Fans of The Golden Bachelor have expressed anger after season two lead Mel Owens admitted he was not ready for commitment during the finale, despite proposing to another contestant. The 66-year-old former NFL star ultimately chose Peg Munsen, 62, but only after a tense breakup with Cindy Cullers, 60, who ended their relationship when Owens said he wanted to date for two more years before getting engaged.
During the finale, Owens and Cullers sat on a dock in Antigua, where she asked if he was ready to get engaged. After a pause, Owens said he was not and preferred to date longer. Disappointed, Cullers ended the relationship and later told host Jesse Palmer: 'He did not come find me, and I didn’t want him to.' Owens later clarified in the studio that he is not the type to 'go from friends immediately to marriage,' but Cullers insisted she wanted a verbal commitment, not a wedding.
Viewers took to social media to criticise Owens. One asked: 'Why sign up to be the Golden Bachelor if you’re not ready to make a commitment?' Another said: 'So far The Golden Bachelor has demonstrated older men aren’t interested in a commitment.' A third wrote: 'Why did Mel agree to be the Golden Bachelor when he had no intention of getting married? Does he know how this show works?'
Some fans referenced Owens' earlier controversial remarks on a podcast, where he said he would cut any woman over 60 and made comments about 'artificial hips and wigs.' He later apologised for those 'insensitive' comments. One viewer argued: 'After what Mel said on the podcast, ABC and Golden Bachelor should’ve pulled the plug on his season. What a waste of time.'
