Bachelor Happy Hour - Mel Owens: The Journey Is Here!

Episode Date: September 23, 2025

Today on “Happy Hour,” we’re sitting down with our newest Golden Bachelor: Mel Owens! With his season officially kicking off tomorrow, there’s so much we want to know about Mel and what we can expect this season. We start by diving into all things Mel; how did he become the Golden Bachelor? What was his experience like in the NFL? From childhood to Golden, we’re getting all the deets! We also dive into his life as a father, how his children reacted to this brand-new chapter, and so much more. Plus, we find out how Mel prepared for this experience and what he was looking for at the end of the Golden road. Tune in now to hear all this and more and be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey, everyone. Welcome back to Bachelor Happy Hour. I'm Joe. And I'm Serena. And we are here today with the Golden Bachelor himself. Mel, welcome to the podcast. Thank you for having me. How you doing? Thanks for coming on. I'm doing great. Thank you. How do you feel your, you finished filming, correct? Yes, we finished a couple weeks ago. How do you feel? Feel good. Feel very good. Okay. All right, good. I love to hear it. Let's start from the beginning. How did this come about? Like, how did you even get approached to do it?

Oh, it was sort of fortuitous. One of my friends introduced me to some casting people, and then one thing led to another. And I was interviewed and then cast it thereafter. Okay. Nice. And going into it, had you ever watched the show, how familiar. were you with the Bachelor franchise? I had, I think it started in 2002, or thereabouts.

So I had watched it from that point going forward for about maybe two, three years. Then I had my boys, and then I didn't have as much time to watch. But I was in and out of the Bachelor broadcast. from time to time. So I knew about, you know, how it worked and some of the people. But I didn't really follow it that closely

because I had my kids. And, you know, they were playing and doing other things. So, I mean, I know about it, of course. And I was a fan. I've always been a fan, but not like an ardent fan, like I was at the beginning.

And then at the end, I, again, it's like football. If it's on, you're going to watch it. you know if i you know but i i wasn't someone who watched it all the time because i just was doing other things but i liked it and i understood the sort of the the format um but i had not seen the golden bachelor other than the first opening scene and then that's the you know the when they come out of limousines and that's the only part i saw about the golden bachelor i didn't know how it ended i didn't know anything about it i didn't know the people um but i'm i'm

Obviously, I'm familiar with The Bachelor. Going back to that time when you first watched the show, do you remember how you felt watching it? Did you think it was fake? Did you watch it thinking like no way someone could actually fall in love on this show? No, I thought it was a very fascinating idea. Okay. I was probably 40 years old. Okay.

You know, right around 40. I thought it was fascinating. I thought it was great. I was into it, you know, I was a lawyer and so not a law firm, people were always, you know, talking about it. And this was the first few years. And it was intriguing. They had, you know, great, great people on it. You know, it was fascinating. How long did you play in the NFL? Top to bottom, 11 years. I was accredited for 10, but in the 11th year, I left. And you're a lawyer as well? How do you have time for that?

I did it afterwards. Okay. Wow. So after I played, I worked in the financial industry for a while, and then after that, I went to law school. How did you make that decision? Well, I got very smart friends, and I called it my agent, who was my lawyer at the time, and I was going over some of the things I wanted to do afterwards. and he suggested I go to law school and I took his advice because he had represented me the entire time and he still represents me today and you're smart guy and he's he's hit on all cylinders all the time so I just followed his advice it's real simple and all right you're

done now you're going to law school and you're like okay sounds good yeah yeah and it was a great decision. And again, I had great advice. So I just followed the advice and it was, it was a good decision. Do you think there's more opportunities now for players leaving the NFL than there was during your time? Yeah, well, because the media is different. Yeah. Now, when I came in in 1981, you know, there was no free agency. So with whatever team you're on, you were on and you were there basically forever now thank god i was with the los angeles rams because that was my favorite team as a kid okay so you know and i'm from detroit um at the time and for a long time the lions were no good so um i'm not really so you became so wait so wait you grew up in detroit but you were a

