The Golden Bachelorette’s Mark Anderson is a fan favorite, but there are eight good reasons why he shouldn’t be the nextThe Golden Bachelor. 58-year-old Mark is basically Bachelor Nation royalty. He made his television debut onThe Bachelorseason 28, when his daughter, Kelsey Anderson, took Joey Graziadei home for his hometown visits episode. Though the retired Army veteran wasn’t onscreen for very long, he left an impression. Fans wanted to know more about the tall widower, and there was already speculation that he could be theBachelorspin-off’s next male lead. The excitement was palpable when it was announced that he’d be competing for the heart of 61-year-old Joan Vassos onThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1. He was expected to swoop in and win Joan’s final rose with relative ease, but that’s not how things went for the widowed father of five.
The Golden Bacheloretteseason 1 opened with Joan standing outside the iconicBachelormansion, greeting a fleet of limousines carryingthe 24Golden Bachelorettesingle men, whom she would choose from. Joan and Mark seemed to share an initial spark, but it fizzled quickly. Several episodes went by without Mark getting much one-on-one time with Joan. Just when it started to look like it would never happen, Joan gave Mark a highly coveted solo date, but it didn’t go well, andshe ended up sending Mark home before her hometown dates. Since then, online speculation has run amok about Mark’s future with theBachelorfranchise. He’s a fan favorite to be the nextThe Golden Bachelor, but here are the reasons why Mark shouldn’t beThe Golden Bachelor.
8Mark Is Not Over His Late Wife
He’s Not Ready For Love
Long before appearing onThe Bachelorseason 28,Mark was a widowed father of five living a life of relative obscurityin Leesville, Louisiana. Mark is no stranger to true love. He was married to Denise Anderson for 18 years, until she was diagnosed with cancer in 2018, and passed away two months later. According to Mark, he hadn’t really dated anyone since his wife died, so agreeing to be onThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1 was a big step for him.
20 Best Reality TV Dating Shows
Reality TV dating has become a complex and nuanced part of the genre, welcoming all different types of dating shows. Here are the 20 best!
Like Mark,Denise was also an Army veteran, and Mark met her while they were both overseas serving their country. Mark’s enduring love for his late wife was on display duringThe Bachelorseason 28, when he gifted Kelsey and Joey a photo album of pictures of him and his late wife. He wanted to give them a glimpse into his love life, and it was a beautiful moment that really illustrated the fact that Mark was still deeply in love with his late spouse. He’s not ready to find love again, and therefore, he can’t beThe Golden Bachelor.
7Mark’s Personality Did Not Shine Through In The Golden Bachelorette
He Can’t Carry A Show
Mark seemed like a genuinely nice guy, but his personality just didn’t shine through when he was with Joan onThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1. He had his fun moments while hanging out with the other men, like when he danced around the pool in a dolphin costume. His fun, outgoing side didn’t come out when he was with Joan, and it may be because he was nervous. It’salso possible that he wasn’t very interested in Joan, and was therefore not bringing his A-game. Whatever the reason, aBachelorlead needs to be an outgoing extrovert, and that just isn’t Mark’s style. He’s more of the strong, silent type and would therefore be better suited to appear in a potential season ofGolden Bachelor In Paradise.
6Mark Is Too Young To Be The Golden Bachelor
The Midlife Bachelor
At 58 years old, Mark is way too young to be the nextGolden Bachelor.Think back toThe Golden Bachelorseason 1.Gerry Turner was 72 years old when the spin-off beganfilming, which was the perfect age. With Mark being in his late 50s, some of his potential bachelorettes could be as young as their late 40s. Casting middle-aged women would be a complete betrayal of a show that promised to center on the love lives of people in their golden years.
A show about a 58-year-old man dating women in their late 40s should be calledThe Midlife Bachelor, notThe Golden Bachelor.
It may seem unfair becauseMark is only a few years younger than the 61-year-old Joan, but Joan is dating older men, while Mark would likely be dating younger women. That may not be very fair, butBachelorcasting generally features men who are older than the women they date. Though nothing is stoppingThe Golden Bachelorseason 2 from upending expectations, it would be a different show.
