While the lead and contestants may be older, ABC teased that The Golden Bachelor—which was delayed for several years due to COVID-19 after it was announced in January 2020—will follow a similar format to the OG show.
“The women arriving at the mansion have a lifetime of experience, living through love, loss and laughter, hoping for a spark that ignites a future full of endless possibilities,” the network’s May 16 press release read. “In the end, will our Golden man turn the page to start a new chapter with the woman of his dreams?”
But host Jesse Palmer shared that the stakes will be different on The Golden Bachelor because of the “emotional maturity” and life experiences of the older cast.
“The way that they decipher problems, the way that they think about some of the situations that they’re in—whenever they face adversity, it’s pretty interesting,” Jesse told E! News. “It’s a very, very resilient group of people. That’s probably been one of the more surprising things for me.”
And while it will be—say it with us—dramatic, the spinoff will also be uplifting, according to Jesse.
“The vibe of the show up to this point has been very different from the other shows that I’ve been a part of in the last two years,” he noted. “There’s really this sort of overarching theme of hope on this show. If it doesn’t work out between the lead and one of the women, it’s not so much heartbreak but it’s more, ‘You know, I wasn’t sure I could put myself out there again and give love another try. You and this experience have given me the courage to do that moving forward, and I believe I’m gonna find my person.’ And it’s beautiful.”