TALE AS OLD AS TIME

‘Golden Bachelor,’ 66, Ripped for Wanting Much Younger Women

The former NFL linebacker told producers of the show he preferred women “45 to 60, just being honest.”

The newest sexy senior selected to lead the next season of ABC’s The Golden Bachelor has already lost his audience after making some shockingly sexist and ageist comments about the show’s contestants. Former NFL linebacker Mel Owen, 66, is set to follow in the footsteps of 72-year-old Gerry Turner as The Bachelor spinoff’s leading man. Although Turner found love, got married, and divorced in a whirlwind four months, Owen believes he will have better luck if his love interests meet his non-negotiables. Owen, now a lawyer, said on the MGoBlue Podcast with Jon Jansen that he told producers that he preferred women 45 to 60, adding, “just being honest.” “If they’re 60 or over, I’m cutting them,” he said. “This is not ‘The Silver Bachelor’; this is ‘The Golden Bachelor.’” Owen also requested that the women had to “be fit” to go with his athlete lifestyle because “I’m staying in shape and work out and stuff.” He added, “And I told them [to] try and stay away from artificial hips and the wigs.” The former Los Angeles Rams player, active with the team from 1981 to 1989, didn’t win any fans online with the comments, with some pledging not to watch the show with Owen in the lead. One X commentator added, “Doesn’t sound like much of a mystery as to why he’s still a bachelor.”