lion's fan huh or i mean a rams fan yes wow my favorite player was deacon jones uh okay uh you know he's a great ramb player and but we know what what i liked was the rams always always came in on in the afternoon right because they had the first game was like you know during East Coast the second game was West Coast so we'd watch the West Coast game it'd be green and palm trees and then the Rams had all the players it was a glamour team and I just fell in love with the Rams they're my favorite team and I played Pop Warner for the West Side Cubs and I just loved the Rams I love Deacon Jones so then I got drafted by him you know many years later and and it was

dream come true so i was playing with the rams and uh 1981 and it there's no free agency so there you know there's opportunities don't get me wrong um but not like there is today with all the social media and the streaming and the internet and all the other outlets you can go and then 87 they do 82 there was a strike 87 there was a strike 92 i believe was the time where they resolved the lawsuit and then that was the first time a billion dollar tv contract was in place with free agency and then everything blew up from that point got it interesting um and then you do you currently live in los angeles now i live in orange county okay okay and what do you're how many kids do you have i have two boys two boys how old are they 18 and 20 what do they think about

their father being the golden bachelor uh well you know they um you know they're you know they're you know they're time they were teenagers yeah and teenagers are teenagers and they were just you know like you know do it don't do it what is it you know they were they knew about the bachelor but they weren't really invested in matter of fact my my younger son um we were actually watching the grant season just by happen chance right this was before i was even casted i wasn't even contacted we're just watching it uh it came on and i sort of got It was like maybe in the second week of the programming. And so he was watching it with me.

And so that's the first time he watched it. And, you know, obviously I knew about it. So when I'm telling him how it works and he's watching it, then the advertisement came on for the Golden Bachelor. And so, oh, Dad, you should do that. You know, and I just didn't give me any thought, right? We're just watching it. And then I got hooked on at Grant season, so I recorded it.

you know going forward so like week two to week whenever it's recorded the series then it came on again my son was there he goes oh dad you're lucky man he goes it's on again you're watching it he didn't know of recording it right yeah so he got hooked on it too so then he's watching the the women and then he started you know you know picking like oh did you keep keep hit her and you know let her go and how how come he's doing this so he got into it right and then we we followed it to the end and you know we saw the the the the final episodes. So then the Golden Bachelor opportunity came.

So he was more into it. The older one hadn't been exposed to it. But they got more and more into it as I started talking to him about it. So they finally came around. Well, and if there's ever a time to get into it, it's when your dad's The Bachelor. This is the perfect time.

Yeah, they, you know, they were, Once they realized that, you know, I had a chance, then they were in on it, right? But they're a little hesitant about getting filmed and all of that. So they came around, you know, after I explained to them, and then, you know, they're sort of slowly, you know, shown how the show works. And then they came around. And you're divorced, correct? Yes.

Do you still talk to your ex-wife? Not really. Okay. Do you have any idea how she feels about you being the Golden Bachelor? Not really. Okay. You're an ex-football player, so you obviously had all of your techniques for preparing for a game. How did you prepare to go film your season of The Bachelor? Well, no matter what you do, in any business, you have to have focus, right?

and you got to you should you should study and know what it's about you know especially if something like the the the the bachelors it's a long-running um show so you should you should be able to you know look back on some of the you know episodes and find out you know what happened because i hadn't seen it for a long time other than the grant season um and i hadn't seen really the the golden bachelor but you know it's you don't really know about this that they can tell you about it until you're in it. And then when you're in it, it's just completely different than what you thought it was.

But you have to have stamina, energy, focus. And those are all the things you have to do when you're in business, no matter what business you're in. So it wasn't I did anything new, but I just focused more. And I just, you know, and I knew I was gonna go away for like, you know, two months. And I got my mindset ready from that standpoint. Did you get any advice from anyone?

from the Bachelor franchise that had done it before, before, during, or after filming? Jesse Palmer. Jesse gave me advice, because he had, you know, obviously he's the host, so he sees everything.

