New 'Golden Bachelor' Mel Owens, 66, insists he won’t date women over 60
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TV’s newest Golden Bachelor Mel Owens is under fire after making some controversial comments about only wanting to date younger women.
Some fans have called him out and demanded the show recast the NFL player-turned-lawyer before filming begins.
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New 'Golden Bachelor' Mel Owens, 66, insists he won’t date women over 60 Back to video
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Owens, 66, who was a linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams for nine seasons, was named the second-ever star of The Golden Bachelor in April.
He appeared on the In the Trenches with Jon Jansen podcast earlier this month and spoke about producers asking him what kind of women he wanted to see cast on the show.
“I just said, ‘45 to 60,’ just being honest,” Owens detailed.
“The process ended and I was selected, and then we had lunch with the executive producer,” he continued.
“I said, ‘If they’re 60 or over, I’m cutting them,’” he continued.
“[They said], ‘Oh no, you can’t. This is not The Silver Bachelor, it’s The Golden Bachelor. But they’re gonna be hot, don’t worry about it,’” they reassured him.
The divorced father of two who, let’s reiterate, is 66 years old, added that he wants the women to be in tip-top shape — in more ways than one.
Owens revealed he told producers that the bachelorettes “gotta be fit because I stay in shape, I work out and stuff.”
He also advised them to “try and stay away from the artificial hips and the wigs.”
During the interview, Owens explained the casting process, including an initial hour-long phone conversation and a series of callbacks, before host Jesse Palmer showed up at his home in Orange County, Calif. where he lives with his two sons, to give him the good news.
“He goes, ‘Hey Mel, I was just in the neighbourhood and I thought I’d stop in and say hi.’ That’s when they announced to me that I was the Golden Bachelor.”
When asked why he wanted to be the Golden Bachelor, Owens said, “I like to try new things.”
As for his ideal woman, aside from age and hair and both hips intact, Owens revealed he wants “someone who’s a lifetime learner, and enjoys to love life.”
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However, once fans got word of Owens’ requirements, many responded how “disappointed” they were in ABC for casting him and have removed the show from their watch list.
There’s even a hashtag, #boycottmelowens, that is being thrown around social media.
“Very disappointed and probably won’t watch again because of this,” one person wrote.
“Loathe loathe loathe hate entirely,” a second person added, while a third user declared to the star, “Get over yourself.”
Another called Owens “Midlife Crisis Bachelor,” while one user asked, “Have we accepted that this guy is a PR nightmare yet?”
The Golden Bachelor’s premiere date has yet to be announced.
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