The Golden Bachelor finale for season 2 delivered exactly what this franchise promises at its best: big feelings, big risks, and a love story that refuses to move on anyone else’s timeline. Lead Mel Owens, 66, walked into the last episode torn between finalists Cindy Cullers and Peg Munson, 62, and walked out with a partner, a glittering Neil Lane ring, and a clear answer to the question fans were shouting all week: who does he choose, and are Mel and Peg still together now?
The two-night run-up to the decision ended in a brutally honest Fantasy Suite date, a self-elimination that shocked Mel and viewers, and a finale that saw him slip a 3.5-carat diamond band with 30+ stones onto Peg’s finger — a symbol of commitment, not an engagement. As the dust settles, fans of The Golden Bachelor are also asking the practical follow-ups: How old is Peg on The Golden Bachelor? Are Peg and Mel still together? And, for anyone just catching up, what time is The Golden Bachelor on tonight for potential encore airings or streams?
Here’s how it all unfolded, what the ring really means, and how this “golden” endgame fits into the rest of Bachelor Nation.
What happened in The Golden Bachelor finale?
The episode picked up in Anguilla with Cindy’s Fantasy Suite date, right where the previous week’s cliffhanger left off. Cindy, 60, had already told cameras that she’d “imagined Mel getting down on one knee a million times” but could not quiet the nagging feeling that he might be more connected to Peg. On their last night together, she finally forced the issue, asking, “So what do we do from here?”
Mel tried to keep things light with, “If there’s a will, there’s a way,” but Cindy cut straight to the heart of it: “So that begs the question, is there a will?” When he admitted, “I am torn between you and Peg,” the conversation shifted from romance to hard reality. Cindy reminded him, “I didn’t come here to explore options. I’m looking for a life partner.” She had been vulnerable all season, and she wasn’t willing to stay in a relationship defined by hesitation.
The breaking point came when Mel revealed he might not be ready to propose for “maybe two years.” Cindy told him, “I cannot believe what I’m listening to,” and pointed out that he’d been given every chance to say something like “Just be patient with me. I’m falling for you” and still couldn’t go there. Instead, she heard a request to “just wait for two years” and let him “see where I am in two years,” which, in her mind, was the opposite of a commitment.
Cindy ultimately declined the overnight date and sent herself home, telling Mel she wanted to “behave as if my future husband will be proud of how I’m living,” whether that husband turned out to be him or someone else. She admitted that the chemistry with him was “off the charts” and that they were “well suited for each other,” but her priorities were clear. As she put it, she is in her “golden years,” “60 years old,” and “not interested in being put on hold.” Mel, she concluded, “is just not my person.”
The moment left the retired NFL star visibly “shocked.” Cindy’s Fantasy Suite exit also rewrote the structure of the finale. Instead of weighing two relationships at the final rose ceremony, Mel walked into his last day in Anguilla with just one woman still on his path: Peg.
Mel Owens chooses Peg Munson in The Golden Bachelor finale
With Cindy gone, the finale shifted from a classic triangle to a story about whether Mel could step up emotionally for the woman who had been harder to read — and whether Peg, who viewers had seen struggle to open up, would trust that he was truly ready.
Mel had already admitted in an earlier interview that “Cindy was more open, as you can see, during the season,” while “Peg was sort of closed off and really a difficult person to get to know.” At the same time, he said he liked Peg because she’s “high-energy,” even if “she was really not that affectionate in the beginning.” Those contrasts shaped the finale’s emotional stakes. Cindy’s departure made sense given his uncertainty, but it also forced him to acknowledge that he had to fully choose Peg if their story was going to move forward.
In the final moments, it was Peg, 62, who “stole Mel’s heart.” Rather than an engagement ring, Mel presented her with a Neil Lane Couture band and reframed the proposal itself. “This represents our commitment to love,” the 66-year-old told her as he slipped the diamond onto her finger, “to give us time to figure out together what our future holds.” Peg agreed completely, saying, “I think we’re on the same page with that.”
She told him, “I met my match and I know that you definitely are the man that I can trust.” In his final confessional, Mel summed up his new reality plainly: “Today is about fully committing to Peg and our future together because I’m ready.” That readiness did not translate into an engagement on camera, but it did mark a clear end to his search on The Golden Bachelor.
