After watching The Golden Bachelor season 2 episode 3, I believe there’s a clear frontrunner for Mel Owens’ heart, but, if he chooses this woman in the end, it’ll only confirm everything that he said in the podcast, and that’s a problem. Mel, a 66-year-old NFL player-turned-lawyer and divorced dad of two sons, faced fierce backlash when he appeared on the In the Trenches podcast after he was cast as the Golden Bachelor.

On the podcast, Mel stated that he only wanted to date women aged 45 to 60, and that he’d cut any women over 60 from his cast. In addition, he stated that he didn’t want anyone with artificial hips or wigs in his cast. While Mel has the right to date whatever kind of woman he wants, fans immediately demanded that he be fired from The Golden Bachelor season 2 because his demands didn’t match the spirit of the show, which is for seniors to find love.

Mel’s cast was originally made up of 23 women, aged 58 to 77. He apologized to them on premiere night, and they even had the chance to roast him for his comments during episode 3. Although it seems like water under the bridge for Mel and the women, the contestant who made the strongest connection with Mel is confirming that everything that he said in the podcast was true. If he chooses her, it will be problematic.

The Golden Bachelor Season 2 Contestant Nicolle Kate Is The Frontrunner To Win Mel Owens’ Heart

Nicolle Is Everything Mel’s Looking For

The Golden Bachelor season 2 contestant Nicolle is a 64-year-old yoga instructor from Miami Beach, Florida. Mel had previously stated that he wanted someone who was fit, and Nicolle certainly meets that criteria. During the pool party, Mel made out with Nicolle in the middle of the pool, in front of all of the women. This offended many of them, who felt that the public display of affection was inappropriate.

The following day, Terri Alani, a 71-year-old cosmetic dentist from Houston, Texas, confronted Nicolle about dominating Mel’s time. However, Nicolle justified it by saying that she was sorry, but they were half-naked in the pool, and they kissed. Amy Kaplan defended her, stating that maybe she got caught up in the moment, which Nicolle agreed with, but Terri told her that she thought it was disrespectful.

In her confessional, Nicolle stated that she was a little surprised by how prim and proper the women seemed to be, but she suspected that, like in other parts of her life, she’d be the pioneer there, and they’d just follow. The childish drama among the women was disappointing to see, especially because The Golden Bachelor season 1 barely had any conflict at all.

Later, during the Golden Bachelor season 2 episode 3 roast, Mel chose Nicolle to have dinner with him, where they bonded about their divorces. Nicolle was married twice, but she told Mel that she no longer thinks of her two divorces as failures. Mel then opened up to Nicolle about the story of his divorce, and they bonded about their breakups. They agreed that they had a connection, and Nicolle accepted his rose.

In his confessional, Mel stated that the chemistry between them was good, and it couldn’t be manufactured or fought. They shared several kisses. At the end of episode 3, although Mel had made some strong connections with a few of the other women, it seemed clear that Nicolle was at the top of his list.

Mel’s Relationship With Nicolle Reinforces Everything He Said On The Podcast

Mel’s Choices Have Been Ageist

Image via ABC

Although Mel apologized for his ageist comments, his choices during The Golden Bachelor season 2 have confirmed that he still stands by them. He’s now eliminated every contestant over age 70, including Terri (71), Diane Firmani (71), Lily Reeves (72), and Andra Wicks (77). While one could argue that he didn’t feel a connection with them, it’s obvious that he hasn’t had the chance to get to know any of the women well enough yet, especially Lily and Andra, who he sent home on night one.

Although many of the remaining women are younger than Nicolle, and he even eliminated 58-year-old Maia Dreyer, who was the youngest of all of the contestants on premiere night, Nicolle looks and acts much younger than her age. While there’s nothing particularly wrong with that, in light of Mel’s comments, the fact that he seems to be the most drawn to her reinforces all of his ageist comments.

When Mel chose Nicolle to have dinner after the roast, it seemed as though he was just humoring the other women during the group date because he intended to pick her the whole time. He was just going through the motions, and didn’t truly give the other women a chance. Many of their comedy routines were just as funny and witty as Nicolle’s, but he picked her.

In addition, Mel and Nicolle’s immature behavior at the pool when they kissed in front of everyone proves that he’s looking for someone with a younger mindset. Many of the women don’t want to engage in public displays of affection with Mel, but he chose the one who did.

I believe that Nicolle will probably win The Golden Bachelor season 2. She’s a beautiful, confident older woman who should be proud of her accomplishments. However, if Mel chooses her based on his week 1 experiences before he really even knew her, then his apology about his ageist comments will seem like a lie because he obviously chose her due to her youthful demeanor and looks.

While Mel and Nicolle shouldn’t deny their connection just to keep up appearances, their relationship proves that he wasn’t honest about giving the older and/or less active women a chance. If The Golden Bachelor season 2 ends with Mel choosing Nicolle, then fans will know that he meant every word that he said on the podcast.