The Golden Bachelor

History

In early 2020, the team behind The Bachelor put out a call for a new show focused on singles aged 65 and older. By July of that year, production had been put on hold because of the pandemic, with Variety noting that the network wanted to concentrate on the next installments of The Bachelorette and The Bachelor. ABC executive Rob Mills told Variety that the initial response was "rabid" and that some of the interviews were "touching." He added that while Bachelor in Paradise was the next priority, the network was committed to making the senior spin-off happen the right way, safely, and without hurting the other shows in the franchise.

It wasn't until May 2023 that ABC officially ordered The Golden Bachelor. Two months later, 72-year-old Gerry Turner was named the first lead. Filming kicked off in Los Angeles in August 2023 and wrapped in Costa Rica. Because of the 2023 Writers Guild strike, the show aired on Thursdays, paired with Bachelor in Paradise, rather than its planned Monday slot, filling gaps left by scripted series.

The premiere became the highest-rated season opener for any Bachelor show since 2021, and ABC reported it was the most-streamed unscripted program on Hulu. The finale drew the biggest audience for a Bachelor franchise episode since the season 25 finale of The Bachelor in 2021. In February 2024, ABC greenlit The Golden Bachelorette, a similar spin-off. Then, in April 2025, the network renewed The Golden Bachelor for a second season, announcing that 66-year-old former NFL player Mel Owens would take over as the lead.

International versions

The Australian edition of The Golden Bachelor will be the first local version of the franchise not to air on Network 10, having been picked up by the Nine Network. Nine confirmed the series at its 2025 upfronts in October 2024, with Samantha Armytage as host and Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia producing. In September 2025, Nine announced the lead as 61-year-old Sydneysider Barry ‘Bear’ Myrden, alongside the 20 women competing. A Dutch version was announced on August 10, 2024, for an early 2025 release on streaming service Videoland, produced by Warner Bros. International TV Productions. Chantal Janzen will host, with the Bachelor being 72-year-old entrepreneur Gerard.