Are Mel and Peg still together after The Golden Bachelor finale?
The big post-finale question for fans is simple: Are Mel and Peg still together? During the After the Final Rose special on November 12, 2025, Mel said he “saw our love grow all the way through” the season and called it “special when it’s the right person.” He confirmed that he and Peg have already “spent some time together” and shared “moments” off-camera, and he singled out her “energy” and “get up and go” attitude as one of the things he loves most.
Peg confirmed that the relationship is very much alive, saying they are “in love” and will take the next step “on their own time” rather than rushing an engagement. As she put it, “You know what’s nice about being in your 60s and going through life, you get to write your own love story—and we’re on the same page. That’s a love story the way that we get to do it.”
Looking ahead, Peg talked about wanting to “continue to grow our love” and “continue to spend time with our families,” calling that flexibility “the nice part about being in our 60s in your golden years.” She also sounded genuinely thrilled to be able to go public. “It’s exciting,” she said. “We get to be out and we get to share this.”
So, for anyone still typing “Are Mel and Peg still together” into their search bar: yes, they are together, in love, and planning their future at their own speed. They’re even lining up post-show adventures, from trips to Las Vegas and Mel’s home state of Michigan to attending the Super Bowl in California as a couple.
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How old is Peg on The Golden Bachelor, and who is Mel?
The finale also answered some of the season’s most-searched basic questions. How old is Peg on The Golden Bachelor? Peg Munson is 62 years old. In her updated cast bio, she is described as a retired firefighter and bomb tech from Las Vegas, Nevada, a detail that underscores just how tough and unconventional her path to love has been compared to many past Bachelor contestants.
As for Golden Bachelor season 2 lead Mel Owens is 66, a retired NFL star who spent the season navigating connections with 23 women. Over the course of the episodes, he had to reckon not only with his own hesitations about remarriage but also with past comments that sparked backlash. Before filming, he joked that “If they’re 60 or over, I’m cutting them,” insisting, “This is not The Silver Bachelor, this is The Golden Bachelor.”
Those remarks followed him into the season premiere, where he stood in front of all 23 women to apologize. Mel told them, “It was insensitive, unfair. It’s truly a privilege for me to be the Golden Bachelor, and I hope you forgive me and let me earn it back. Age is really just a number, and spirit has no age.” His connection with Peg, who is herself in her early 60s, is now the clearest rebuttal to those early missteps.
Golden Bachelor finale cast: ages, jobs, and hometowns
The Golden Bachelor finale didn’t just showcase Mel, Peg, and Cindy. It capped a season full of women with big resumes and bigger personalities, many of whom are highlighted again in post-finale coverage. Here’s a breakdown of the season 2 cast details that have been spotlighted, including ages, occupations, and locations.
- Alexandra, 67, a luxury yacht sales representative from Miami, Florida.
- Tracy, 62, an interior designer based in Lafayette, Louisiana.
- Susie, 62, a realtor living in Del Mar, California.
- Robin, 63, a wealth advisor and vineyard owner from Napa Valley, California.
- Mylene, 61, a casino VIP host in Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Nicolle, 64, a yoga instructor from Miami Beach, Florida.
- Maia, 62, a flight attendant based in Huntsville, Alabama.
- Monica P., 60, a cosmetic dentist living in Birmingham, Alabama.
- Roxanne, 62, a longevity nurse from Austin, Texas.
- Amy, 63, a full-time mom from Short Hills, New Jersey.
- Terri, 71, a cosmetic dentist in Houston, Texas.
- Peg, 62, a retired firefighter and bomb tech from Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Carla, 62, a former model from Los Angeles, California.
- Gerri, 64, a home care agency CEO based in Rockville, Maryland.
- Monica B., 62, a flight attendant from Huntsville, Alabama.
- Lisa, 66, a state park employee from Marion, Ohio.
- Debbie, 65, a fitness professional from Denver, Colorado.
- Lily, 72, a retired elementary school teacher from Pacific Palisades, California.
- Diane, 71, a librarian from Wasilla, Alaska.
- Cindy, 60, a retired biomedical engineer from Austin, Texas, and a self-described “one of a kind” mother of three who loves outdoor activities.
- Cheryl, 66, retired from the IRS and living in Englewood, Colorado.
