Bachelor Nation
Mark Anderson’s Already a ‘Golden Bachelorette’ Frontrunner: Get to Know Kelsey’s Dad
Kelsey Anderson‘s dad, Mark Anderson, made quite an impression when he appeared on Joey Graziadei‘s season of The Bachelor. The 57-year-old Minnesota native, who now lives in Louisiana, was supportive of his daughter’s journey to find love. Never having seen any of the franchise before, he started doing research on YouTube before his daughter’s stint. He gushed about how “brave” Kelsey was for taking such a leap.
After continuously being called “Kelsey’s hot dad,” Mark is making a bold move. Mark is a contestant on The Golden Bachelorette, and fans already want him to win Joan Vassos’ heart. Whether his experience will end the same as daughter Kelsey — she is currently engaged to Joey — will be revealed soon. No matter what happens, Mark will be one of the breakout stars of The Golden Bachelorette‘s debut season.
What does Mark do for a living?
Whether Mark is currently working is unclear. He is a retired Army veteran. He and his late wife, Denise, were both military police. Their profession took them to Germany, where they lived for many years before settling down in Louisiana. Kelsey revealed on The Bachelor Season 28 that her mom “was Soldier of the Year multiple times” and that she quit when she was born.
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Living in Leesville, Mark still often goes to Minnesota and says he misses having “four season,” according to The Minnesota Star Tribune. The newfound reality star is a fan of his home state’s football team, the Minnesota Vikings.Like Joan, Mark is a widower. Immediately drawn to his wife Denise by her sense of humor, he lovingly recalled that he “immediately felt that connection,” he said. “Oh, that’s the one, right there.”
What happened to Mark’s wife?
Sadly, Denise passed away in 2018 after being diagnosed with breast cancer. She discovered she had Stage 4 breast cancer in 2011, which later metastasized to her bones and liver in 2018. “They gave her six months,” Kelsey told Joey. “After that, it was just very aggressive and after I think about 2 months, she passed away.”
Kelsey opened up about her mom on The Bachelor and mentioned to Joey that whenever she sees butterflies it is a sign from her mom. She said that she saw butterflies in New Orleans right before her adventure started.
How many kids does Mark have?
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Mark has five kids: Matthew, Taylor, Pascal, Jordan, and Kelsey. The supportive father has also started to bond with future son-in-law. He was seen supporting Kelsey’s fiancé during his first appearance on Dancing With the Stars. A fan of Joey, Mark even posted a photo of Joey and dance partner Jenna Johnson asking people to vote for the duo, as well as a snapshot with Olympian Ilona Maher.
As the second person from the Anderson family to enter Bachelor Nation, Mark is happy he has the guidance of his daughter. “My dad is really my favorite guy,” Kelsey said on The Bachelor. “Whenever anything happens, he’s the person I run to. Whenever I’m happy or I’m sad. And definitely in happy and sad moments I think that I really miss my mom but I know that I have my dad that I can lean on.”
The Golden Bachelorette, Wednesdays, 8/7c, ABC
