Strap in, rose-loving gremlins because the casting for Golden Bachelor 2026 has already gone completely feral and somehow, Samantha Armytage is the one driving the bus straight into Chaos Town.

According to multiple insiders (who we assume are texting from a production office littered with half-finished coffee cups and emotional support rosé), the network is currently juggling three potential Golden Bachelors… which means they’re casting three entire groups of women at once.

Yes. Three men. Three vibes. And apparently they’re getting close! The (producer-led) quest for love has supposedly landed Channel 9 with two key contenders for season two, namely Neil McIntosh and Craig Trinder, according to the Daily Mail.

“There are three guys still in the mix,” one source told PEDESTRIAN.TV. “They’re all totally different, so producers are basically running three casting processes at the same time. It’s… a lot.”
Looks like a shakeup is coming next season! (Credit: Channel 9)
No kidding! Enter Samantha Armytage, who is apparently DONE pretending to be neutral.

While execs have been quietly losing their minds, Sam Armytage has slipped into the picture with opinions. Big ones. She’s reportedly been invited to a lunch with senior producers to help break the tie between the men and she’s not holding back.

Originally, production was hoping to cast Armytage with someone “less flirty” than last year’s breakout star Barry ‘Bear’ Myrden, after their chemistry left viewers hoping the Golden Bachelor would give Samantha a rose instead of the potential women.

But Sam said: “No babes, let’s do that again.”

“She told them to lean into the drama,” an insider claims. “She knows the audience lived for the tension with Bear. She’s not scared of another big personality.”
Samantha Armytage is the producers’ fave after last season. (Credit: Channel 9)
Honestly? Respect. The casting board keeps shifting like a drunk Jenga tower.

Even wilder: the frontrunner for Golden Bachelor keeps changing because every time a new woman walks into casting for one of the men, it apparently reshuffles the entire playing field.

“It’s like watching a love-triangle puzzle explode,” a crew member says. “One standout woman walks in and suddenly the producers are like… ‘oh shit, now HE makes more sense’.”

The network doesn’t just want a leading man. They want the perfect leading man for Sam to bounce off, AND the perfect group of women to bounce off him. It’s basically reality TV algebra.

Producers want heart + humour + chaos. And Sam is giving them the green light for chaos.

Insiders say this season is a big one for the franchise and Nine wants to get the tone exactly right.

“They’re being extremely picky,” a source adds. “They want someone who works with Sam, someone older women will genuinely fall for and someone who can deliver the heart AND the mess.”

Honestly, good luck with that. Bottom line: Golden Bachelor 2026 is shaping up to be absolutely unhinged.

Casting is in its final weeks. Sam is suddenly an unofficial producer. The shortlist is flipping every 48 hours. And apparently chaos is now part of the brief.

So yeah, if this is the energy going IN, imagine what the season itself is going to look like.

Bring your wine. Bring your group chats. Golden Bachelor 2026 is gearing up to be its messiest season yet and we’re obviously obsessed already.