The second season of “The Golden Bachelor” came to an unexpected end with Mel Owens choosing Peg Manson.
Instead of getting down on one knee and proposing, Owens gave Manson a ring, explaining that it “represented our commitment to love, to give us time to figure out what our future would be together.”
While the world watched their love story unfold for weeks, the couple spent plenty of alone time together to bond, cooking, watching shows, attending sports games, and other everyday experiences.
“For the past three months, they put us in a house together and we were quarantined,” Manson told Variety. “It was fun and nice to go out and communicate and do daily activities as a normal couple.”
Despite ultimately choosing each other, Owens’ journey to finding a partner encountered a major turning point near the end.
At the beginning of Wednesday’s finale, it was revealed that one of the final two contestants, Cindy Culler, decided to leave the show after realizing they were not on the same page about their relationship. While the marriage-minded Culler was hoping it would end with a proposal, Owens’ priority was to “find a partner” during the show’s journey.
“My message was very clear from the beginning,” Owens explains. “I wasn’t going to get married off the island like she wanted. You fall in love, you fall in love, and then you get married. And there’s another person involved, and she said, ‘Let’s put that person aside.'” Well, that’s the show, so it can’t be helped. That’s how it’s done. That’s the journey. There was no miscommunication on my part. I told her straight up what was going to happen. She was ejected and that’s her right and that’s fine. It was ironic that she would say she was in love but walk away instead. ”
Mr. Manson seemed wary of Mr. Culler’s sudden resignation and expressed concern about not knowing where Owens would stand. After spending some one-on-one time with him at Fantasy Suites, her fears smoldered.
“I had a lot of questions” about joining “Fantasy Suites,” Manson says. “I was able to spend that time with him and ask deep questions. As we went on this journey, we had the same idea about working on and continuing this love story: Let’s nurture that friendship first. And love is a byproduct of that.”
Now that their relationship is public, the couple said their top priority is to continue writing their love story, in their own way.
“We’re going to continue to get to know each other,” Owens says. “Today is our official first day together. We’ve been together for the past few weeks on and off, probably a few months, but it’s an ongoing process. I love being around her. She’s funny, a great personality, a loving mother, very devoted, and treats me well. I’m having the time of my life.”
