Disney/Christopher Willard (1); Disney/Maarten de Boer (2)
Gary Levingston Shares Advice for ‘Golden Bachelor’ Season 2 Lead Mel Owens: ‘Be Vulnerable’
After he appeared on season 1 of The Golden Bachelorette, Gary Levingston shares his advice for The Golden Bachelor season 2 lead Mel Owens during an exclusive interview with Life & Style.
“Be vulnerable,” Gary, 66, tells Life & Style about the advice he would give Mel, 66, going into season 2 of the reality show while promoting his partnership with Talkspace.
When it comes to advice for both Mel and the women vying for his heart on the upcoming season, Gary says they should “allow [themselves] to be vulnerable and to feel safe, to be the genuine you, to be who you are. And the rest will fall in place.”
“But I think the vulnerability part is so very, very important because that’s when the real you shows up,” Gary continues. “And the only way that happens is if you feel safe talking about what it is you want and the things that you look forward to getting. So I think the vulnerability part is something I would recommend for Mel and the contestants.”
Fans previously watched Gary pursue a relationship with Joan Vassos during season 1 of The Golden Bachelorette. Their romantic relationship didn’t last in the end and she got engaged to Chock Chapple, though Gary tells Life & Style that he and Joan, 62, are still on good terms.
“We are in touch on a regular basis,” he says of his friendship with Joan. “Whenever she posts things, I’m always responding or she’s responding to mine. Both her and Chock are near and dear to my heart. We are close and dear friends. So it’s been a fabulous relationship. It really has.”
Not only is Gary still close with Joan and Chock, 61, but he has remained in contact with her other suitors from season 1.
“We are all still in touch with each other. Just last week we went to an event in Beverly Hills,” he says, referring to the mini reunion with the men at Hulu’s Get Real event held in April. “So we all stayed very much in touch with each other.”
Following his interview with Life & Style, Gary and his former costars were “all getting on a Zoom call to just reconnect and talk again as we’re coming up on our one year anniversary when we first met.”
He adds, “So the bromance continues and it’s absolutely fabulous.”
Gary Levingston
Additionally, Gary – who is set to star on season 10 of Bachelor in Paradise – also opens up about her role as a “senior advisor” for Talkspace.
“Talkspace has pulled me in to be their very first senior advisor, which is fantastic. Using my platform to speak to the seniors, or the Goldens as I like to call them, to talk about mental health in particular for May Mental Health Awareness Month,” he explains of his partnership with the brand, which is a leading online behavioral health care company.
Gary goes on to explain why it’s important for people to take care of their mental health, especially as they age.
“It’s important that we focus on more than just our physical health. You see more of us drinking more water, you see us going and exercising and doing the whole workout thing and the pickleball versus tennis, but we forget a very important part of that health issue and it’s associated with mental health and there are stigmas associated with [that],” he says. “I think it’s important that we do focus on the mental side of our health, not just the physical side.”
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