- Carol, 63, a family manager for baseball all-star Freddie Freeman, based in Villa Park, California.
- Andra, 77, a retired federal worker from Los Angeles, California.
Together, this group shows why The Golden Bachelor doesn’t feel like a simple remix of the flagship Bachelor. The women of season 2 brought entire careers, families and decades of experience into the mansion, and the finale makes clear that those histories shape how they approach love — and what they’re willing to walk away from.
Golden Bachelor finale, Bachelor Nation, and that $250,000 choice
The Golden Bachelor finale also lands in a broader Bachelor Nation moment where older and younger casts are all negotiating what love looks like on reality TV. In post-finale coverage, Mel and Peg’s story sits alongside updates on other couples across the franchise.
On season 10 of Bachelor in Paradise, for example, Spencer Conley — who once intrigued Jenn Tran with his “golden retriever energy” on The Bachelorette — and Jess Edwards, who had previously swung for Joey Graziadei’s heart on The Bachelor, chose their relationship over a $250,000 prize and still walked away with a surprise $190,000 check after getting engaged. Another Paradise duo, Andrew Spencer and Alexe Godin, left the beach dating and with $125,000, after a season that included drama over Susie Evans.
Those younger couples’ decisions to prioritize love over money echo what Mel and Peg do in a different way. He doesn’t propose in the Golden Bachelor finale, but he makes a public, ring-backed commitment to her, and she chooses a man who is honest about his pace over a picture-perfect on-air engagement.
Where to watch The Golden Bachelor finale — and the date discrepancy
For anyone still wondering, “What time is The Golden Bachelor on tonight?” the recap coverage offers a reminder and a caveat. The sources confirm that the season 2 finale episode aired in primetime on Thursday, November 13, 2025, with more than one outlet also referring to the “Golden Bachelor season 2 finale Nov. 12” when describing the events. That small discrepancy reflects how recap pieces sometimes reference the taping date or coverage timing rather than the broadcast slot.
What the coverage does agree on is that the action plays out over a final Fantasy Suite date and a last rose ceremony that rewrites itself when Cindy leaves. The season 2 closer is also now fully available to stream on Hulu, making it easy to catch up if you missed the live airing. However, none of the finale write-ups specify an exact ABC airtime, so anyone searching for same-night reruns or encore presentations will still need to check their local listings.
What Mel Owens’s 3.5-carat ring really means for Peg Munson
One of the most striking details of the Golden Bachelor finale is the ring itself. Rather than an engagement ring, Mel chooses a Neil Lane Couture design that still carries serious weight. The band is crafted in 18K gold, set with more than 30 diamonds, and totals a “substantial” 3.5 carats.
Lane explains that he wanted the stones to tell Mel and Peg’s story. The centerpiece is a three-diamond arrangement with a cushion-cut center stone representing their “happiness, unity and shared love,” flanked by two triangle diamonds symbolizing Mel and Peg as individuals. He describes the overall concept as a way to honor the “separate lives that the couple each have had so far,” reflecting the fact that both people have already lived full lives — and worn rings — before coming back to the altar in their 60s.
Visually, Lane brings in his signature Art Deco-inspired flair. He points out that the “shout-out to the triangle diamonds is a bit Art Deco” at a time when “we don’t see those kinds of shapes of diamonds” from the 1920s and 1930s as often anymore. He says it took a “number of months” to get the design just right, experimenting with inscriptions and other symbolic details before deciding that “the simplicity and the elegance” of the final version captured what he wanted.
Lane has been designing rings for Bachelor Nation couples for nearly two decades, but he notes that working with Golden Bachelor leads feels different. He talks about “dealing with couples, people, that have had lives and rings before” and says he admires contestants in this older generation for “taking this leap of faith and for putting themselves out there.”
In that sense, the ring may be the best metaphor for Mel and Peg’s relationship. It’s understated but substantial, respectful of what came before yet designed to signal a shared future. It may not be an engagement today, but it is a very public promise that Mel Owens and Peg Munson are writing their own version of happily-ever-after — on a timeline that finally makes sense to them.
For now, the Golden Bachelor finale leaves Mel and Peg where many fans hoped they’d land: in love, committed, and free to see whether that 3.5-carat promise leads to a golden wedding down the line.
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