Mark never applied to be on a Bachelor show, but his daughter, Kelsey Anderson, did. Mark made his television debut when Kelsey brought Joey Graziadei to Louisiana for her hometown date. Mark's time on screen was brief, but fans immediately started clamoring for Mark to replace 72-year-old Gerry Turner as the next The Golden Bachelor. The producers couldn't wait to give fans what they wanted, so they had him compete for Joan Vassos on The Golden Bachelorette season 1. Casting him as The Golden Bachelor would mean he was never meant to win Joan's heart.
Joan & Mark's Date Was A Disaster
"Something Missing"
Despite not hitting it off with Mark, Joan kept giving him roses, and keeping him around late into The Golden Bachelorette season 1. It was obvious that Joan wanted to like Mark, but she just wasn't feeling it. Just as it started to look as if Mark was never going to get a chance, Joan gave him a highly coveted one-on-one date. This seemed like Mark's big moment, his time to take the lead and get the girl, but that's not how things worked out. Mark spent all morning getting ready, while the other men looked on jealously.
Instead of falling into each other's arms, Joan and Mark sat in awkward silence for long periods of time, just staring out to sea in total silence. The only time they spoke was when talking about their beloved late spouses. Before competing in The Golden Bachelor, Joan was married to John Vassos for 32 years until he died in 2021. Before appearing on The Bachelor 28, Mark was married to Denise Anderson for 18 years until she died. Their shared loss was the only thing Joan and Mark had between them, and it could never be enough.
Mark May Already Have A New Girlfriend
Prince Charming May Have Found His Cinderella
Mark was devastated when Joan eliminated him from The Golden Bachelor season 1, but it wasn't long before he was photographed with Barbara Woods, a television actress known for the series One Tree Hill. In the Halloween photo, Mark is dressed as Prince Charming while Barbara is in a Cinderella costume. Some fans of ABC's The Golden Bachelorette season 1 and One Tree Hill were excited about the potential match between Mark and Barbara.
Another former contestant from The Golden Bachelor season 1, 70-year-old Kathy Swarts may have spilled the beans about Mark and Barbara's relationship status in an Instagram post. She posted a photo of her and Mark smiling side by side, and her caption reads, "He isn’t mine AND this is a fine guy who has found his happy." Her statement about Mark finding "his happy" makes it sound like The Golden Bachelorette season 1 contestant is already in a relationship, which means he definitely can't be The Golden Bachelor.
