‘The Golden Bachelor’ and ‘The Golden Bachelorette’ Would Be Much More Successful With 1 Modification
The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette is a great concept. The shows have shone a light on an often-forgotten dating demographic, and while we’d love to believe that love can conquer all, there is one major problem with the franchise: the competitors all have established lives in their own cities.
Just before Gerry Turner embarked on his journey to find love on season 1 of The Golden Bachelor, we theorized that location would be a big problem. It turned out to be accurate.
While Joan Vassos hasn’t revealed who her true love is just yet, location preferences likely played a significant role in her final decision, too. There is one major tweak that could make The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette more successful, and more entertaining.
Pascal Ibgui gets honest about distance playing a significant role in ‘The Golden Bachelorette’
The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have always pulled contestants from around the country to compete for love. While that has worked out largely OK when the contestants are in their 20s, things get more complicated for older contestants. Pascal Ibgui spoke with Glamour recently and suggested geographical hurdles make it impossible for older adults to find long-lasting love on The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette.
Ibgui, who competed for Joan Vassos’ heart on The Golden Bachelorette, told the publication that he would not move for love at this point because he owns a business and real estate and has an established support system in Chicago. He also said he’s not interested in flying to see his partner every two weeks. Ibgui self-eliminated from the competition because he didn’t feel a spark with Vassos.
Could narrowing down the competition to geographical regions make it better?
Ibgui is one of many people who suggest geography would be a difficult hurdle for a couple to overcome as an older couple. We suggested it would be a problem before Turner’s season. Then, fans of the series watched location drama ruin Turner and Teresa Nist’s short-lived marriage.
Joan made it clear she wouldn’t be moving for love either. Ibgui thinks hosting “region-specific” competitions for The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette would make the most sense, and he’s right. Centering each season around a major metropolitan city, like New York, Chicago, and Seattle, and sourcing contestants from within driving distance of the city would undoubtedly increase the likelihood of successful matches.
ABC hasn’t issued a statement about the idea of narrowing down The Golden Bachelor or The Golden Bachelorette to a specific geographical location, but it’s not an untested concept. There have been dating shows that pull participants from the same geographical locations. Love is Blind is a prime example. While it doesn’t guarantee success for a couple, it does remove one of the biggest barriers to long-term compatibility, especially for older, more established participants.
