"Really is a wet sock": The Golden Bachelor fans react to Mel Owens' personality

The Golden Bachelor season 2 aired the penultimate episode on November 5, 2025. It saw Mel Owens traveling to Antigua with the remaining contestants, Peg Munson and Cindy Cullers, hoping to lock in his connection with at least one of the women. 

However, he held himself back and refrained from expressing his feelings, leading the female contenders to question his intentions and wonder whether he was prepared for an engagement at all.

While Peg doubted whether Mel was “emotionally available” since he always deflected questions about his feelings, Cindy pushed him to open up and express his opinions on their relationship. 

While responding to Cindy, Mel continued to circle the subject, providing her with vague responses. She was equally frustrated with his lack of reassurance, wondering why he kept holding himself back. 

As for Mel, he was still undecided going into the finale. He added that he was scared of taking a leap of faith and blindly trusting one of the two women. Cindy, on the other hand, was not fond of his responses, as she contemplated whether he knew what he had signed up for.

The Golden Bachelor fans on X criticized Mel’s distant behavior and overall personality. According to them, he was uninterested in both women and not fit to be the lead of the show.

“Mel really is a wet sock.. he has zero personality. he says him and Peg match energies and I am wondering where? how? what? Huh?” a netizen commented.

The Golden Bachelor fans were unimpressed by Mel’s interactions with the ladies. 

“Is it me or while these women are pouring out their hearts and expressing their feelings, Mel is like Frankenstein just growling or moaning?” a fan wrote. 

“the only happy ending I want to see is both of these baddies leaving Mel single and stranded,” another one commented.

“You agreed to be the lead on a reality show Mel, but go ahead and hold everything about yourself for the privacy of the fantasy suites,” an X user reacted.

Other fans of the ABC show expressed a similar sentiment. 

“Funny one that podcast Mel kept saying how adventurous he is but we haven't seen that,” a person wrote.

“Mel is not into either of them. If these women were smart they both would dump him now,” another netizen commented.

“If I was Cindy, about half way through that conversation, I would’ve gotten up and left. Why is this guy on the show?   He shows more personality when riding around in a dune buggy,” a fan posted.

Mel’s reserved personality raises concern for Peg and Cindy on The Golden Bachelor

In this week’s episode of The Golden Bachelor, Mel stated that he did not use the word “love” loosely. Since his previous marriage ended in heartbreak, he did not want to express his feelings casually. 

“So, I won’t tell anyone I love them again, just to say it,” he added.

However, Mel’s guarded personality made Peg and Cindy question their connections.

While speaking to the cameras, Peg stated she doubted Mel’s emotional availability as he always deflected her questions. 

Her concerns were heightened when she asked him for his opinion on their relationship, to which he answered with “Good.”

Peg explained that she wanted Mel to be vulnerable and to be “open and honest” before she accepted his Fantasy Suite invite. 

Later during dinner, Mel confessed that he loved being around her and enjoyed her energy and her spirit. It impressed Peg, who went into the Suite with Mel. 

The following day, he took Cindy on a date, which included a boat ride and swimming with stingrays. 

Cindy said in a confessional that she wanted to know his “plans” for the future since she was falling in love with him and had no idea if he felt the same about her. 

When questioned by Cindy, Mel answered that he was “still working it out.” She continued to push him for answers. Ultimately, Mel stated that he was not going to “take the leap of faith.”

“So you knew when you agreed to be the Golden Bachelor that this ended in a proposal. Is that  not a leap of faith for you?” Cindy asked. 

The episode concluded on a cliffhanger, as Cindy asked him if there was a “will” to continue his journey with her.

Stay tuned for more updates.