Mark Anderson is a fan favorite to be the nextThe Golden Bachelor, but he has outgrown the franchise and should turn it down if offered. Audiences first fell in love with the 58-year-old retired Army veteran duringThe Bachelorseason 28. Mark’s daughter, Kelsey Anderson, was a contestant on Joey Graziadei’s season and brought her boyfriend home to meet her father during hometown dates. Mark’s brief time on screen left a surprisingly big impression on viewers. They immediately started clamoring for him to replace 72-year-old Gerry Turner as the spin-off’s next male lead.

Mark joined thecast ofThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1and arrived atTheBachelormansion to meet 61-year-old Joan Vassos. Mark and Joan hit it off, but the excitement fizzled quickly. After an awkward solo date, Joan told Mark that though she loved him,there was “something missing” between them and sent him homeearly. His elimination led to immediate online speculation about Mark’sBachelorfuture, but if producers offer him the role ofThe Golden Bachelor, he should turn it down.

a montage of Gerry Turner from the golden bachelor in side by side images

Mark’s Famous Now

He Doesn’t Need The Franchise Anymore

Due to his brief appearance onThe Bachelorseason 28, fans already knew who Mark was when he joined the cast ofThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1. His newfound fame must have come as quite a shock to the retired widower. Before his daughter decided to look for love on network television, Mark was living a quiet life in Louisiana. He wasmarried to Denise Anderson for 18 years, and they had five children together. Sadly, she was diagnosed with cancer in 2018, and she passed away only two months later.

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During his awkward solo date with Joan duringThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1, he confessed to Joan that he hadn’t dated much since his wife’s death.His life has changed completely now that he’s a celebritywho likely gets recognized. At this point, he is famous enough that he doesn’t need to beThe Golden Bachelor.He could easily decide to become a lifestyle influencer, like his daughter, Kelsey, and his future son-in-law, Joey.

The golden Bachelorette Mark Anderson is situated in front of a group shot of The Golden Bachelor women.

Mark’s Been Hanging Out With Celebrities

Couples Costume With A One Tree Hill Actress

Being sent home fromThe Golden Bachelorseason 1 was devastating for Mark, but he wasn’t down for long. He was recently photographed withBarbara Woods,a television actress from the seriesOne Tree Hill.In the photo,Mark is dressed as Prince Charming andBarbara is in a Cinderella costume. Fans ofThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1andOne Tree Hillwere excited about thepotential match between Mark and Barbara. The post has 5.5K likes and Barbara’s caption reads, “When Cinderella and Prince Charming have a baby…”

The baby reference is to her daughter, Natalie Alyn Lind, who is dressed as aStar Warscharacter in the photo.

The Golden Bachelor TV Poster

At this point, Mark and Barbara hadn’t confirmed or denied their relationship status, so they appeared to be friends. There was even some online speculationthe photo was a publicity stunt to get fans talking. Regardless of their status, hanging out with celebrities is a great example of how much Mark’s life has changed since he made hisBachelorNation appearances.

Will Mark Be The Golden Bachelor?

He’s Bigger Than The Show

ThoughMark is a fan favorite to replace Gerry as the nextThe GoldenBachelor, he’s just too big for the show now. He recently appeared alongside Kelsey onDancing With The Starsseason 33to cheer Joey on and is growing his Instagram following. Mark doesn’t needTheBachelorfranchise, because he’s already more famous than most of their leads.

One reasonThe Golden Bachelorette’s Mark shouldn’t be the nextThe Golden Bacheloris that he may still be too young. At 58 years old, the women would have to be younger than he is, an age range that doesnt include women in their golden years.Gerry’s season included many contestants in their 60s and 70s, so a much younger cast would feel like a downgrade. The main reason Mark should turn downThe Golden Bacheloris that he may not be ready to move on from his late wife, Denise.

58 years old

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