The highly anticipated inaugural season ofThe Golden Bacheloretteis in full swing, and there are signs that one of the contestants, Mark Anderson, is a producer plant who isn’t there to win Joan Vassos' final rose. Though the 58-year-old Mark is a fan favorite to win the heart of 61-year-old Joan, he doesn’t seem to be swooping in and sweeping her off her feet just yet. Joan, a private school administrator from Maryland, made her television debut during Gerry Turner’s season ofThe Golden Bachelor,and has been given a second chance at finding love on the show.
Though she left the season early to deal with a personal family emergency, Joan made quite an impression, and was eventually cast as theBachelorspin-off’s first female lead.The Golden Bacheloretteseason 1premiered several weeks ago, and Joan greeted 24 impressive older single men who were eager to earn her love. Among the men was Mark,a retired Army veteran and widowed father of five. Read to the end to find out why it seems like Mark isn’t on the show to date Joan.
Mark’s Bachelor Nation Journey
A Long & Winding Road
Mark made his television debut duringThe Bachelorseason 28, when his daughter, 26-year-old Kelsey Anderson, brought her boyfriend, 28-year-old Joey Graziadei, to meet her family during her on-camera hometown date. Kelsey ended up winning Joey’s final rose, and the two are engaged now, soMark is practicallyBachelorNation royalty. Fans fell in love with the attractive widower, and they clamored for him to replace Gerry asThe Golden Bachelor.
Mark Isn’t Winning Joan’s Heart So Far
He Barely Got A Rose Last Week
On the first night ofThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1, Joan looked surprised whenthe limousine door opened and Kelsey stepped out saying there was someone she wanted to introduce Joan to. When Mark stepped out of the limousine behind Kelsey, Joan beamed, expressing real excitement about meeting him. Despite Joan’s excitement about meeting Kelsey’s father,Mark didn’t run away with Joan’s heart.
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Though she has given out multiple solo dates, Mark hasn’t received one, and he has gotten very little alone time with Joan.He was able to pull Joan aside at one point for a short German lesson, during which Mark scored a kiss, but that was the most face-to-face time Mark had received. During the most recent episode ofThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1, the unthinkable almost happened when Mark got Joan’s final rose of the night, barely avoiding elimination.
Is Mark A Producer Plant?
He’s Being Groomed To Be The Golden Bachelor
Considering how little time Mark is getting with Joan, it’s starting to feel like he’s not even trying to winThe Golden Bachelorette’s heart. SinceBachelorleads are often cast from existingBachelorcontestants, it’s starting to feel like the only reason Mark is on Joan’s season is so that producers can cast him asThe Golden Bachelor. Sinceads have already started airing inviting single women to apply for the second seasonof the hit show, it’s looking likely thatMark will replace Gerryas theGoldenspin-off’s next lead.
What We Know About Mark Anderson
He’d Make A Great Bachelor Lead
Long before appearing in Joey’s season ofThe Bachelor,Mark was a retired Army veteranand single father of five. Kelsey talked about her father quite often while dating Joey during The Bachelor season 28, soexpectations were high when she brought Joey home to meet him. The tall, attractive Mark didn’t disappoint. He offered Joey and Kelsey a photo album, which offered glimpses into his own 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. During one of their earliest dates,Kelsey told Joey that she and her father weren’t close when she was younger, because he was away working so often. After her mother died, the two got closer, and she came to rely on him for his quiet strength and good judgment.
Mark Anderson’s Too Good To Be True
He’s The Ideal Suitor But Maybe He’s Not There To Find True Love
Markis really the ideal older suitor. He’s cute, he’s funny (as the Instagram clip above shows), and his background is impressive. However, appearances can be deceiving - the image that a person shows the world doesn’t always match what’s inside. For example, a handsome man can be a clout chaser - he can be hand-picked by production to come in and break hearts… or just to get ratings.
If producers wanted Mark to appear asThe Golden Bachelorlead down the line, they may have put him onThe Golden Bacheloretteso people could get to know him. Maybe they didn’t actually want Joan to choose him. Although he’s charming, Mark may be holding back a bit, with his eye on the prize. He could be trying to win over viewers instead of Joan so he can potentially star inThe Golden Bachelorette. It’s possible that his interest in Joan was never real.
She has many men to choose from. Her future looks very bright and she doesn’t need Mark. However, the fact that she might prefer another doesn’t change the fact that Mark could be a producer plant. He’s a Bachelor Nation icon thanks to his status as Kelsey’s dad, he’s telegenic, and he’s got a clean-cut, All-American background. If producers did decide to be this shady, they chose a man who could charm the entire country. All of this is why Mark may be too good to be true.
Mark’s a Taurus man who is, in theory, an ideal match for Capricorn woman Joan. Taurus men are cuddly and warm, but they’re also money-oriented. It’s not impossible that Mark wants to becomeThe Golden Bachelorso he can leverage his fame to earn cold, hard cash. He’ll become a powerful influencer if that happens, and social media power can be turned into pure gold.
Mark would make an excellent replacement for Gerry onThe Golden Bachelorseason 2. Like Gerry, Mark is sensitive and telegenic, but unlike Gerry,Mark is a clean slate who doesn’t come with a ton of excess baggage. It’s hard to understand why Joan isn’t falling head over heels with the infinitely likable Mark, so the only explanation is that Mark isn’t onThe Golden Bacheloretteseason1 to date Joan. It’s a smart move on the part of producers to cast Mark on anotherBachelorNation show before announcing him asThe Golden Bachelor.
66
60
Insurance exec
64
65
Retired finance executive
ER doctor
61
Shipping consultant
Sales manager
Girl dad
57
Army veteran
69
Financial adviser
62
FDNY Chief
New York, N.Y.
The Golden Bacheloretteseason 1 is airing on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. on ABC.
The Golden Bachelorette
Cast
The Golden Bachelorette: This reality series offers one woman in her later years the opportunity to find love, as a group of seasoned men compete for her affection. Participants bring diverse romantic histories, seeking a meaningful connection and a chance to build a promising future together.
