Cindy Cullers signed up for The Golden Bachelor, not knowing the man she would meet when she got to the mansion. She was fine with that. While Cullers reached the final moments of the competition, she self-eliminated. Since then, she’s done a lot of reflecting on the season, how lead Mel Owens acted during the series, and what the public perception of the former NFL star really says about him. Fans mostly disliked Mel Owens, the lead of The Golden Bachelor season 2. They contended that he was stiff and standoffish. Cullers thinks she knows why he came across that way.

Cindy Cullers thinks Mel Owens’ lack of familiarity with ‘The Golden Bachelor’ franchise was a big problem

In a chat with Katie Couric Media, Cindy Cullers reflected on the season and what she thinks made Mel an unsuccessful golden bachelor. While he did leave the series with a partner, he didn’t navigate the process with much gusto or commitment. Cullers thinks there is a reason for that. She theorizes that Owens’ lack of familiarity with Bachelor Nation created a disconnect between him and the show’s concept.

Cindy Cullers and Mel Owens | Disney/John Fleenor

Cullers said she thinks Owens was closed off and largely unavailable because he didn’t have any experience in Bachelor Nation before signing up, unlike other leads, who are commonly pulled from contestants in a previous season. Some of the blame has to be placed on Owens’ personality, too, though. After all, Gerry Turner was new to Bachelor Nation when he led season 1 of The Golden Bachelor. While he’s seen as a reality TV villain now, he was warm, open, and enthusiastic during his season.

Would Cindy Cullers sign up for her own season?

Cindy Cullers’ time on The Golden Bachelor didn’t end with her finding love. She hasn’t landed in a relationship in the months since the finale aired, either. That has led to a lot of fans questioning if Cullers could be the next golden bachelorette. She’s open to the idea, as she told Katie Couric Media, but she has some requirements.

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Cullers said that she would love the oppurtunity to lead the next season of The Golden Bachelorette, but would need to have a deep understanding of the vetting process. The Austin-based biomedical engineer isn’t confident the casting team could find 25 golden men who are actually interested in committing to a life together.

We think she might not be giving the casting team enough credit. Sure, there were a couple of swings and misses with Joan Vassos’ season of The Golden Bachelorette. Still, most of the men who appeared on the show were very committed to finding a partner. They were mostly kind, open, and emotionally available. We think the casting team could probably make that happen again for Cullers.