Bachelor Nation Nominates Kelsey Anderson’s Dad Mark As The Next ‘Golden Bachelor’

By Nicole Gallucci @nicolemichele5
Published March 5, 2024, 11:45 a.m. ET

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After 72-year-old grandfather and widower Gerry Turner warmed America’s hearts as the first-ever Golden Bachelor lead, Bachelor Nation wondered how the franchise would ever follow a near-perfect debut season.

Everyone assumed that finding America’s next Golden Guy would prove to be a terribly tough task, but after watching The Bachelor Season 28’s Hometown Week, the good people of Bachelor Nation found the perfect person to follow in Turner’s footsteps: Kelsey Anderson’s dad, Mark.

Between Daisy’s hilarious, heartwarming dad; Rachel’s realistic and protective pop; and the main man in Maria’s life, Joey Graziadei was blessed to meet four fantastic fathers on Hometown Dates. But Mark — a single dad whose wife, Denise, passed in 2018 after a battle with breast cancer — brought viewers to tears with his fortitude, kindness, and immense love and support for 25-year-old daughter Kelsey.

During her first one-on-one date with Joey in Spain, Kelsey explained that her mom and dad met in the military when they were both military police officers. She shared that her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer 10 years ago, which metastasized on her bones, telling Joey, “They gave her six months, and after that it was very aggressive, and after two months she passed away.” During her second one-on-one in Jasper, Kelsey expressed deep admiration for her dad, noting that he watched his wife die, but raised Kelsey and her siblings with so much love through his grief. She said Mark told her that her mom would be proud of her for her Bachelor journey, and ahead of the Hometown Date, Kelsey noted it would be a hard day for her dad without her mom there beside him.

The build-up for Mark was admittedly major, and we’re pleased to report this dad did NOT disappoint. In addition to being a straight-up ZADDY, Mark showed incredible heart by gifting Kelsey an album with photos of her mom, having a firm but fair chat about intentions and Kelsey’s heart with Joey, and giving a glimpse into his own love story with Kelsey’s mom.

Mark swiftly got the seal of approval from Bachelor Nation, with many viewers begging The Golden Bachelor to cast him as the next lead.

After chatting with Joey, Mark told cameras he felt reassured. And in a vulnerable heart-to-heart with Kelsey, he told her, “I want all of you to feel that feeling I had with your mom.” (SOBBING!) Joey ended the date by saying he’d count himself lucky to be a part of Kelsey’s family, and we totally get why! But with Golden Bachelor casting currently ongoing, why not see if Mark is ready for a second shot at love like Gerry?

In terms of Golden Bachelor casting, Mark has it all and then some! He has history with Bachelor Nation thanks to Hometown Dates, he’s got the looks, the heart, the lovable family, and a successful love story and tragic tale of loss. How old is he? Not sure, but not a problem! If he doesn’t fall within senior age range, switch things up and cast him as our next Bachelor! If Kelsey and Joey find love from the franchise, only for her father to follow, can you imagine what a win it would be for reality TV and love in general? I’m tearing up just thinking about it!

If producers want to keep their success streak up and stay in Bachelor Nation’s good graces, they’ll seriously consider Mark Anderson for The Golden Bachelor. Ultimately, the casting comes down to whether or not Mark feels ready to move on or is open to finding love on reality TV like his daughter. No matter where Mark stands, we’ll remain stans and respect his decision. But here’s hoping we haven’t seen the last of him and Kelsey on our TV screens.

New episodes of The Bachelor Season 28 premiere Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET with next-day streaming on Hulu.