Golden Bachelor Fans Outraged As Shocking Leaked Photograph Proves Producers Don't Care About Their Opinions (SPOILERS)

Fans of The Golden Bachelor were outraged when a leaked photograph proved that the producers don't care about their opinions at all. The Golden Bachelor season 2 announced Mel Owens, a 66-year-old NFL player-turned-lawyer and divorced dad of two teenage sons, as its lead, but controversial ageist comments that he made on the In the Trenches podcast turned fans against him.

Mel revealed that, before he was cast as the Golden Bachelor season 2 lead, he told the producers that he'd only date women aged 45 to 60, and he'd cut anyone over the age of 60. He also stated that he didn't want anyone with artificial hips or wigs in his cast.

Fans immediately called for Mel's firing, and Reality Steve even reported that it was possible that he'd be replaced as the lead. However, a new leaked photograph from the Golden Bachelor shared by Bachelor Nation Scoop via Instagram proves that Mel is still the star of the show and has begun filming his season.

The post included a photograph of Mel and an unidentified woman walking with their arms around each other in front of Queen's Landing Ticketing & Retail in Long Beach, California, while being filmed. The picture included a caption from a fan that said, "insider scoop but they're filming the golden bachelor date tonight at the queen mary in long beach!"

Bachelor Nation Scoop's caption read, "The Golden Bachelor filming yesterday in Long Beach, sent to me by a follower. Yes, the Golden Bachelor is still Mel Owens who said he only wants to date women aged 45-60."

In the comments section of the post, fans expressed their fierce outrage about the Golden Bachelor producers moving ahead with Mel despite their protests, with many of them vowing to boycott the show. One fan wrote, "Yeah not watching sorry. They should have replaced him." Another said, "Ew they didn’t listen to us. Too bad no one will be watching."

Someone else stated that it wasn't too late to replace Mel as the Golden Bachelor, writing, "ABC really dropped the ball with this. @goldenbachabc fans would have been thrilled if they cut him. Do it now!!!" Another said, "i do like when they switch things up and add in unknowns but knowing how unpopular he is with his comments, idk why they would keep him."

Another fan added that Mel would most likely be basing his decisions solely on the women's physical appearances, writing, "Agreed. He's going to base things off of looks. I know exactly who this lady is he's walking with.. I looked at the cast photos and immediately thought, he's going to pick her because she looks like she's 40 or younger." Someone else wrote, "I’m repulsed by him."

Other fans lamented the fact that Mel's comments completely contradict the Golden Bachelor premise. One wrote, "He is 66 and looks 66 so I am sorry dude a 45-year-old is out of your league. Since when is being in your 40s or 50s golden? Many are still raising kids." Someone else said, "What a waste of a season."

Other viewers' hearts went out to Mel's Golden Bachelor contestants. One person wrote, "Good luck to these lovely ladies … they’ll need it." Another added, "Not thrilled about this golden bachelor…these women deserve better than him."

What Golden Bachelor Producers Ignoring Fans' Demands For Mel Owens' Firing Means

The Golden Bachelor Season 2 Will Probably Fail

The Golden Bachelor season 2 has been set up to fail before it even begins because Mel's comments were so offensive and went against the spirit of the show. The series was meant to lift up seniors and show that they can find love no matter how old they are.

Mel's remarks reinforced every negative stereotype about older women, so it's going to be very hard to believe that he's interested in any of the women in his cast who are over 60. It'll also be interesting to see how the contestants react to his comments.

The fact that the producers ignored fans' demands to fire Mel means that they really don't care about them. However, they should because they're what keeps the series on the air. Low ratings could mean possible cancellation for The Golden Bachelor, but, if the show was willing to cast a lead who doesn't want to follow the premise of the show, then maybe it should end.

Our Take On Mel Owens Being The Golden Bachelor

The Producers Made A Big Mistake

There's no way that Mel can make things right with Golden Bachelor fans because he made himself clear with his ageist comments. He doesn't want to date women who are over 60, which is fine for his real life, but makes no sense for The Golden Bachelor.

Even though The Golden Bachelor season 1 couple Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist's marriage ended in divorce, their story was an inspiration. It was beautiful to watch two people in their 70s open their hearts to new love after losing their spouses. Knowing that Mel only wants to date younger women puts a damper on The Golden Bachelor season 2. The producers should've listened to its fans and replaced him, but now it's too late.