Note: This story contains spoilers from “The Golden Bachelor” Season 2, Episode 6.
After kicking off his journey on “The Golden Bachelor” with 23 senior women, Mel Owens narrowed down his dating pool to just three women ahead of his hometown dates: Cindy Angelcyk Cullers, Debbie Siebers and Peg Munson.
“I got to know them more each week and their personalities and styles match mine,” Owens told TheWrap. “It was a process and but these are the ones that I thought matched up with me more than anyone else.”
As the leading man prepared to meet the women’s families, Owens approached the week with ease, hoping for connections with the family members to happen naturally. “That way I can get a real feel for how they are, especially around their families,” Owens said. “The family members get to ask you questions, and I get to ask the family members questions, so you get a real feel for the person’s personality.”
Hometowns were smooth-sailing until Owens’ trip to Austin, Texas, when Cullers’ daughters noticed what they identified as some hesitation from Owens’ side. Owens maintains he was “honest and true to [himself]” and told them exactly how he felt, saying, “I didn’t mislead them or lead them astray or say something that I didn’t mean.”
“I didn’t know what they were telling their mother, so I didn’t know that at the time, but … those are their own personal feelings — they’re there to protect their mom’s interests and for the mom to get advice [but] at the end of the day, it’s Cindy’s decision,” Owens said. “I appreciate their input and how Cindy got the information from them.”
Ultimately, it wasn’t Cullers nor her daughters who should’ve been concerned, as Owens handed Cullers and Munson his final two roses, sending Siebers home. The decision was nothing against Siebers nor her family, according to Owens.
“I really enjoy Debbie’s company, and I think she’s really a truly wonderful person — she has a lot of depth to her and she’s sincere and honest, and that was probably one of the most difficult decisions I had to make on my journey,” Owens said. “At the end, you have to go through the process, and I just had a deeper connection with the other two … there can only be one and I had to choose, and I just thought I had a deeper connection with someone else.”
With just Cullers and Munson left, Owens said he went into fantasy suites with the same ease at which he approached hometowns.
“I’m not pressing anybody on anything — we’re adults, and we want answers on both sides,” Owens said. “I just let the conversation take it where it went … I let it sort of steer itself. And at the end, I was satisfied with the result.”
“The Golden Bachelor” airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.
