Kelsey Anderson is all in on the idea of her dad, Mark Anderson, handing out the roses on The Golden Bachelor.
“If that’s what he wants to do, I would fully support him,” Kelsey, 26, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting her partnership with F— Cancer and Little Words Project. “I think that my dad has grown so much through this journey of The Golden Bachelorette. So, yeah, I would 100 percent be excited for him and support him.”
Fans of Bachelor Nation watched as Mark, 57, vied for the affections of Joan Vassos on The Golden Bachelorette season 1. After receiving a one-on-one date, Mark was sent home by Joan, 61, before the show’s hometown episode. Kelsey noted that Joan had “stronger connections” with her other contestants.
“I think that he grew a lot from it and I’m just really proud of him,” Kelsey said. “I’m also really thankful for Joan in helping my dad through all of this.”
Kelsey shared that Mark befriended Joan’s 21 other suitors during his journey, some of whom had similar stories to their family. (Kelsey’s mom, Denise, died in 2018 after a battle with breast cancer.)
“I know that after he left, he was pretty sad because he did really appreciate Joan and he really did care for her. So I think he had a hard time leaving,” Kelsey said. “But I think that he really valued his experience through it all and he had the best time. He was like, ‘I made 21 best friends.’ He had the best time and I think that it helped him grow a lot with his grieving as well.”
While things didn’t work out between Joan and Mark, Kelsey gushed that she had a “great time” watching her dad on TV — aside from watching them lock lips.
“I didn’t want to see him kissing somebody,” Kelsey told Us with a laugh. “It’s funny, but I mean, I’m sure he had the same experience watching me on The Bachelor. So it’s all fair.”
For Kelsey, a contestant on Joey Graziadei’s season 28 of The Bachelor who got engaged to the 29-year-old tennis pro during the season finale, sharing a similar dating experience to her dad was “really cool.”
“Joey and my dad were talking about it for a while, just like the relationships you build,” she said. “It’s cute for us to all have something else to bond over.”
Graziadei, 29, is also on board with Mark becoming the next lead of the spinoff series. “Time will tell,” Graziadei told Access Hollywood on Tuesday, October 22, after his Dancing With the Stars performance during an interview with partner Jenna Johnson. “He deserves nothing but the best. So I’m going to keep supporting him and if the next chapter brings him The Golden Bachelor, we will both be rooting along with Kelsey and everyone else, I think, in the world.”
As Kelsey continues to support Graziadei during his stint on DWTS season 33, she’s raising awareness for Breast Cancer by partnering with F— Cancer and Little Words Project. During a special pop-up event at the Bleecker Street location in Soho, New York, attendees can bead and buy bracelets with Kelsey while raising awareness and funds for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Anderson also designed a bracelet, which will be available from October 23 to 25.
“With the show, I got so many messages about people that related to my story,” Anderson told Us. “It is something that I wish that no one had to relate to. But I also think people find comfort in hearing stories that are similar to theirs and seeing someone be able to find light in it. My mom was somebody who was very positive and always found light in any situation, even whenever she was going through all these rounds of chemo and radiation and she was very sick.”
Anderson said “it breaks [her] heart a little” knowing that there are “many people” who resonate with her story. “It is nice trying to figure out ways that I can help other people,” she said, “even if it’s something a little like a bracelet.”
