As The Golden Bachelorette finale approaches, fans are eagerly waiting to see who Joan Vassos will choose in the end. But in the meantime, a former contestant is stirring up excitement online with new dating rumors. That’s right! Remember Mark Anderson? This 58-year-old retired Army general lost his wife, Denise Anderson, in 2018 after 18 years of marriage.

Since then, he hasn’t dated much, raising his five kids as a widower. But this year, he got a second chance at love on the reality show’s first season. Although finding love on TV proved to be harder than expected, it seems that Mark may have found romance off-screen. Rumor has it he’s now dating actress Barbara Alyn Woods, and fans are buzzing with excitement.

Is Mark Anderson Dating Barbara Alyn Woods?

Mark Anderson, who first appeared on The Bachelor during Joey Graziadei’s season, was warmly nicknamed “Kelsey’s hot dad” because he supported his daughter Kelsey Anderson on her journey to find love. He even did some YouTube research to learn about the franchise before jumping in! Later, Anderson joined The Golden Bachelorette to pursue a connection with Joan Vassos, though things didn’t quite work out. Now, however, fans think he might have found someone new.

On October 27, One Tree Hill actress Barbara Alyn Woods posted a Halloween photo on Instagram featuring herself dressed as Cinderella, with Anderson right beside her in a Prince Charming costume. Her daughter, Natalie Alyn Lind, even joined in on the fun as Yoda from Star Wars. Woods captioned the photo,

sparking dating rumors almost instantly.

Kelsey Anderson, Anderson’s daughter and the winner of The Bachelor season 28, added to the buzz by commenting

Mark Anderson’s Future as a Golden Bachelor

Mark Anderson might have a different future than fans expected on The Golden Bachelor. He was a popular choice to star in season 2, especially after his appearance as Kelsey Anderson’s dad on Joey Graziadei’s Bachelor season and his recent turn on The Golden Bachelorette, where he sought a connection with Joan Vassos. However, Vassos felt he might not be fully ready to date after losing his wife, and she eventually said goodbye to him on the show.

But now, it seems Anderson could have found love outside of reality TV. Rumors started flying after One Tree Hill actress Barbara Alyn Woods posted a Halloween photo with Anderson in matching Cinderella and Prince Charming costumes. She followed that with a TikTok video where the two danced to Disco by Surf Curse in front of a festive Christmas tree, ending with a warm hug.