The Golden Bachelorette: Signs Mark Anderson's New Relationship Won't Last (He Could Still Be Cast As The Golden Bachelor)

The Golden Bachelorette's Mark Anderson appears to be in a new relationship now, but that doesn't necessarily mean he won't be The Golden Bachelor someday. The 58-year-old widower won hearts when he made his television debut during The Bachelor season 28. His Cinderella story began when his daughter, Kelsey Anderson, brought Joey Graziadei to meet her father during hometown dates. Mark won viewers over with his silent strength and his enduring love for his late wife, Denise Anderson. When Mark gifted Joey and Kelsey a photo album of his love story with Denise, a star was born.

Bachelor Nation fans immediately clamored for Mark to be cast as the next The Golden Bachelor. When he was selected to be a contestant on The Golden Bachelorette season 1, it was speculated that it was just a stepping stone to Mark leading his own season. When Joan Vassos eliminated Mark, many fans expected an announcement that he was the new Golden Bachelor. The announcement never came, and Mark was spotted with a new potential romantic interest. Though Mark's future as The Golden Bachelor appears to have been sidelined by a relationship, that doesn't mean his Bachelor journey is over.

Mark's Allegedly In A Relationship

Prince Charming Meets Cinderella

On the first night of The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Mark stepped out of the limousine alongside his daughter, Kelsey. Kelsey ended up winning Joey's final rose on The Bachelor season 28, so she was already a major Bachelor celebrity with a massive social media following. Kelsey was there to introduce her father to Joan. It seemed like a great idea at the time, but, in hindsight, it turned their meeting into a gimmick, obliterating any chance at initial chemistry. As the season progressed, things didn't improve between Mark and Joan, who simply never found their spark.

After a particularly awkward solo date, Joan told Mark that there was "something missing" between them, and sent him home before hometown dates. Mark was devastated by the elimination, but he expressed deep gratitude for his time on the show. He hadn't dated much since his beloved late wife, Denise, died in 2018 after 18 years of marriage. Being on the show opened Mark's heart to the possibility of finding love again, and for that, he was grateful.

Mark was crushed after being eliminated from The Golden Bachelorette season 1, but he wasn't down for long. During Halloween, Barbara Alyn Woods, a television actress from the CW's drama series One Tree Hill, posted an Instagram photo that raised eyebrows and set tongues wagging. In the photo, Mark is dressed in a Prince Charming costume and Barbara is dressed as Cinderella. Also in the photo is Barbara's daughter dressed as Yoda from Star Wars. The post has over 6K likes, and Barbara's caption reads, "When Cinderella and Prince Charming have a baby…"

Kelsey Posted A Major Clue

Mark & Barbara Spent Christmas Together

While speculations about their relationship status ran amok online, Mark and Barbara didn't confirm or deny any of the rumors. They seemed to bask in the fact that everyone was confused. While Mark and Barbara stayed quiet about their status, Kelsey recently posted Anderson family holiday photos that may have subtly confirmed her father's relationship status. In the photo, Mark, his children, and their significant others pose on a stairway in matching pajamas, and Barbara is clearly there with Mark. It's easy to read this as validation that Mark and Barbara are a couple.

In November 2024, Kathy Swarts from the cast of The Golden Bachelor season 1 may have let the cat out of the bag. Kathy posted an Instagram 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 seemed to imply that Mark belongs to someone, which would make him ineligible to be The Golden Bachelor.

Mark Gets Hit On Often

"I Would Love To Get To Know You"

Mark may have had trouble meeting women since the death of his late wife, but, since appearing on The Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette, Mark gets plenty of offers. His Instagram comment sections are filled with women wanting to date Mark. Mark recently posted an Instagram clip of himself getting a hair cut, and a brief scrolling through the comments finds several romantic hopefuls shooting their shot. One particular direct comment reads, "Mark, I fell in love with you when I first saw you on Joey’s season at the hometown’s. I would love to get to know you."

Mark Could Still Be The Golden Bachelor

He's Got Plenty Of Time

Since even before Mark appeared on The Golden Bachelorette season 1, he was expected to be cast as The Golden Bachelor. Being in a relationship would obviously make Mark ineligible, but things could change. It would be great if Mark really found his Cinderella, but, if things don't work out between him and Barbara, Mark has plenty of time to appear on another Bachelor show.

Mark is Bachelor Nation royalty. In addition to appearing on The Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette, his daughter, Kelsey, is a major Bachelor celebrity. Since Mark is already a mainstay of the Golden Bachelor brand, he will always be part of the Golden Bachelor family. That means, if Mark and Barbara end up falling in love and getting married, their relationship would still be part of the Bachelor franchise.