After The Golden Bachelor‘s shining success, The Golden Bachelorette debuted on the ABC screens in the middle of September 2024, and since then, has been a constant topic of discussion among the fans. Mark Anderson, in particular, is one of the hottest topics of debate among fans.
A 58-year-old retired Army general who buried his beloved late wife, Denise Anderson, after 18 years of marriage in 2018, he is a widowed father of five and doesn’t seem to have dated much over the years. That was until he was given a second chance through his casting in this 2024 series’ season 1.
This time around, however, he had to compete with 24 other men for the love of Joan Vassos, the first lead of this Bachelor spin-off series. With his warm and charming personality coupled with his quiet strength, Anderson soon became a fan-favorite and many even expected him to win.
However, things took a turn for the unexpected when, even after seemingly being excited about meeting him, Vassos decided to send Anderson home. Of course, this came out as devastating news to many. At the same time, it might as well have been that he was just placed on the show by producers to be the next Golden Bachelor.
But while that should be interesting news for fans who deem him a walking green flag, the fact that he could have been a “producer plant” isn’t sitting well with many, calling for an unplanned outburst. That said, here are 4 red flags as to just why Mark Anderson shouldn’t be the next Golden Bachelor.
4 Red Flags to Prove Mark Anderson’s Unworthiness to Become the Next Golden Bachelor
1. He May Not Be Able to Carry a Show on His Own
Yes, Mark Anderson is a green flag to some and his friendly and loving nature is exactly what had a lot of fans deeming him the ultimate winner of The Golden Bachelorette. But at times, it felt like he was only on the show for fun, unlike the previous golden boy Gerry Turner, who was more inclined toward finding the one he could spend the sunset years of his life with.
Not only did he not have much one-on-one time with Joan Vassos, but he also seemed like he was more interested in having fun than finding love – something that clearly doesn’t align with the mere theme of the reality show in the first place.
Additionally, it might as well be that Anderson joined the show because of his famous social media influencer daughter Kelsey. This is because, without her, his chances of being on the show are pretty much little to nil. Plus, even when he first appeared on the show, Kelsey tagged along to introduce him to Vassos.
That said, it seems like he leaned on his daughter to be taken as relevant by the audience instead of being confident and creating a name for himself by himself. This is a major red flag as, if he wants to be the next Golden Bachelor, Anderson needs to prove he knows how to stand on his own two feet.
2. He Just Seems to Try a Bit Too Hard
While the fact that Mark Anderson seems to be on the show majorly to have fun is one thing, he also seems to try a bit too hard with women. For instance, he was seen trying to pull Vassos aside all the time to try and get to her heart while Joan Vassos, on the other hand, was never the one reaching out to him despite being initially excited to meet him.
Adding to this is how Vassos further never gave Anderson a one-on-one date, even though she kissed him during the impromptu one-on-one German lesson he gave her. Plus, the two didn’t really hit off, and it felt like Anderson was just chasing Vassos and trying really hard to get her attention all the time.
Of course, it’s basic human psychology for a person to try harder for the very thing they want but can’t have. This ostensibly seems to have made Anderson make himself a bit too available for Vassos, making him look like he was chasing her. This, obviously, wouldn’t work for him if he becomes the next Golden Bachelor as his trying too hard could turn the women off toward him.
3. He is a Bit Dull and Boring, Missing the Dramatic Element
Mark Anderson may seem like the absolute sweetheart who exuberates warmth and compassion and seems to get along with everyone, but that’s exactly what may pose a barrier to him becoming the next Golden Bachelor. Because of his good judgment and a bit too amicable personality, he misses out a lot on the dramatic element, making him more or less dull and boring.
In comparison, one of the biggest reasons why Gerry Turner’s charismatic self managed to allure audiences was his endlessly entertaining stints. Unlike Anderson, he doesn’t always make the best choices, and all this ends up with drama following him everywhere he goes. That said, Anderson might as well not be the perfect fit to take on Turner’s mantle and carry the show forward.
4. While He Seems to Like the Limelight, Mark Anderson Lacks Star Quality
Though he seems like a walking green flag, Mark Anderson also seems to have garnered a particular liking for the spotlight. This is evident from how he has been seen a lot more on social media – both on his own Instagram handle as well as on his famous daughter’s TikTok handle – ever since he became a part of The Golden Bachelorette.
To say the least, he could be following in his daughter’s footsteps, who left her job as a junior project manager to focus more on becoming a distinguished social media influencer.
If this is true, then this is yet another red flag Anderson may be displaying. This is because previous golden boy Turner was also under heavy speculation of having split from the wife he met through The Golden Bachelor – Theresa Nist – as he was seemingly more interested in fame than being married to Nist.
Plus, Anderson is more of a quiet and introspective kind of person who seems to lack the golden charm that Turner channeled to lure people into his show. He doesn’t appear to be a great communicator despite his friendliness and will need to pull some strings to get others to open up and express themselves around him if he wants to be the next golden boy in the Bachelor saga.
Meanwhile, Fans Are Mad at Mark Anderson Seemingly Being a Producer Plant
Even though The Golden Bachelorette is supposed to be a reality TV series, it seems like the producers haven’t been entirely honest with the viewers and audiences. This comes in the wake of Anderson’s elimination despite being a major fan-favorite, as fans are now speculating he might as well have been a “producer plant” cast in the series just to become the next Golden Bachelor.
While his apparent future as the next golden lead in another Bachelor spin-off series might as well be spoiled due to the four red flags about him listed above, that’s a different matter. As of now, fans are outraged about the mere fact that Mark Anderson may as well have never been a real element of this ABC series. This is especially evident from some of their comments on Reddit, which read as follows:
With all of this being said, it’s inevitable to admit that Mark Anderson might as well not be everyone’s top choice to become the next golden boy of the Bachelor franchise. These fan reactions coupled with the red flags listed above serve as enough reason to not cast him as the same.
The only thing that remains to be seen is how the producers end up dealing with all of this if their initial intention of bringing Anderson in The Golden Bachelorette in the first place was to make him lead in another Bachelor series, as fan speculation has it.
You can stream The Golden Bachelorette on Hulu.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
