When ABC announced Mel Owens, a former NFL star turned lawyer, as the new face of The Golden Bachelor season 2, fans were excited but curious. Owens arrived without a built-in fanbase or a deep connection to the franchise, putting him at a clear disadvantage from the outset. Then came the controversy. In June 2025, Owens did a podcast interview where he made controversial remarks about the ages and appearances of potential love interests, sparking backlash and rumors that ABC might be recasting the show’s lead altogether.
However, the rumors of him being recast turned out to be false. Owens is still very much the leading man, and as of Aug. 1, he’s already a couple of weeks into filming the second season. Now, with production well underway and the premiere just around the corner, Owens is finally breaking his silence. In a new interview with Glamour, he addresses the swirling recast rumors head-on, reflects on the backlash, and opens up about if he’s changed since production started.
When asked by Glamour if he knew about the rumors that he was being replaced as The Golden Bachelor, Owens tells the magazine that he found out through a friend he went to school with. He says he didn’t believe the rumors about being replaced, even when his friend told him about them. When people asked if he was getting replaced, his reaction was basically, “Not that I know of.” Owens shares that he wasn’t panicking or obsessively checking online to find out what was going on.
Glamour then goes on to ask Owens whether he would have been upset if the rumors had turned out to be true. Owens admits that losing the opportunity would have been disappointing. He calls the experience a great one, and makes it clear that he’s determined to prove himself. How exactly? Owens says he plans to earn back the trust of Bachelor Nation just by being himself and “being fair and apologetic and honest.”
Has he changed as a person since filming began? Well, Owens doesn’t quite have all the answers yet. However, he tells Glamour that while he’s currently deeply involved in filming The Golden Bachelor season 2, he already senses that this experience is going to have a big, lasting effect on him personally. He recalls telling a producer on the show that he’s looking forward to sharing with his friends the ways this experience has transformed him, though he’s not exactly sure yet how.
“I think once I reemerge…because right now, I’m in it. I was telling one of the producers, ‘I just can’t wait to tell my friends what impact this had on me. I know it’s going to be huge.’ In what ways? I don’t know yet. I just know from my experience because I’ve done some interesting things, and I know those impact me, and this is going to impact me in a huge way.”
So, it looks like Owens has recognized his faults. However, it’ll be interesting to see if people still embrace him and give him a chance to prove himself once the season airs. The real test will be whether Bachelor Nation is ready to forgive and support his journey toward growth and redemption.
The Golden Bachelor season 2 is set to air on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC. If you miss a new episode when it airs, it drops on Hulu the next day.
