Golden Bachelor Season 2 premiere Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC with next-day streaming on Hulu.