November 07, 2024
Christopher Willard/Disney
Fan-favorite 'Golden Bachelorette' contestant Charles Ling, of Malvern, was all smiles during his appearance on the Men Tell All reunion show, which aired Wednesday.
Malvern's Charles Ling, aka the sweetheart of Bachelor Nation, returned to TV on Wednesday for "The Golden Bachelorette" Men Tell All reunion with a new hairdo and plenty of gratitude for the experience and his supporters.
During the episode, Joan Vassos faced many of the fan-favorite suitors who were vying for her heart on the ABC dating show spinoff. And none of the other golden bachelors were as well received by the live studio audience (and social media) as Ling — a 66-year-old retired data analyst from Malvern — who sat in the "hot seat" to crack jokes and discuss his newfound fame, his kickball prowess and his fresh hairstyle.
RELATED: Malvern's Charles Ling leaves 'Golden Bachelorette' with a 'different form of love'
The "Bachelor" franchise Tell All shows are typically filled with the rehashing of petty drama and heartbreak, but — continuing a trend in the "Golden" spinoff series — the "Golden Bachelorette" iteration focused more on the friendships that formed amongst the 57-and-older cast and the positive ways in which the reality TV experience changed them.
Ling kicked off the episode by admiring the studio where the Tell All was being filmed — a callback to the premiere episode, in which he wandered the Bachelor Mansion, where the contestants stay, and ogled its opulence. During the Tell All, producers also aired previously unseen footage of Ling and his pal Jack Lencioni journeying through the big house.
After being sent home in an episode that aired last month, Ling told cameras that while it didn't work out with Vassos, he found a "different form of love" with his new friends from the show. On Wednesday's reunion, host Jesse Palmer asked Ling how much he has missed his fellow contestants since filming wrapped.
"Every minute," Ling replied.
Palmer also referred to the moment when Ling was the "hero" during a kickball group date, when he led his team to victory with a game-winning RBI — even though he'd never played kickball before.
"Jesse, sometimes no experience is the best experience," Ling said, receiving roaring applause from the crowd. "Also, you can see I was the fittest person."
Later, Ling was invited to join Palmer in the "hot seat" to talk more in depth about his experience on the show and the surprising way that "Charlesmania" is sweeping the nation. Palmer complimented Ling's new jet-black hair color, which Ling joked was due to some food he ate while he was on vacation.
I'm so happy to see this man finally smiling. he deserves all the happiness#TheGoldenBachelorette pic.twitter.com/7m6yKqw6Mi
— bach memes (@thebachelwhore) November 7, 2024
When it came to his experience on the show, Ling expressed gratitude to his daughter, Sophia, who was in the audience and had encouraged him to embark on the journey to find love again after his wife died suddenly. Sophia told Palmer about the change she saw in her dad since his time on "Golden Bachelorette."
"After the show, you can tell he just exudes this newfound confidence," she said. "We went to a wedding in London recently, and the second the dance floor opened up, he went right in the middle, started showing off his new dance moves."
Palmer asked whether Ling would try dating again, to which he responded "Yes" and also opened up about receiving unexpected support from his family.
"I was worried; I don't know what my daughters would think about me to date again," Ling said. "This really, really concerned me. And also I was not sure what my relatives would think about me, due to my cultural background. But the support I received, the love I received from my daughters, and my families and relatives, that worry is gone. ... My body is lighter than before. And I hope one day I'll meet that lucky one out there."
the way I absolutely NEED this king to be our next golden bachelor#TheGoldenBachelorette pic.twitter.com/HQRx06Raul
— the bitchelorette (@Bitchelorette_) November 7, 2024
Ling also got the chance to speak with Vassos and tell her how meaningful their relationship was to him.
"To meet with you, I think, is the turning point in my life," Ling said. "I'll remember our great memories in the days to come."
"First of all you look really handsome," Vassos told Ling. "I will always remember you, Charles, because I don't think I've ever met someone like you that has such a pure heart, and we are all so lucky that we got to know you."
Fans have been campaigning online to see more of Ling in the franchise, and one fan got the chance to stand up and tell him in person during the Men Tell All.
"Charles, you are so sweet, so thoughtful," the fan said. "On behalf of Bachelor Nation, we think you should be our next Golden Bachelor. ... But if not, my mom is single."
The franchise has not yet announced who could lead the next season of "Golden Bachelor," although they will probably choose one of the contestants from this season of "Golden Bachelorette." Ling expressed his surprise over his "Golden Bachelor" fan campaigns in an interview after the Men Tell All.
"This is a kind of new idea," Ling told theWrap of potentially being asked to lead the ABC reality dating show. "I didn’t watch much of the episodes from the last 'Golden Bachelor,' so I know something, but not a whole picture. I’ll see what will happen and what I should do, but … not at this moment."
If Ling is not chosen for the starring role, I am continuing my campaign for a season of "Golden Bachelor in Paradise," a spinoff which would throw together castoffs from "Golden Bachelor" and "Golden Bachelorette" in the hopes they'd find love and friendship. Ling would be perfect for that! And so would Delco's Susan Noles, who gained a fanbase in the season of "The Golden Bachelor."
Speaking of Bachelor franchise darlings, Montgomery County's Joey Graziadei, who starred in the last season of "The Bachelor," took a break from his "Dancing with the Stars" run to attend the Men Tell All to support his future father-in-law Mark Anderson, who was a contestant on the show. Graziadei got engaged to Mark's daughter, Kelsey, after giving her his final rose on the dating show. Graziadei said he and Kelsey are "proud" of Mark's appearance on "Golden Bachelorette" and wish him "nothing but the best" in his journey after the show.
"The Golden Bachelorette" finale — which includes a live after-show, where Ling could potentially pop up again — airs Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 8 p.m. on ABC.
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