If Mark Anderson doesn’t win Joan Vassos’ heart on The Golden Bachelorette, he should be cast as The Golden Bachelor. Mark isn’t like the other contestants, he’s practically Bachelor Nation royalty now. He first appeared on Joey Grazadei’s season of The Bachelor, when his 25-year-old daughter, Kelsey Anderson, brought Joey home for a hometown date. The tall, attractive widower instantly captured the imagination of the audience. When his daughter went on to win The Bachelor season 28, it further solidified Mark’s position in the franchise.
When it came time for the female-led version of The Bachelor spin-off, it wasn’t a surprise when Mark was announced as one of the contestants on The Golden Bachelorette season 1. The reveal came when the limousine pulled up to the mansion on night one, and when the car door opened, it was Kelsey who stepped out first. Kelsey introduced Joan to her father and hoped that sparks would fly. If Mark doesn’t win Joan’s heart, he should be cast as The Golden Bachelor.
Young Mark With Little Kelsey
Daddy’s Little Girl
Kelsey recently cracked open the Anderson photo album and posted several throwback photos of her father to Instagram. In one of the photos, little Kelsey shows off her pretty blue dress as she poses with her proud father. Mark looks like he’s in his late 20s or early 30s and couldn’t look happier posing alongside his adorable daughter.
During a date with Joey in an early episode of The Bachelor season 28, Kelsey revealed that she wasn’t close with her father growing up. The retired Army veteran worked a lot back then, so he wasn’t around often. Kelsey understood her father was busy working hard to support his family. Judging by the photograph, both Mark and Kelsey cherished their moments together.
Mark With Kelsey’s Mom
He’s A Widower
In another old-school photo posted by Kelsey to Instagram, a 30-something Mark poses alongside his petite wife, Denise Anderson. Like Mark, Denise was also an Army officer, and the couple met while they were both serving the country. Denise was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer and died only two months after finding out she was sick. Mark and Denise were married for 18 years until she passed away in 2018. Devastated by the surprising loss, Mike found it difficult to move on. He’s now giving love another shot on The Golden Bachelorette season 1.
Young Mark In Uniform
He’s A Proud Veteran
Mark was a retired Army veteran from Leesville, Louisiana, and spent his adult life serving his country. Kelsey posted a throwback photo to Instagram of a young Mark, in uniform, holding baby Kelsey. In the photo, Mark rocks a military-style buzz cut and looks thrilled to be looking up at his adorable baby daughter. The father of 5 became a single father when Mark’s wife died in 2018, and if things with Joan don’t work out, he should be The Golden Bachelor.
How Would Mark Compare With Gerry?
Night And Day
25-year-old Bachelor contestant Kelsey talked about her father a lot during The Bachelor season 28, so expectations were high, and Mark didn’t disappoint. When Kelsey brought Joey home to meet her father, Mark gave the young couple a photo album with photos of his relationship with Kelsey’s late mother, Denise. At that moment, Mark’s quiet strength and high emotional IQ were on full display, and it would help make him an excellent Bachelor lead.
While 72-year-old Gerry Turner was telegenic and charming, he didn’t always have the best judgment.
One of many examples happened during The Golden Bachelor season 1 when he told 65-year-old Leslie Fhima she was “the one,” but then gave his final rose to 70-year-old Theresa Nist. His bad judgment continued when he rushed into an ill-advised marriage with Theresa. The septuagenarian couple announced their divorce after only three short months of matrimony. If there is another season of the dating show, Mark should be The Golden Bachelor.
