The Golden Bachelorette's Mark Anderson is rumored to be dating someone new, and he might turn down an offer to be The Golden Bachelor so he can be with her. Mark, a 58-year-old retired Army veteran from Louisiana, made his television debut during The Bachelor 28, when his daughter, Kelsey Anderson, was a contestant on the show. When Kelsey took Joey Graziadei home to meet her father during the hometown dates episode, Bachelor Nation fans fell in love with her widowed father. He wasn't on camera long, but he sure left a lasting impression.
Bachelor Nation fans were thrilled when Mark was cast as a contestant on the inaugural season of The Golden Bachelorette. Though he was expected to swoop in and easily win Joan Vassos' final rose, that's not how things worked out. 61-year-old Joan liked Mark well enough, she just liked several other men much more. After an awkward solo date, she sends Mark home early. Mark wasn't down for long, as he was recently spending time with Barbara Alyn Woods, an actress best known for her work on One Tree Hill. She could hurt his chances of being The Golden Bachelor.
Mark & Barbara Dressed Up As Prince Charming & Cinderella On Halloween
A Couples Costume
With the Halloween season in full swing, Barbara recently posted a photo on her Instagram account that set tongues wagging. In the photo, Barbara is dressed as Cinderella and Mark is dressed as Prince Charming. Fans of ABC's The Golden Bachelorette season 1 and One Tree Hill lost their collective minds upon seeing the photo. The post has 4.7K likes and Barbara's caption reads, "When Cinderella and Prince Charming have a baby..." The reference is to her daughter, Natalie Alyn Lind, who is also in the photo, dressed as a Star Wars character.
Maybe "Hot Dad" Mark Anderson's Found True Love
He Deserves Another Chance At Love
Mark is no stranger to true love. Long before appearing on Bachelor franchise shows, he had been married to the love of his life, Denise Anderson. Like Mark, Denise was also in the Army, and the pair met while overseas serving their country. They fell in love, got married, and had five children together, including their now famous daughter, Kelsey. They were married for 18 happy years before Denise was diagnosed with cancer, and passed away just two short months later. Mark isn't over the loss yet.
After his wife's death, Mark really set aside his own needs and focused on his children, so he hadn't dated much. Maybe that explains why he was a little out of practice. During his last solo date with Joan, the two sat in awkward silence often, only speaking when they discussed their late spouses. Like Mark, Joan was also a widower, losing her husband, John Vassos, in 2021, after 32 years of marriage. Though Mark and Joan shared this profound loss, they didn't connect otherwise.
Will Mark Anderson Turn Down The Golden Bachelor For Barbara?
He May No Longer Be On the Market
Recent episodes of The Golden Bachelorette season 1 have featured ads asking women to apply to appear on The Golden Bachelor season 2, though the identity of the show's lead remains unclear. Mark had been a fan favorite to replace 72-year-old Gerry Turner as the show's new lead, but it's hard to say if Mark got the job. This photo of him and another woman dressed in a couple's costume makes it seem like maybe Mark didn't get the gig.
Fans want Mark to be The Golden Bachelor , but they may be disappointed.
Though Mark has a lot going for him, he might not be the best choice to be The Golden Bachelor. For one thing, he's fairly quiet, and a Bachelor lead needs to be a better communicator. Another issue is his age. At 58, his women would probably have to be younger, with some of them even being in their 40s. This would be a complete betrayal of the show's premise. Finally, if Mark is dating Barbara, he's no longer on the market and shouldn't be cast as the show's lead. It remains to be seen if Mark and Barbara are together, or if they're just friends.
