The Season 2 Golden Bachelor premiere wasted no time stirring the pot with Mel Owens stepping into the mansion under the shadow of an ageism controversy that had fans buzzing before the first rose was even handed out. The heat was on, and the former Los Angeles Rams linebacker sure felt it.
Owens had only met three women during the first impressions when the scandal reared its ugly head. Librarian (and hockey player) Diane, 71, asked him, “What the f— was that interview about?” There were other subtle digs during the introductions, so the 66-year-old Golden Bachelor star was starting the night off on a redemption tour. After meeting the 23 women, Owens kicked off the night with a sincere apology and his hopes of “earning” their trust back.
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His mea culpa seemed to work as the flirting began almost immediately with Cindy, 60, and Carol, 63. Alexandra, 67, was all-in right away with Owens as her screensaver on her phone. But the first impression rose didn’t go to them. It went to Gerri, 64, a widow who is putting herself first after losing her husband at the age of 47. The dynamic duo seemed to have some genuine chemistry going on, with Owens blushing after their sweet kiss.
Cindy, Diane, Nicolle. – Credit: Disney/Ricky Middlesworth (3)
Disney/Ricky Middlesworth (3)
By the time the sun started to rise, the rose ceremony began, and it was surprisingly subdued as Owens bid goodbye to six contestants. The drama was going to be just around the corner, which seemed to set the stage to square off Nicolle, 64, and the rest of the women throughout the season (more on that in a moment).
The first solo date went to Cheryl,66, who came in on a dirt bike and received the first Golden Bachelor kiss. She was wined and dined on the Queen Mary in her “Cinderella” dress with Owens in a midnight-blue tux. The night was all about romance as he admitted that she had the qualities he was looking for — she was”adventurous,” “tough,” “funny,” and “a little bit of daredevil.”
The group date was a cheerleading squad competition with Mel’s Angels battling Mel’s GB Squad in routines choreographed by the LA Rams Cheerleaders and the contest judged by Paula Abdul. The prize was a smaller audience with Owens after a day in the very hot sun at the Colosseum. Cindy’s former professional cheer skills came in handy as she led her team to victory and to her own steamy make-out session with Owens behind the stadium — a very cheerleader-meets-quarterback moment.
The next day, it was all about the pool party back at the Golden Bachelor mansion, but Nicolle couldn’t keep her hands off her man. She wouldn’t stop kissing Owens in front of everyone, and Cindy commented that Nicolle started “to climb him like a tree.” That’s when the competition — and the season — officially began. The women suddenly realized there was one man to 17 women.
And, of course, it was time for one more rose ceremony to whittle down the dating pool. It was a swift goodbye to Carla, 62, Diane, Alexandra, and Mylene, 61. While the show is setting Nicolle up to be this season’s villain, it’s Diane who we are going to miss the most because her hockey-to-love analogy had us in stitches.
“In hockey, whenever we lose a game, we are sad for a little bit, then we remind ourselves…There’s always a game next weekend,” she said nonchalantly. Oh, Owens let Diane go too soon — he missed his shot.
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