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Pascal Ibgui was one of the more divisive contestants on The Golden Bachelorette for most of the competition, but he self-eliminated late in the competition. The self-elimination was met with mixed emotions, but the positive was he let Joan Vassos go so she could find someone excited about her. While Pascal endeared himself to fans of the series with his honesty just weeks ago, it was short-lived.

He’s now coming under fire for his odd suggestion for ways to change up The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette. While the 69-year-old hairstylist was among the oldest contestants on Joan Vassos’ season of The Golden Bachelorette, he’d like to see much younger ladies compete for his affection if he became the next Golden Bachelor.

Pascal and Joan on 'The Golden Bachelorette'
Pascal Ibgui and Joan Vassos | Disney/Gilles Mingasson

Pascal wants to see younger contestants on ‘The Golden Bachelor’ Season 2

Season 1 of The Golden Bachelorette is coming to a close. As the finale looms, fans and former contestants are looking ahead to The Golden Bachelor season 2. Pascal Ibgui has thought about the type of contestant he’d want to see on the series if he were to lead the show. The Chicago business owner insists he’d be open to being the lead, but only if producers cast younger ladies.

During an interview with Us Weekly, Pascal said he would need a lower “age limit” to consider appearing on The Golden Bachelor. He quipped that despite his own “old” age, “I don’t go out with a 72-year-old woman.” Pascal didn’t elaborate on the age range he is interested in. Still, it seems unlikely his golden girls would be all that golden.

Did Pascal miss the point of the series?

Pascal’s call for younger contestants has outraged viewers, many of whom have enjoyed watching older men and women find love and open up on national TV. They’ve sounded off on social media, and for good reason.

Pascal’s requirement would ignore the show’s mission and send a toxic message to older ladies, the show’s target demographic. Pascal, at 69, is asking for younger women to compete for his heart. Here’s the thing: the woman he competed for was younger than him. Pascal is clearly interested in women in their 40s and 50s. That sends the message to women in their 60s and beyond that they are still “invisible” even to men older than them.

Joan Vassos holds a rose during 'The Golden Bachelorette'
Joan Vassos on ‘The Golden Bachelorette’ | Disney/Gilles Mingasson
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Joan Vassos Was ‘Hurt’ but Not Upset by Pascal Ibgui’s ‘The Golden Bachelorette’ Self-Elimination

It’s also awfully hypocritical of the man. A woman of 72, assuming they’d even be interested in Pascal, would only be three years older than him. He won’t date older women, but he expects younger women to be receptive to him. He was almost a decade older than Joan Vassos and 18 years his ex-wife’s senior.

Pascal feels like an unlikely pick for the next Golden Bachelor, anyway. In the best of times, he was divisive and seen as completely snobbish in his worst moments. There are several contestants that fans would rather see lead the next season of The Golden Bachelor. Still, if he was in the running at some point, his recent comments likely knocked him out of contention. A dating app is probably a better fit for Pascal, anyway.

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