The Golden Bachelor season 2 lead Mel Owens made some shocking decisions when it came to choosing his hometown date recipients, following the self-elimination of one of the women. Mel, a 66-year-old NFL player-turned-lawyer and divorced dad of two sons from Detroit, Michigan, began his journey with 23 women, and had narrowed them down to six before the hometown dates.

Mel’s final six Golden Bachelor season 2 women were Carol Freeman-Branstine, a 63-year-old family manager for baseball All-Star Freddie Freeman from Villa Park, California; Cheryl Steele, a 66-year-old retired US Treasury worker from Lakewood, Colorado; Cindy Cullers, a 60-year-old retired biomedical engineer from Austin Texas; Debbie Siebers, a 65-year-old fitness professional from Denver, Colorado; Nicolle Briscoe, a 64-year-old yoga instructor from Miami Beach, Florida; and Peg Munson, a 62-year-old retired firefighter and bomb tech from Las Vegas, Nevada.

Although Mel had strong connections with the six remaining women, he had to choose just three for his hometown dates, during which he’ll meet their families and friends. Here’s who Mel selected, and which woman shockingly self-eliminated from the Golden Bachelor season 2 before the hometown dates.

The Golden Bachelor Season 2’s Mel Owens Chose Three Women For His Hometown Dates

After a one-on-one date with Cindy and a group date with Carol, Cheryl, Debbie, Nicolle, and Peg, Mel chose Cindy, Debbie, and Peg for his hometown dates. Mel had previously had one-on-one dates with Debbie and Peg during which they’d built strong relationships, and he’s been smitten with Cindy since premiere night as well.

The Golden Bachelor Season 2 Contestant Carol Freeman-Branstine Self-Eliminated

Carol had hoped that she’d receive the final one-on-one date before hometowns because she was concerned about bringing Mel home to meet her family without ever having been on a date alone with him. When he chose Cindy for the last one-on-one date instead, she made the heartbreaking decision to self-eliminate from the show, telling Mel that she didn’t feel that they had a strong enough connection, which shocked and disappointed him.

Mel Sent Home Two Golden Bachelor Season 2 Frontrunners

Because Mel chose Cindy, Debbie, and Peg for his hometown dates, this meant that he sent home Cheryl and Nicolle, who seemed to be frontrunners to win his heart. Cheryl had received Mel’s first Golden Bachelor one-on-one date, and she told him on the last group date that she was falling in love with him. He told her that he couldn’t wait to go to her hometown, so she was devastated to be eliminated right before his hometown dates.

Nicolle and Mel had a strong physical connection, and he’d chosen her for a special dinner after the comedy roast group date, but they never had an actual one-on-one date. She’d become the villain of the season when she expressed her desire to use the show to become an influencer to the other women, although Mel didn’t know that she’d said it. Nicolle also took credit for baking lemon bars for Mel all by herself that all of the women had helped to prepare.

Although they seemed to be developing a close bond, during the last group date, Mel stated in his confessional that Nicolle said a few things that gave him pause when he asked her where she saw herself in five years. She told him that her goals included wanting to build her Instagram presence and to write a cookbook of plant-based recipes.

Mel even stated that perhaps these concerns were what Golden Bachelor contestant Robin Rocha, who he’d eliminated the previous week, was talking about when she warned him about some of the women not being genuine.

When Nicolle said goodbye to Mel, she told him that when his relationship with his final choice inevitably ended, then he should call her. She also said in her confessional that she’d like to be the next star of The Golden Bachelorette.

Mel’s Golden Bachelor journey began with controversy after he made ageist comments on a podcast, stating that he only wanted to date women aged 45 to 60, and that he would cut any women over the age of 60 from his cast. However, after meeting the women, he’s formed some beautiful connections with them. Hopefully, Mel’s hometown dates will help him to fall in love with Cindy, Debbie, or Peg.