Yeah. And then when he was, you know, younger, he was the bachelor. So, you know, he was, you know, and he played football too. Played in the NFL, yeah. Yeah. So, and, you know, obviously he played college

and he played pro. So we have a lot of things in common. And he actually is married to a Brazilian gal, too. My wife was Brazilian. So there's a lot of similarities there. A lot common. Wow. So I was all ears. Yeah, he's kind of the best person to give you advice.

What did he tell you? Yeah, what was this advice? You know, just like I told you, you know, stay focused and, you know, and, you know, know, know, know what's going on around you. And, you know, and he's in production, too, right? So he knows all about the way it's produced. and he also does football. He broadcasts football games in the food network.

So he has a lot of experience in front of it and behind it. So just to be aware of things. And just advice along the way. And plus he was on set a lot. So I got to talk to him and dinner and breakfast with him a lot. Nice. That's great. What were you most excited for

and what were you most nervous for going into the season? I, you know, just anticipation, because I didn't know what to expect, other than I know that it was going to be a first-rate great-run production, which they all are. And I knew they're going to have the, you know, beautiful women and, you know, sophisticated women and, you know, their profile, they try to match up with your profile. So I knew all of that going in was going to be great. I didn't think anything other than it was just going to be a great experience. What was dating like before this for you? I really didn't date before because I had my boys growing up, right? And my boys were with me the majority of the time.

So I had them and all my energy was with them. So maybe a handful of dates. here and there but nothing serious nothing long term nothing yeah yeah let's talk women mel what is your type well i i i said it before you know you know someone who has energy you know um great personality active adventurous um lifetime learner um but you know energy is is a big deal you know okay date like blondes burnettes doesn't matter tall short that's that doesn't matter no there's not that doesn't matter what do you do you are you active do you go to the gym a lot any sports now i other than just dominating my kids like in ping pong and um in basketball

but i don't i don't i don't play sports i i work out obviously to stay in shape um but i don't play you know just like basketball a little bit um ping pong bowl you know but no golf nothing like that. Do you miss football? What's that? Do you miss football? No. That's so funny. I feel like all professional athletes say that. Like they don't, they don't usually, they're usually like, no, I'm good. Like I had my time and I'm on to the next phase. Those are my words. Good. I had my time. I played 26 straight years of football. I love football. I love sports. My boys play baseball. They're going to play baseball in college. I'm all about college sports, high school sports. is I was coaching at the high school for a number of years, football.

So I like to be around the sport. I like, you know, coaching, you know, young, young people and sharing knowledge. But, you know, playing wise, no, I, you know, no, I had my time. Okay, let's go take us to night one. You're standing there waiting for the women to step out of the limo. what's going going through your head at that point just i'm just nervous man just nervous just you know anticipation nerves excitement yeah you know just but it was a wonderful feeling though it really was because you know there's a lot of leading up to it a lot of people telling you

you know not so much what to expect but like production you know you're standing here they're going to come here this is what's going to happen and basically it's flawless as you guys know except for there are a few glitches here and there, but they just smooth right over them. But mainly it was just nervousness. And, you know, it was good nerves because, you know, I played football, you know, I'm an attorney before cases, before games.

If you're not nervous, then you're not serious. You're not excited, yeah. Yeah, you're not excited, you're not nervous. So, and it can't be manufactured. So, you know, the nerves are real. But they're good nerves. And I just, you know, you know, I just enjoyed it.

Night one is, Joe and I is one of my favorite episodes because, yeah, there's so much emotion. It's so intense. But having been there, it is such a well-oiled machine. Like, they have night one down to a science. So you really just kind of get to like, you're just flowing through the motions of where they're telling you to go. One of the greatest experiences I've ever had in my life. That those three, four hours, because it takes a little while, you know, to get them all through the, you know, introductions but it's just something that to experience is just unreal it really is it was a it was a

really good experience for for these women what what could they if let's say someone you end up with someone what could she expect with a life with you after the show that i'm a nice guy you know you're gonna have a lot of fun with me um i'm interested in them and what they do because it's got to be a two-way street. I'm choosing them, but they're also choosing me. And there's going to be a lot of similarities, but also I want to learn from them as well because that's why, you know, we're together. And it just can't be one-sided either way.

