With casting already underway for season two of The Golden Bachelor, fans can’t wait to find out who will lead the upcoming season.
Fans were introduced to several wonderful men in the first ever season of The Golden Bachelorette and now that Joan Vassos has found happily ever after with Chock Chapple, Bachelor Nation is already focusing on who will be next to lead the hit franchise.
As Bachelor Nation fans know, season leads are typically picked from the runners-up of a previous season of the show’s various franchises. Vassos was named the first Golden Bachelorette after she won fans’ hearts when she left Gerry Turner’s season of The Golden Bachelor early to go support her daughter after she gave birth. That means all eyes are on the men of Vassos’ season to see which of the contestants made the biggest impact on fans.
However, looking at our options, there might only be one contender.
Who is the Next Golden Bachelor?
ABC has not yet announced the next Golden Bachelor or confirmed when the next season will air but we do know that casting for The Golden Bachelor season two is already underway and the application process contains some clues about the upcoming season.
In the final few episodes of The Golden Bachelorette, ABC aired commercials with details on how to apply and the Bachelor Nation website also has a casting call listed online. The application asks if potential contestants have any commitments between June 2025 and August 2025, suggesting that this is when filming will take place. Applicants are also asked which contestant from The Golden Bachelorette they would like to date which may mean no Golden Bachelor lead has been chosen yet.
As usual, those close to the franchise are keeping quiet about potential next season leads, including Joan. At the taping for The Men Tell All, she told Us Weekly she could think of “at least five guys” who would be great Golden Bachelors.
So far, though, it seems like fans definitely have a couple of contestants who they definitely do and don’t want as next season’s Golden Bachelor leads so we have all the details including speculation, debunked theories and actual credible possibilities.
Charles Ling
Will Charles be the next Golden Bachelor? Most likely, yes.
Charles Ling, aka Charles L, is definitely the strongest contender to become the next Golden Bachelor.
Not only has he expressed openness to the idea, he is also someone fans would love to see find love after he won over hearts while courting Joan during her season.
“If the opportunity knocks on my door, I’ll consider,” Charles told Entertainment Weeklyon Oct. 16 when he was asked about whether he would be the next Golden Bachelor.
At the taping of Men Tell All, Charles told Us Weekly he would consider the opportuniny but he had some other considerations. “I need to probably talk to my kids whether I should move on or not necessarily move on,” he said. “[It’s] kind of too early to make a call at this moment.”
Charles is a retired financial analyst from Malvern, Pennsylvania who has been solo parenting his two adult daughters since his wife died six years before he joined Joan’s season.
Charles became a favorite contestant when fans watched his heartfelt advice to Joan on grieving, his earnest questions about all thing Bachelor Nation and saw his journey to reaching new levels of acceptance of his wife’s passing.
Fans are definitely rooting for Charles. “An ICON, truly,” one fan wrote on X about Charles. “Let’s make CHARLES L. The next Golden Bachelor.”
“Not to be dramatic but I’d die for Charles,” added another.
Host Jesse Palmer also shared his support for Charles in an interview with Us Weekly. “He’s a national treasure,” he said. “I totally get why America has fallen so hard for Charles L. He’s legendary. I love the guy.”
Mark Anderson
Will Mark be the next Golden Bachelor? Likely but there’s one major caveat.
Mark Anderson seemed like an obvious choice for The Golden Bachelor season two until it was revealed that he’s dating One Tree Hill alum Barbara Alyn Woods. However, we’re not ruling him out.
His daughter, Kelsey Anderson, who got engaged to The Bachelor lead Joey Graziadei in season 28 of The Bachelor, is definitely rooting for him to continue his journey.
“I think that my dad has grown so much through this journey of The Golden Bachelorette. So, yeah, I would 100% be excited for him and support him,” she told Us Weekly on Oct. 23.
Bachelor Nation loves to keep it in the family so it would make sense to give Mark another chance at love given how much fans know his story.
“[I’m] giving it some thought,” he told Us Weekly at the taping of Men Tell All. “It’s a bit of a life change. But yeah, definitely thinking about it.”
“Manifesting Mark as the next Golden Bachelor,” wrote one fan on X after he was dumped by Joan in week 5 because she “didn’t feel like she imagined an ‘us.'”
However, some fans might not be too satisfied given a popular theory that Mark’s brief journey on Joan’s season was all just to tee him up for a role as the Golden Bachelor.
Mark assured fans that wasn’t his goal in an Oct. 24 interview with Bustle.
“I didn’t start The Golden Bachelorette for practice. I came on The Golden Bachelorette because I was hoping to find the start of a relationship,” he explained.
