Bachelor Nation was shocked and angry when incoming Golden Bachelor Mel Owens went viral for a podcast interview in which the 66-year-old said he would eliminate anyone from the show who was 60 or older. All of a sudden the traditionally heartwarming series was marred in controversy before it even hit the 2025 TV schedule. The former NFL player has now spoken out and revealed that he actually got roasted by the women for his comments.
When Mel Owens went on the In the Trenches podcast in June, filming hadn’t yet begun on The Golden Bachelor Season 2, which means the cast — which features only one woman under 60 years old — was aware of the comments before meeting their suitor in person. He therefore had to address that right off the bat upon entering Bachelor Mansion. As Owens told Glamour:
