“The Golden Bachelor DROPPED”: ABC CANCELS Hit Show After Disastrous Ratings, Leaving Studio Questioning Mel Owens’ Casting and Fans Stunned

Things aren’t looking good in Bachelor Nation. As the number of women on Mel Owens’ season of The Golden Bachelor continues to dwindle, so, too, do the series’ subpar ratings. And according to a new report, things are getting so bad some are wondering if ABC will cancel The Golden Bachelor rather than renewing for a third season.

The Sun first reported on the behind-the-scenes panic, noting that this season of The Golden Bachelor has brought in about half the viewers of season 1. A show insider told the paper, “At this point, it’s just outright embarrassing.” According to the source, the lackluster ratings have production second-guessing their choice to make Mel Owens the lead.

“He wasn’t the right pick and they see that now, but didn’t see it until it was too late,” said the insider. “That mixed with overall interest in the franchise dropping and you have the dismal numbers that the show is left with.”

The insider claimed that while the studio was “past the point of being upset” by the decrease in viewership, so much so that it might be time to end The Golden Bachelor—and even the entire Bachelor franchise—for good. “They are doing everything they can to revive this franchise from the dead,” the source said. “It might be time to put it to bed for good.”

Any self-respecting member of Bachelor Nation can tell that the producers are doing their best to shake things up. Just this summer, season 10 of Bachelor in Paradise turned the journey for love into a cash prize competition. And, according to the insider, the studio is hoping that casting The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul will boost ratings enough to save the franchise.

“They are putting pressure on [Taylor] to be the saving grace of the entire franchise because without her season being a success, there’s a good chance it will get moved to streaming,” the source for The Sun added. “And there’s always a chance it could get canceled altogether.”