Anyone watching The Golden Bachelorette knows that the franchise has been hit with criticism due to certain casting choices and the difficult-to-watch finale of Jenn Tran’s season of The Bachelorette. Now, Bachelor Nation is worried about how a contestant in Joan Vassos’ season, Mark Anderson, is portrayed, possibly setting him up as the next Golden Bachelor.
For those who don’t know, Mark is the father of Kelsey Anderson, who accepted Joey Graziadei’s proposal at the end of his Bachelor season. During hometowns, he quickly went viral as “Kelsey’s hot dad,” with some fans suggesting he should be the next Golden Bachelor. At the time, Kelsey took to TikTok to ask her dad if he “was going the be the next Golden Bachelor,” to which the 57-year-old responded, “No! I’m too young.”
The casting department clearly took note of all the fanfare he received after hometowns, and he is now competing for Vasso’s heart on The Golden Bachelorette. Still, some fans aren’t sure he is there for the right reasons. Some suggest that like the first Golden Bachelor, Gerry Turner, fame might be a factor. Others note that his performance on the show seems to be caged, as if he were not letting Vassos see his vulnerable side (or any side of him) in order to get booted off the show.
Mark’s age also doesn’t match the typical “Golden” expectations. At 57, he’s not even AARP-eligible, which doesn’t exactly fit into the “golden” era to a lot of viewers. This has some of Bachelor Nation wondering if Mark is in it for all the wrong reasons, potentially messing with Vassos’ shot at love just to line up his next big TV moment. Fans worry that focusing on his growing social media clout could get in the way of making real connections not just with Vassos, but on his own potential season of The Golden Bachelor.
Before you go, click here to see the most dramatic splits in Bachelor and Bachelorette history.
