"The Golden Bachelor" is poised to make a triumphant return to both ABC and Hulu, with a refreshing new leading gentleman at its helm: Mel Owens, a seasoned NFL veteran-turned-distinguished lawyer. Following the inaugural season that shattered ratings records for the entire franchise, ABC has granted "The Golden Bachelor" a green light for a second season, slated to debut in the highly anticipated 2025-26 broadcast season. This exciting announcement was unveiled by ABC on Tuesday, during Hulu's unscripted showcase in the glamorous city of Los Angeles, though an exact premiere date remains under wraps.
Owens, a 66-year-old native of Detroit, has been crowned as the series' second-ever "Golden Bachelor." After graduating with honors from the University of Michigan, Owens was drafted ninth overall by the LA Rams in the 1981 NFL Draft. Post-retirement from his football glory days, he pivoted to a new chapter as a lawyer in Orange County, California, where he championed cases for individuals seeking justice for sports-related injuries. During his tenure in Orange County, Owens found love once more, welcoming two sons into his life with his partner. When his marriage unfortunately came to an end, he devoted himself to nurturing his boys and coaching their extracurricular sports teams with unwavering dedication. According to ABC, Owens is now embarking on a journey to rekindle a love grounded in the pure, unadulterated joys of companionship, seeking a soulmate who shares his vision for a blissful golden era together.
This announcement arrives more than a year and a half after "The Golden Bachelor" premiered its groundbreaking inaugural season in September 2023, led by the charismatic Gerry Turner. Turner's journey culminated in an engagement to Theresa Nist on the show and a televised "Golden Wedding," though their fairy tale ultimately ended in divorce. In its first 35 days, "The Golden Bachelor" garnered an average audience of 10.4 million across ABC, Hulu, and various other platforms, solidifying its position as the most-watched season of an ABC unscripted series since "The Bachelor's" 2019-2020 run.
The following autumn, ABC introduced "The Golden Bachelorette," spearheaded by Joan Vassos, who had previously dated Turner on "The Golden Bachelor." With Vassos being chosen from among the contestants on "The Golden Bachelor," the casting of Owens marks a departure from the traditional "Bachelor" casting protocol, which would typically see a male contestant from Vassos' season leading "The Golden Bachelor" Season 2. Despite this deviation, the "Bachelor" franchise continues to engage its "Golden" cast members, with notable alumni such as Gary Levingston from "The Golden Bachelorette" and Leslie Fhima from "The Golden Bachelor" set to appear in the upcoming season of "Bachelor in Paradise" this summer, a season that promises a mesmerizing blend of both "Bachelor" and "Golden Bachelor" cast members.
Behind the scenes, the "Bachelor" franchise has undergone some significant shifts, with showrunners Claire Freeland and Bennett Graebner stepping down amid allegations of fostering a toxic work environment. "The Golden Bachelor" is produced by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in collaboration with Warner Horizon. For those eager to relive the magic, Season 1 of "The Golden Bachelor" is currently streaming on Hulu, with Season 2 set to captivate audiences on ABC and Hulu during the 2025-26 TV season.
