‘Golden Bachelor’ Ratings Plummeting During Mel Owens’ Season: ‘He Wasn’t the Right Pick’

Loose lips sink ships? According to a report from The U.S. Sun, producers for the Golden Bachelor are reportedly embarrassed by the dismal ratings for the current season of the series, starring Mel Owens.

“He wasn’t the right pick and [producers] see that now but didn’t see it until it was too late,” a source told the outlet on Thursday, October 14.

As Star has reported, fans of the franchise will remember Owens, 66, faced major backlash when he said he’d only consider ladies between the ages of 45 and 60, and wanted to stay away from “the artificial hips and the wigs” during a pre-season appearance on In The Trenches podcast.

Though Owens later apologized, it seems the damage has been done: Per The U.S. Sun, citing Nielsen ratings, the show’s second season has seen viewership drop by more than half compared to Gerry Turner’s headline-making premiere in 2024. (Owens’ first episode brought in just 2.5 million viewers compared to Turner’s 4.4 million last year.)

According to the outlet, Owens — a former NFL linebacker and attorney — hasn’t resonated with audiences.

Behind the scenes, producers are said to be frustrated and regretful over the casting choice, with a second source telling The U.S. Sun the franchise needs “a miracle” to recover.