The Golden Bachelorette's Mark Anderson is a fan favorite to replace Gerry Turner as The Golden Bachelor, but there are signs he'll be just as much of a heartbreaker. Fans fell in love with 58-year-old Mark when he appeared on Joey Graziadei's season of The Bachelor. Mark made his television debut when his daughter, 25-year-old Kelsey Anderson, brought Joey home to meet her family for her hometown date. Kelsey ended up winning Joey's final rose and the two got engaged, which raised Mark to Bachelor Nation royalty status.
Fans were elated when they learned Mark would be one of the 24 men vying for Joan Vassos's heart on The Golden Bachelorette season 1. With the season in full swing, Joan and Mark have been hitting it off, but there are other men she's also very into, like 60-year-old insurance executive Chock Chappel and 66-year-old ER Doctor Guy Gansert. If she ends up choosing one of the other men, that would leave Mark single and available for The Golden Bachelor season 2. Though it's what fans want, Mark could end up being as hurtful as Gerry was.
Mark Anderson Is Adorable
He's Going To Break A Lot Of Hearts
Not only is the retired Army veteran tall and attractive but he's also full of life and knows how to have a good time. During one episode of The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Mark put on a shark costume and entertained the other men. It was a great example of Mark's fun, playful personality.
Mark posted an Instagram clip of himself in the shark costume dancing at the Bachelor Nation, and it's adorable. Mark is the total package and a great catch, so there's no question that plenty of women would love to get to know the widowed single father. If he is cast as The Golden Bachelor, he'll break many women's hearts. The post has 3.3K likes, and Mark's caption reads, "It’s shark week on the Golden Bachelorette…"
Mark Anderson May Not Be Over His Late Wife
He's Still Mourning
Long before appearing in Joey's season of The Bachelor and joining the cast of The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Mark was a widowed father of five. Kelsey talked about her father quite often while dating Joey during The Bachelor season 28. She explained they weren't as close when she was growing up because he was often away working, but they got closer after her mother died. Mark offered Joey and Kelsey a photo album, which offered glimpses into his love story with Kelsey's mother, Denise Anderson.
Like Mark, Denise was an Army veteran, and the two met while serving their country.
Mark and Denise were married for 18 happy years before she passed away in 2018. Though it's been six years, Mark may never be completely over his late wife. During a recent episode of The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Mark talked to Joan about how Denise would always be a part of his life, just like Joan's late husband, John Vassos, would always be a part of hers. If Mark embarks on The Golden Bachelor journey before he's over his late wife, he'll leave a trail of broken hearts in his wake.
Mark Anderson May Be Chasing Fame
Reminiscent Of Gerry
Though Mark seems like a great guy now, many a great man has changed after becoming a Bachelor Nation lead. A glance back at Gerry during The Golden Bachelor season 1 is a perfect illustration of the phenomenon. When ABC announced Gerry would be The Bachelor spin-off's first lead, older single women from all over the country flooded the ABC casting office with applications.
After dating 22 women, Gerry gave his final rose to 70-year-old Theresa Nist.
Gerry and Theresa rushed into marriage a few weeks after getting engaged, and then they rushed right out of marriage only three months later. Though hopes were high for the septuagenarian couple, Gerry may have been more interested in chasing fame than in finding love. Becoming The Golden Bachelor may change Mark into someone more similar to Gerry.
Mark Anderson May See Dollar Signs
It Can Be Quite Lucrative
Considering how much Joan seems to like other men over Mark, it's starting to feel like he's not even trying to win The Golden Bachelorette's heart. The only reason Mark is on Joan's season might be because producers can cast him as The Golden Bachelor. Since ads have already started airing inviting single women to apply for the second season of the hit show, it's looking likely that Mark will replace Gerry as The Golden Bachelor's next lead.
Being a Bachelor Nation lead comes with privileges and opportunities.
Mark need not look any further than his daughter to see how a Bachelor Nation appearance can be parlayed into financial success. Since leaving The Bachelor season 28, Joey and Kelsey have become prominent social media influencers with massive followings. Mark himself already has an Instagram account with 23k followers, but it's growing rapidly. If Mark doesn't win Joan's heart on The Golden Bachelorette season 1, and he gets cast as The Golden Bachelor, that could lead to enormous heartbreak for many women.
The Golden Bachelorette season 1 airs Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
