‘The Golden Bachelorette’ Casts Kelsey Anderson’s Dad Mark In A+ Move

Just one day after a surprise Bachelor announcement, ABC revealed the cast for the upcoming season of The Golden Bachelorette, and Bachelor Nation’s prayers have been answered: Mark Anderson is returning to TV screens!

If Mark’s name doesn’t ring a bell, you may not have watched Joey Graziadei’s season of The Bachelor. If you did, you’ll likely recall that Mark is Season 28 winner Kelsey Anderson’s dad, and after meeting him during her Hometown Date, Bachelor Nation was rooting for him as either a Golden Bachelor lead or Golden Bachelorette contestant.

Per Tuesday’s casting announcement, the 57-year-old Army Veteran from Leesville, Louisiana will be one of 24 men hoping to find love with Golden Bachelorette lead and Golden Bachelor alum Joan Vassos.

Per his official Golden Bachelorette bio, “Mark is ready for love after loss. You may recognize Mark as Kelsey Anderson’s dad and Joey Graziadei’s future father-in-law! Inspired by Kelsey and Joey’s love story, Mark is excited about this chance to find love again. Mark is empathetic and warm and has dedicated his life to working for the military. His five children are his greatest accompaniment, and he can’t wait to have grandchildren one day.”

“Mark loved watching The Golden Bachelor because it made him realize he’s not alone in his grief, and others are also hoping to find love again in this chapter of life,” the bio continues. “He loves traveling to visit his kids, and he hopes to meet a woman to plant roots with again. Mark is truly here to find his person and hopefully return home with Joan by his side.”

During Kelsey’s first one-on-one date with Joey, she explained that her mom and dad met in the military when they were both military police officers. She shared that her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer a decade ago, which metastasized on her bones, explaining, “They gave her six months, and after that it was very aggressive, and after two months she passed away.” During her second one-on-one, Kelsey expressed deep admiration for her dad, Mark, noting that he watched his wife die, but raised Kelsey and her siblings with so much love through his grief. He told her that her mom would be proud of her for her Bachelor journey, and ahead of the Hometown Date, Kelsey noted that it would be a hard day for her dad without her mom there beside him.

“If that’s what he wanted to do, I will support my dad fully. He’s an amazing man and deserves the world.”

Kelsey Anderson, The Bachelor

The build-up for Mark was admittedly major, and the Bachelor dad did NOT disappoint. As noted in our previous piece, in addition to being a straight-up ZADDY, Mark showed incredible heart by gifting Kelsey an album with photos of her mom, having a firm but fair chat about intentions with Joey, and giving a glimpse into his own love story with Kelsey’s mom. After chatting with Joey, Mark told cameras he felt reassured. And in a vulnerable heart-to-heart with Kelsey, he said, “I want all of you to feel that feeling I had with your mom.” (BRB, crying!)

In an interview with Kelsey and Joey back in March, Decider asked how they’d feel if Mark was cast as The Golden Bachelor lead or a Golden Bachelorette contestant. “If that’s what he wanted to do, I will support my dad fully. He’s an amazing man and deserves the world,” Kelsey said. “Mark’s special, so if people get to see more of him they’ll be lucky,” Joey added.

We’ll have to watch and see if Mark Anderson’s Golden Bachelorette journey ends in success like his daughter’s or in an early elimination like former Bachelor lead Matt James’ mom Patty’s, who was sent home on Night 1 of The Golden Bachelor. No matter the outcome, it looks like Bachelor Nation is already in Mark’s corner.

The Golden Bachelorette premieres Wednesday, September 18 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC with next-day streaming on Hulu.