Retired NFL linebacker Mel Owens apologized to contestants on ABC’s new series The Golden Bachelor after drawing criticism for saying he would eliminate any woman 60 or older and asking producers to “stay away from the artificial hips and the wigs.” Owens, the show’s lead, said he sought to make amends on the show’s first night and has since tried to earn back trust from the women competing for his affection.
Owens acknowledged the remarks in interviews leading up to the show’s premiere, saying he had told casting producers his preference was women between 45 and 60. “It’s blind up until they get out of the limo. But they asked me, ‘What’s your preferences?’ So, I just said 45 to 60, just being honest,” he told a podcast in June. After meeting the cast, Owens said, he apologized to the group and to contestants individually. "I apologized when I met the women on the first night," he said. "I had been married for 25 years and all my experiences at that time were just with my wife and the friends that we had. So I hadn’t experienced anybody outside of my wife."
Owens also explained he did not realize the age range typically associated with The Golden Bachelor when he made the comments. He told Glamour that because he had not watched the franchise in years — he stopped when his son was born — he lacked context for the show’s casting history. "I didn’t know anything about The Golden Bachelor ages. I didn’t," he said. He added that his personal frame of reference for "golden years" was different, based on when he had dated earlier in life, and that his remarks were born of unfamiliarity rather than malice.
The 2025 season of The Golden Bachelor wrapped filming earlier this year. Owens declined to say whether he had found a lasting match on the show but described love as compatibility and companionship: "someone you can share your life with, someone that you have fun with, that you’re constantly laughing and learning from both ways and both directions."
Gerry Turner, who starred in the franchise’s inaugural Golden Bachelor season, publicly addressed Owens’ comments in July, saying Owens risked "cheating himself" if he excluded older women. Turner, 73, who married and later divorced Teresa Nist following his season, urged Owens to “ignore the number, deal with the person.” He defended ABC’s casting process and said producers would not intentionally present contestants to suit a shallow preference. "I think he will see the grace and the charm of women who are over 60 and the confidence they carry, and I think he’ll have a change of heart," Turner said.
Owens said the contestants were “very accomplished and sophisticated and beautiful” and predicted viewers would be "pleasantly surprised" by the season. He said most of the women accepted his apology after their initial meeting and allowed him to try to regain their trust.
ABC has scheduled the premiere of The Golden Bachelor for Sept. 24. The season follows the franchise’s earlier entries and aims to spotlight romance among older adults; Turner’s season was the series’ first to center an older lead. Turner’s personal post-show marriage ended in divorce, but he has continued to speak about the value of treating contestants with respect and listening closely during the process.
Production notes and casting details beyond Owens’ statements have not been released. ABC and the show’s producers have not publicly indicated that any contestants were removed or altered in response to Owens’ comments. Owens has characterized his change of tone as sincere and said he hopes the season will demonstrate that "there’s no age to love and there’s no age in your spirit."
The Golden Bachelor adds to a growing slate of reality series that center older contestants, and the season’s reception will likely be watched for signals about audience appetite for age-focused dating television. Owens’ remarks and subsequent apology have been part of the season’s pre-release conversation, and the series’ debut will offer the first public view of how the lead and contestants navigate those tensions on screen.