The new star of The Golden Bachelor was a little tarnished by recent comments he made about dating older women, but he’s trying to make amends. In a new interview with Glamour, Mel Owens — who is set to star in the second season of ABC’s senior dating competition — confronts the backlash he received when he

If you’re still skeptical, Mel understands. He told Glamour that the first thing he did when filming on The Golden Bachelor started last month was to apologize. “I said, ‘It was unfair, insensitive. I want to earn it back. Just give me the chance,’” he revealed, adding that he plans on earning the audience’s trust back, too.

It may be true that Mel Owens will change his mind on dating women over 60 when he meets the contestants on his season, which is set to film this summer and air in the fall. For me, though, this threatens to put a damper on the Golden spinoffs, which have so far celebrated living life to the fullest at any age.