After The Golden Bachelor’s Mel Owens made waves with remarks about his ideal dating age range, the franchise’s host Jesse Palmer shared his reaction to the controversial comments.
There’s at least one member of Bachelor Nation who’s eager to steal Mel Owens for a sec.
After the incoming Golden Bachelor lead’s comments about his precise dating preferences sparked polarized reactions from fans, franchise host Jesse Palmer confirmed he was aware of the controversial remarks.
“I’ve seen the headlines, obviously, because I’m on social media,” Jesse told Us Weekly in an interview published July 3. “We haven’t started filming Golden yet, so I haven’t spent a ton of time with Mel.”
While the 46-year-old said that Mel, 66, “seems like a good guy” based on their limited interactions thus far, he hinted that he wouldn’t shy away from discussing the matter once cameras start rolling.
“I know I’m gonna get to spend a lot more time with him pretty soon,” Jesse continued. “I’m sure that’s something we’re going to talk about.”
Last month, Mel revealed he’s looking to court women within a certain age range on the upcoming season of the reality series, admitting he told producers they should be between “45 to 60, just being honest.”
“‘If they’re 60 or over, I’m cutting them,’” he recalled telling a producer on the June 4 episode of MGoBlue Podcasts With Jon Jansen. “‘This is not The Silver Bachelor, this is The Golden Bachelor.’”
The retired NFL linebacker was also direct about his physical preference, stating that his prospective flames have “got to be fit.”
“Because I stay in shape and work out and stuff,” he reasoned, adding that he advised the show’s casting team to “try to stay away from the artificial hips and the wigs.”
Shortly thereafter, some fans shared their displeasure with Mel’s statements on social media, including Chrishell Stause, who pointed out the senior-skewing spinoff’s distinct charm.
“We love the Golden Bachelor because of how wholesome it is,” the Selling Sunset star said in an Instagram Stories post June 26. “This type of energy will ruin it.”
To see how some of Bachelor Nation’s most prominent couples have fared since their time in the franchise, read on.
Grant Ellis & Juliana Pasquarosa
Grant Ellis may have met 25 potential love interests on his first night in the Bachelor mansion, but in the end, it was Juliana Pasquarosa who scored his final rose. However, the couple decided to call it quits less than three months after their propsal aired.
“This is one of the harder things I’ve had to write, but I want to share it honestly. Juliana and I have decided to end our relationship,” Grant wrote on his Instagram Story June 13. “We both gave this our best and poured a lot of love into each other, but after a lot of deep conversations, we’ve come to the understanding that we’re simply not the right fit long term.”
Joan Vassos & Chock Chapple
After appearing on the first-ever season of The Golden Bachelor and leaving Gerry Turner’s season early, Joan Vassos handed out the roses on the debut season of The Golden Bachelorette. It was there that she met and got engaged to contestant Chock Chapple.
“We are living proof that no matter what life throws at you that there is still hope, even at our age,” Joan said on The Golden Bachelorette’s November 2024 finale before Chock proposed in Bora Bora. “I waited ’til this moment in this amazing location to tell you that I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to wake up next to you in the morning, and I want to kiss you when I go to bed at night.”
Jenn Tran & Devin Strader
During the season 21 finale of The Bachelorette, it looked like The Bachelor alum Jenn Tran was finally getting her happy ending with her final pick Devin Strader. But Jenn revealed on After the Final Rose back in September 2024 that Devin gave her the cold shoulder as soon as the cameras stopped rolling.
“He was making bold proclamations of love and then suddenly the next day he was like, nothing and he denied ever being in love,” Jenn told host Jesse Palmer during the Sept. 3 episode. “All the promises he had made to me, all of the love that he had wanted to give to me wasn’t there anymore.”
Drama continued to play out when Devin shared a 13-minute video recounting his side of the story to Instagram, where in addition to taking “accountability” he shared insight into why he ended the relationship in a 15-minute phone call.
While Jenn alleged he dumped her during the call in August, he claimed that Jenn demanded to know what was wrong as he tried to find a way to break the news in person.
“I didn’t really know what else to do,” he explained, noting he had been waiting to tell her in person. “She kind of forced my hand.”