5Mark Should Date Leslie Fhima
A Bachelor Nation Match
BachelorNation contestants sometimes end up dating contestants from other seasons, which could happen for Mark. In September,Markposted a photo of himself at a football game on Instagram, with a caption that reads, “SKOL VIKINGS!!!!” In a surprising turn of events, 65-year-old Leslie Fhima fromThe Golden Bachelorresponded to his post, writing, “Yay Vikes!!💜” Thecontact and the heart emoji were not lost onBachelorNation fans, who took to the comment section to register their approval of a potential connection between the two fan favorite contestants. As one fan wrote, “I been saying: you and @lesliefhima need a Vikings date!” Mark’s post has 5.1K likes. The photo was posted beforeMark was eliminated fromThe Golden Bachelorette. Mark and Leslie may make a good couple, as Leslie’s soft-spoken warmth could match well with Mark’s quiet strength.
4Mark Lacks Star Quality
He Just Doesn’t Have “It”
Most people aren’t cut out to be celebrities, andThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1’s Mark may be no exception. A lot has been said about Gerry Turner, but no one ever accused him of being boring. Despite the fact that he made an initial splash when he appeared onThe Bachelorseason 28, he wasn’t able to sustain it. Though Mark exudes warmth and kindness, helacks the charm and charisma necessary to be a goodBachelorNation lead.
One of the problems is that Mark doesn’t appear to be a great communicator.
If he were to beThe Golden Bachelor, he’d need to be able to open up and express himself, while getting others to open up and express themselves. The quiet and introspective Mark doesn’t appear to be able to do that. Markdoesn’t seem to enjoy being the center of attention, and he’s probably the happiest surrounded by his five children. Casting Mark asThe Golden Bachelorcould be a major mistake.
It Was All Her Doing
Being a fan favorite doesn’t mean thatMark should beThe Golden Bachelor.It’s possible that the only reason Mark’s on the show is because of his famous daughter. If not for Kelsey, theodds of Mark being cast inThe Golden Bachelorettewould be very low. Also, without that connection, he probably wouldn’t get a shot at beingThe Golden Bachelor.
Mark even had Kelsey come with him on the first night of the season, to introduce him to Joan.
Though it was an entertaining moment, itsolidified his image as a man who needs his daughter to be relevant. In retrospect, Mark should have shown up on his own, without needing to lean on Kelsey’s celebrity to make a name for himself. If Mark wants to beThe Golden Bachelor,he’s going to have to prove that he can stand on his own two feet.
Mark Has Lots Of Competition
While Mark is a fan favorite who may someday becomeThe Golden Bachelor,there are plenty of other great options from among the men Joan rejected.Several of the men ofThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1 could do a great jobas theBachelorlead. 66-year-old Charles Ling, who Joan recently eliminated, would be a great option.69-year-old salon owner Pascal Ibguirecently self-eliminated from the show, but the stylish Frenchman would make a highly entertainingBachelorlead.
Some fans are angry at Pascal for breaking Joan’s heart, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t make a goodBachelorlead.
Though Mark is a fan favorite and very likable, there are many reasons whyThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1 contestant shouldn’t be cast inThe Golden Bachelorseason 2. Choosing someone other than Mark would surely surprise and disappoint a lot of people, butBachelorfranchise producers should ignore the chatter and do what’s right for the show. They have to remember that their job isn’t to be the best matchmakers, it’s to make the most entertaining show.
1Mark May Already Be In A Relationship
Cinderella & Prince Charming
Mark was devastated when Joan sent him home fromThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1, but he wasn’t down for long. Markwas recentlyhanging out with Barbara Alyn Woods, an actress best known for her work onOne Tree Hill. With Halloween in full swing,Barbaraposted a photo on her Instagram account that got a lot of attention. In the photo,Barbara is dressed as Cinderella and Mark is dressed as Prince Charming. Fans ofThe Golden BacheloretteandOne Tree Hilllost their collective minds upon seeing the photo. The post has 4.7K likes and Barbara’s caption reads, “When Cinderella and Prince Charming have a baby…”
This was in reference to her daughter, Natalie Alyn Lind, who is also in the photo, dressed as aStar Warscharacter.
Recent episodes ofThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1 have featured ads inviting women to apply forThe Golden Bachelorseason 2, though the identity of the show’s lead remains unclear. Mark was a fan favorite, but if he had already started seeing a new woman, he might be out of the running.
58 years old
5
