Bachelor Nation fans have been eagerly awaiting the beginning of the first-ever season of the Golden Bachelor. The wait is finally over, and we have been officially introduced to the 71-year-old widower and restauranteur, Gerry Turner.
After meeting Turner this season and hearing the enticing way the first star of the new reality show introduces himself on screen is just icing on the cake. “And I am your first Golden Bachelor,”, fans are left hungry to learn more about this history-making man.
The “hopeless romantic” from Indiana is quite the charmer and after mourning the loss of his late wife for years, he feels ready to find someone he can’t live without. His being the inaugural Golden Bachelor has left many wondering about how this will re-ignite the franchise that has had its fair share of controversy of the past few years.
All of the curiosity surrounding Turner has led to quite a lot of information being dug out about Gerry, his family life, and his late wife. Here’s a rundown of what we know.
Who is Gerry Turner?
Turns out that he was blissfully married to his high school sweetheart — Toni — after whose death, his two daughters, Angie and Jenny encouraged him to sign up for the show. Besides the family support, Turner claims to be sure that moving on and finding the love of his life once again in his golden years is something his deceased wife would approve of. “She’s up there rooting for me,” he said on the subject.
Providing a detailed account of his relationship with his wife on Good Morning America — with whom he spent 43 years of his life, as well as the beginning of this new journey — he said,
“It’s never too late to fall in love again.
“I have her picture on a dresser in my closet. Every morning I give her the nod, ‘So what do you think about this?’ For a while it was like I was having a hard time figuring out if she would be OK. But we always told each other, when one of us goes, we want the other one to be happy.”
Reported by Entertainment Weekly, ABC underlined a detailed profile of the new senior bachelor which says,
“A retired restaurateur and doting father and grandfather, Gerry [GAIR-ee] Turner lives in his dream house on a beautiful lake in Indiana. He’s often busy hosting barbecues, playing pickleball, cheering on his favorite Chicago sports teams, four-wheeling, and spending time with friends and family at restaurants and local haunts.
Always a romantic, Turner married his high school sweetheart, Toni, in 1974. Together, they lived a full and happy life with their two daughters, Angie and Jenny, and later two granddaughters, Charlee and Payton. Sadly, after their 43 years together, Toni suddenly fell ill and passed away in 2017.
Six years after Toni’s passing and with the support of his family, Turner is ready to put himself out there and find a love that will stand the test of time in his golden years.
What is the main difference between Gerry Turner and other Bachelors?
As we were approaching the premiere, there was still a lingering uncertainty as to how the show would fare against its predecessor, The Bachelor, and its present-day spinoff, The Bachelorette. While many are optimistic about the show, its TV Executive, Rob Mills is sure of the show’s ability to evince attention primarily because of its diversion from a set theme.
“It’s such a different way of doing ‘The Bachelor’ because these people are just at a totally different place in their lives. There is an interesting thing about people who have hit the other end of the spectrum, who’ve lived their lives, they’ve raised their kids, some have been widowed or divorced and maybe some have never been in love. We thought that would be an interesting dynamic through the ‘Bachelor’ prism.”
Saying so, it must be pointed out that the immensely successful reality TV series is creative in its spinoffs; be it The Bachelorette – which places a woman as the titular protagonist, or The Golden Bachelor – which will be seeing a variation with regard to age. It’s still too soon to declare the show a success or a failure but, overall, one can hope that the new series captures and delivers a similar fervor to eager fans.
How old is the Golden Bachelor?
Most of the Bachelor contestants who’ve come before land in their mid-20s to early 30s, but The Golden Bachelor aims to turn this concept on its head. The youngest Bachelor to ever grace the program was season 5’s Jesse Palmer, who appeared in his season at only 25 years old, so it’s no wonder people are dazzled at the idea of a fresh Bachelor more than four decades his senior.
The first-ever Golden Bachelor, Gerry Turner, is a suave and silver 71-year-old. He’s only recently entered his septuagenarian years, but he sure doesn’t look it. People are finding themselves gobsmacked by the revelation of Turner’s age, due to his youthful appearance and energy, which most people would mark around 50 at most.
But no, our main man is settled into his 70s. He’s mature, experienced, and looking for the right woman to share his golden years with. He’ll grace our screens with all the sophistication those years lend him when The Golden Bachelor continues to air on ABC this fall.