Jesse Palmer did not maintain again within the newest promo for “The Golden Bachelor,” straight confronting the lead, Mel Owens, over his ageist feedback that sparked main backlash on-line. Within the clip, Palmer asks Owens if he is really open to courting girls of their 60s, solely to remind him of a resurfaced podcast look the place Owens bluntly stated, “In the event that they’re 60 or over, I am reducing them.” The unearthed remarks from Owens, who as soon as performed linebacker within the NFL, have reignited conversations round ageism in actuality TV courting reveals and forged a shadow over his seek for love on “The Golden Bachelor” season.

Within the teaser, Palmer greets Owens forward of limo entrances and bluntly asks, “So I need to ask you about age, is that to you only a quantity?” Owens replies with, “Spirit has no age.”

However Palmer does not let it slide. He pushes additional, asking, “You’re open to courting girls of their 60s? Are you open to courting girls older than you?” Owens responds, “Yeah, after all.”

That is when Palmer drops the bomb. “Nicely, that is not what you stated on the podcast a couple of months in the past,” earlier than the promo cuts to approaching scenes from the truth present.

Again in June, Owens made headlines for his blunt stance on the “Within the Trenches With Jon Jansen” podcast. Through the June 4 episode, the 70-year-old retired NFL linebacker instructed listeners: “In the event that they’re 60 or over, I am reducing them.”

He admitted that he instructed producers early on that his desire was for girls between the ages of 45 and 60. “Simply being trustworthy,” Owens stated. He even recalled a dialog with govt producers: “We had lunch with the manager producer. I stated, ‘In the event that they’re 60 or over, I am reducing them.’ [They said], ‘Oh no, you may’t. This isn’t ‘The Silver Bachelor,’ it is ‘The Golden Bachelor.’ He goes, ‘However they’re gonna be sizzling, don’t be concerned about it.'”

The promo did not simply spark headlines. It lit up social media with fan reactions praising the franchise for lastly tackling Owens’ controversial remarks head-on. Feedback flooded The Golden Bachelor’s official Instagram, with viewers saying this was the sort of accountability they’d been ready for.

“SCREAMING that they really referred to as this man out on his foolishness straight,” one fan wrote. “That is the sort of accountability we have been begging for for years, Bachelor!! Thanks for lastly getting it proper!” One other echoed the sentiment, declaring, “Now that is what we have been ready for!”

Others cheered on the ladies of the season for fearlessly addressing the matter themselves. “YESS COME ON LADIESSSS. I help girls’s rights & wrongs,” one viewer commented with applause, whereas one other joked, “Jesse in his Andy Cohen period of being direct—I adore it.” Even older followers felt empowered by the second, with one 60-year-old writing, “As a 60-year-old, I like this!!! Nice job casting these girls!”

Earlier this month, ABC unveiled the official forged for Season 2 of “The Golden Bachelor,” highlighting a bunch of singles ranging in age from 58 to 77. Contestants hail from everywhere in the nation, with hometowns spanning Miami, Los Angeles, Napa Valley, and Las Vegas. Their skilled backgrounds are simply as numerous, together with a retired firefighter, an inside designer, a beauty dentist, a health skilled, and extra.

Notably, 21 of the 23 girls vying for Mel Owens’ coronary heart are over the age of 60.