Get ready to meet the most intriguing contestant on The Golden Bachelor Season 2—Carol Freeman, and trust us, she’s not your average participant. While Mel Owens, the show’s star and a former NFL pro, has been charming viewers since the premiere, it’s Carol, with her impressive MLB ties, who has truly caught his eye.
At 63, Carol from Villa Park, California, made a memorable entrance wearing a dazzling jacket emblazoned with "FREEMAN," and tossed Mel a baseball with a cheeky smile, saying, "They told me you’re a good catch… hopefully, we can both hit it out of the park." That line wasn’t just for fun—Carol is connected to baseball at a deeper level than most contestants.
She’s not just a passionate baseball enthusiast; she’s also the manager and aunt of Los Angeles Dodgers star first baseman Freddie Freeman, who, incidentally, Mel greatly admires. Besides their shared love of baseball, both Carol and Mel have experienced marriage before and currently reside in Orange County. Put all these pieces together, and it sounds like a match destined for Bachelor Nation history.
So who exactly is Carol Freeman-Branstine, the standout contestant on season 2? Let’s dive into everything you need to know about her—from her official Golden Bachelor bio to her social media presence.
According to Carol’s official profile, she proudly refers to herself as "a total girl boss." After dedicating many years to raising her three daughters—the joys of her life—she returned to work full-time managing her professional athlete nephew, Freddie Freeman. Adding to her inspiring journey, Carol recently went back to college as a mature student and is thriving in that new chapter. She humorously remarks, "Now I qualify for both student and senior discounts!"
Despite a life full of love, hard work, and achievements, Carol confesses she’s missing one key element: a lifelong partner. Her quest on the show is all about finding that special connection, and she’s hopeful Mel might be the one to share that journey with her.
In Episode 3, Carol opened up about her cautious approach to dating, revealing she’s had only one boyfriend, one husband, and just two dates in the last five years, making it tough for her to fully open up to Mel. But after receiving comforting advice from Golden Bachelor alum Susan Noles, Carol seems ready to take a chance on love and loosen up emotionally.
Speaking of fun, Carol’s comedic flair shone during Episode 2’s group date roast. Despite stumbling without notes and having lost her joke material, she improvised brilliantly. One of her standout lines was, "I heard on the podcast that Mel likes to date women aged 40-60, right? That’s our first big commonality. He was looking for a younger woman, and I was looking for a rich quarterback." That witty remark was pure gold and showed she can definitely bring humor and spontaneity to the table.
And now, for the quirky tidbits about Carol that make her even more captivating:
- She drinks more Diet Coke than water.
- She’s a fan of Bad Bunny’s music.
- She plays the tambourine skillfully.
An NFL alum and Bad Bunny fan joining forces? It almost sounds like a Super Bowl party in the making if these two keep hitting it off outside the show.
For those curious to follow Carol’s journey beyond The Golden Bachelor, you can find her on Instagram at @carol_free14, where she had around 2,473 followers as of Episode 4.
Interestingly, the usual Bachelor Nation spoiler, Reality Steve, hasn’t dropped much intel on The Golden Bachelor Season 2, so we’ll have to stay tuned to see how far Carol advances. But surviving the elimination ceremonies up to this point clearly signals she’s made a significant impression on Mel.
New episodes of The Golden Bachelor Season 2 air every Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. ET on ABC.
Now here’s a question to stir some debate: Is Carol’s family fame giving her an edge, or should the focus be solely on genuine connections? What do you think? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