So I think for me, they're going to get someone who's excited, you know, to live life and to keep learning and have personal growth. Are you still working or are you retired? I'm still working. Is traveling back and forth or potentially moving cities, something that you would consider? Yeah, well, anything's possible. It just depends on the circumstance. And, you know, where I live and then where she lives.

But you never know. And, you know, I talked to chalk. I think his name was chalk. Yeah. from the first, the first Bachelorette, Golden Bachelorette. And they live apart, right? I mean, I think they're engaged, but they live apart and they travel. So, you know, if you want to happen, it can happen.

Yeah. On the first night of The Bachelor, there is the first impression, Rose. What were you keeping an eye out for when you're looking for someone that makes a good first impression? Well, just that, the impression, right? What really hits you, you know, hard and that you can say, wow, that was something, that was something different, that was really a different experience and that one made an impression on me, obviously. So I really wasn't looking for the first impression other than feeling it.

And then when you feel it, you go, oh, that's the person. And look, they all were impressive, right? they all had great stories and very sophisticated and accomplished. So it's hard to say that's the one, except for on that night, that was the one. And so it's a special, you know, feeling. And that's why the person gets the first impression in rows. Of course. It's going to be 20-something amazing women, but you're not, you're hopefully not going to

fall in love with all of them. Yeah. You know, you probably probably could, but to what extent because, you know, they're all amazing but you know there's different personalities and they come from different parts of the country and they have different backgrounds and you know you're looking for someone that matches with you and you know sometimes it does and you know sometimes maybe eight out of ten do and you know things that match and then only two out of three over here but you know it may be the thing

that you like the most maybe maybe their sense of humor that you're attracted to most what ended up being an unexpected challenge for you as the lead well you know the the not not the timing but the the scheduling right and and I'm fine with all of it but but and I was ready for whatever happened because I'm coachable you know I've been you know through a lot of you know a lot of things that are on time you know scheduling But, you know, you have to be amenable to changes and be able to pivot, you know, when you have to. And it wasn't that big of a challenge, but it was something that, you know, you know, had to get used to because things change.

Whether changes, you know, people change, you know, schedules change, equipment. So, you know, it was something that was a little bit out of the ordinary for my day to day as I was doing. it you know prior to this something that we see a lot of the leads that come on this podcast express that they have difficulty with is the eliminations sending people home that they obviously have grown to care about and kind of breaking their heart a little bit how was that for you same way i mean you just don't want to do it right Because you know how much time and energy they've invested into, you know, the process, into the journey. And obviously, as it gets, you know, deeper into the season, into the show, it becomes more difficult.

You spend more time with them and you get to know them. And there's no rhyme or reason, really, that you're, you know, letting people go other than that's just the way the show is set up. You know, I said if I had met, you know, the women individually, it would be. yes to all of them individually but that's not how it works it's you know there's like 23 or 25 you know on a show and you're getting down to one so the way the show works and the way the journey is that people are going to be let go but it's it's painful nonetheless because you get to know these people and they don't deserve to let go other than that's the way the show works and but it does hurt your heart letting him go yeah yeah it's not easy breaking hearts um do you remember when was the

last time that you could remember that you started falling for a woman well my wife okay you know because i was um you know 25 years ago whenever it was okay and that was 25 years ago so that was the time and did you ever expect to feel those feelings again no because i thought i was going to be married forever and you know 25 years is a long time yeah um and i'm not expecting anything different so i'm not thinking like oh i'm falling in love and then i'm you know in my head i'm thinking about falling in love again no because i'm married got is that your goal going on as the golden bachelor you want to find someone to spend the rest of your life with well i'm i was open to to find someone who I could share my life with.

