It’s still very early in Joan Vassos’ Golden Bachelorette season, but not too early to start theorizing about who will be the next Golden lead.
After all, only one suitor can be Joan’s final rose recipient. As Joan recently told Bustle, “All the Golden Bachelor women were all texting me, like, ‘We want your leftovers.’ They were big hits, these guys.”
As franchise tradition goes, one of Joan’s men might go on to lead the next season of The Golden Bachelor. There’s speculation that man might be Mark Anderson, the 57-year-old veteran from New Orleans and dad to Bachelor winner Kelsey Anderson.
A Fan-Favorite Pick
Even before Joan’s season premiered, fans predicted that Mark might become the next Golden Bachelor. “I’m sure they are going to ask Mark Anderson if he doesn’t win Joan’s season because everyone loves him!” one viewer wrote on Reddit, with a commenter agreeing that they’d be “beyond shocked if it wasn’t Mark.”
In a separate thread, fans suggested his appearance on The Golden Bachelorette was a “formality.”
One viewer was “convinced” it was always the plan for Mark to get the lead role, but suggested he was cast for Joan’s season to see if they had a connection and help viewers get to know him better.
“Either way it’s perfect,” the fan added. “People already like him and they could capitalize on Kelsey and Joey [Graziadei]’s popularity.”
Indeed, if Mark does become the Golden Bachelor, it’s safe to say the Andersons will be something of a Bachelor Nation royal family.
There’s Already A Major Clue
Another clue is from the full season trailer, which shows Joan telling Mark, “I love you,” before the pair kiss. While some clever editing could be going on (more on that later), the two seem to forge a strong connection on The Golden Bachelorette.
The brief clip not only teases their chemistry but might inadvertently reveal Mark’s outcome on the show.
After all, if Mark was ultimately Joan’s final rose recipient, would ABC really give away that love declaration in the trailer? Several fans pointed out on Reddit that it could be a misdirect and that Joan was saying she loves Mark as a friend — so perhaps he leaves and gets to go on his own journey on The Golden Bachelor.