All that being said, Anderson is likely out of the running for The Golden Bachelor due to his rumored romance with Barbara Alyn Woods. The pair were first linked when they celebrated Halloween together in a couple’s costume. Woods later shared a TikTok video of them dancing together on November 10.
Jordan Heller
Will Jordan be thenext Golden Bachelor? Maybe but probably not.
Sales executive Jordan Heller’s struggle to commit to Joan Vassos might ruin his chances of becoming the next Golden Bachelor. Jordan made it to hometown dates but
“Please make Jordan the next Golden Bachelor,” one fan was quick to tweet after Joan chose her final three.
The father of two’s youthful spirit was beloved on the show and he certainly has the kind of charisma that makes a great season lead.
That said, some fans felt that Jordan did not give his all to the show, especially after remaining guarded on his hometown date.
“Jordan’s going home after doing nothing to get to Hometowns AND said he didn’t want to share feelings…” wrote one fan in a post that was echoed by many. So, it’s safe to say Jordan isn’t who everyone wants as the next Golden Bachelor.
Why it won’t be him: Something that could prevent Jordan from getting selected to be the next Golden Bachelor could be his unwillingness to commit to Joan.
Jordan does appear to still be single, though, even after sparking dating rumors with Golden Bachelor season one contestant Leslie Fhima after she revealed on the Almost Famous podcast on November 1 that the two were “texting” after meeting through a mutual friend.
“I’m not dating Jordan,” she said. “I met Jordan.”
Pascal Igbui
Will Pascal be the next Golden Bachelor? Probably not.
French man Pascal Igbui likely won’t be picked as the next Golden Bachelor due to his comments after the show. Pascal caused quite a stir during his time on the show before he eventually left during the Fantasy Suites episode because he wasn’t in love, telling Joan, “We laugh, we seem like we connect, but I need that spark, and I just don’t have it. I’m sorry.”
Some fans were rooting for Pascal to have his happy ending on the show.
“Pascal is the next Golden Bachelor,” one fan tweeted after his exit. Others, however, disagreed. “Hey @ABCNetwork, if you pick Pascal as the next Golden Bachelor, I’ll personally organize a nationwide search for a better option—because clearly, he’s not it,” tweeted another fan.
However, Pascal’s attitude toward the Bachelor franchise after leaving the show likely won’t help him get picked for next season.
Pacal told Us Weekly that he would be open to being the next Golden Bachelor if they would “lower the age.” He added, “Yes, I’m old, but I don’t go out with a 72-year-old woman.”
He has not held back when it comes to criticizing the franchise — and even another contestant.
After his exit, Pascal told Glamour he thinks The Golden Bachelor franchise should be based in just one city.
“I think the concept that The Golden Bachelor needs to be modified to a way where they could accommodate the older generation like myself,” he added. “I think, to me, that’s the biggest challenge I had with Joan. I didn’t want to invest because I want a partner on a daily basis.”
Jonathan Rone
Will Jonathan be the next Golden Bachelor? Most likely not.
Iowa dad-of-two Jonathan Rone won’t be the next Golden Bachelor because he went public with his new relationship in the Men Tell All episode of The Golden Bachelorette.
Since then, Jonathan hasn’t held back from posting about his girlfriend though he did confirm on the show that Joan still played an integral role in his happy ending.
“What comes to mind is how incredible of an experience this has been,” Jonathan said on the episode. “Joan [Vassos] validated me and made me feel seen.”
Guy Gansert
Will Guy be the next Golden Bachelor? Most likely not.
Though Guy Gansert came second place in The Golden Bachelorette, a position that often lead to becoming a season lead, he’s likely too controversial to be picked as the next Golden Bachelor.
While the show was airing, People reported that Guy’s ex-wife filed for a restraining order against him back in 2021 before dropping the filing a month later.
“This was an unfortunate situation that occurred during an incredibly stressful time for me and my former spouse and was ultimately resolved when she voluntary [sic] dismissed her request for a protective order,” Guy said in response to the news. “Together we crafted a resolution that was agreeable to both parties.”
We’re assuming this history might take him out of the running to be the next Golden Bachelor.
When Will the Next ‘Golden Bachelor’ Be Announced?
ABC has not revealed when they will announce the next lead of The Golden Bachelor. However, we might be waiting for several more months.
Joan wasn’t announced as the next Golden Bachelorette until May 2024, just a couple of months before she started filming her season.
When Will the Next Season of ‘The Golden Bachelor’ Air?
ABC has not announced when the next season of The Golden Bachelor will air but, so far, The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette have run from late September until late November.
The Golden Bachelor season one premiered on September 28, 2023 and ended on November 30, 2023. The Golden Bachelorette premiered on September 18 and ended on November 13.
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