And you don't know until you're on the show and you're meeting and speaking with and spending time with the women. But that's the ultimate goal. And you have to tune in to find out. Did your boys give you any advice when you went on the show? I don't remember exactly, you know, any,

strict advice they gave me other than just have fun right and be yourself because I'm gonna be myself no matter what you know I'm not gonna be someone that I'm not because I can't be but they weren't giving me any advice other than just be myself and you know they know that I'd be myself it was there anything they're like just please you know don't do this like anything like that no because you know the thing is they hadn't watched the show so they weren't real familiar with all the ins and outs and ups and downs of the show and what really happens because the older one I don't think ever watched it that I know if you might have watched it

on his phone and the younger one just watched it you know maybe five weeks with me or four weeks with me and he was sort of like in and out too watched it for a little bit and then he'd leave and then oh that girl's still there why should get rid of her right so he like you know they're not invested in in the franchise so they didn't know how it worked so they didn't you know they didn't have any any advice like hey don't do this and don't do that because of something they saw before so not really did you at all during during your time as the lead ever think what it would be like to be on the opposite end of that because like usually you know with golden it's it's been a little different where the leads most of them besides joan

well the two bachelor leads never experienced being on the show did you did you think about that at all Is that something that crossed your mind? Yeah, I tried to put myself in their place when I was, you know, talking to them and how it must have been for them and, you know, to put themselves out there. And also remember, you're competing more or less with, you know, other women. And you're also the living, you're living with them also. So you have all those other sort of personality things going on inside the mansion. So I tried to put myself in their shoes, you know, when I was talking to them and they were relating to me how, you know, how difficult it was because they also were never in that situation either.

But, you know, I was on the other side and I go, I know how difficult it must be to be in their chair going through these experiences, you know, with other women as well. So to answer your question, yes, to an extent. But Bachelor is known for their iconic dates. They do helicopters and the yachts and all the exciting travel. Was there anywhere that you were hoping to get to travel to or any type of date that you were hoping to get to go on? Well, they had called me and asked me what things I like to do and things of that sort. And I just told them. But they do such a great job.

I didn't want to mess it up right just you guys just do your professional job and I know it's going to be great and they're all great they're all amazing experiences right just just wonderful so I'm glad I didn't offer up anything that would screw it up and they did a great job yeah I would yeah that's what they're they're good at you know like that's that's amazing that's their area they don't they don't need a lead to come in and be like I because that's what I would do If I was to leave, I'd be like, we're going to change this whole fucking show around right now. And then they'd be like, right. They'd be like, and now it's canceled.

Yeah, exactly. And the thing is, you know, I'm just smart enough to know, don't mess the program up. Yeah. Right? Because, you know, when I went to the University of Michigan, you know, I was 17 years old and I got there. And then you have all these ideas and you go, no, it's been around for a long time. I go, I'm just going to follow the program. If I, if I just follow the program, it's going to be great.

So I was going to file the program, and it was great. I like that. Last but not least, what advice would you give to any future golden bachelors? You know, just the advice that everybody gave me, because, you know, even the people who are in production, the producers, and the people that were there and, you know, Jesse, they can give you all the advice, you know, and tell you how it's going to be, but you just don't know until you're in it. And when you're in it, I mean, it's fast and furious and it's condensed. Like you're like from really for like two months, you're just like putting it together. Patience is what you need. Yeah.

Right? And just patience. It's going to be good. Let it happen. You know, open mind, open heart. Are you doing anything fun for the premiere? It's right around the corner. Do you have any plans?

Actually, I'll be in New York. because they've got the things planned for me. And again, I'm just following along the program. Just go with it. You're just a long for the ride. I'm going to go with it, right? I'm not going to try to do anything different. I'm just going to go with it.

You're like, tell me where to be. I'll be there. Yeah, I'm not planning. I'm not planning anything. They're planning. Nice. Well, Mel, I am really looking forward to watching your season. It's going to be good, man.

Great meeting you for the first time. September 24th. we will and to all our listeners thank you guys so much for tuning in the bachelor happy hour make sure you download and subscribe to the podcast we have new and exclusive interviews every single week thanks for listening bye thanks guys thank you thanks now