Meet The Golden Bachelor, 71-Year-Old Gerry Turner
"The Bachelor's" newest spin-off series, "The Golden Bachelor," has officially announced its leading man, 71-year-old retired restaurateur Gerry Turner. Gerry, an Indiana native and proud grandfather, will make his debut on ABC this fall when he dates 25 women in the hopes of finding a wife. Unlike previous iterations of the show, which have highlighted contestants fresh out of college or in their early 30s, "The Golden Bachelor" is looking for single women 65 and older. So if you don't qualify for Medicare, no need to apply.
"It's still sinking in," Turner explained on "Good Morning America." If all goes according to plan, he'll wrap up filming with a fiancée and newfound celebrity status. "I'd love it if I found a partner who's high energy, someone who maybe plays pickleball, someone, that maybe plays golf," ABC's newest Bachelor explained. When he's not relaxing at his picturesque lake house or spending time with his daughters and granddaughters, you can probably find Gerry four-wheeling in the Indiana countryside (one of his many hobbies, according to ABC).
All in all, the 71-year-old is excited about what's to come. His lifetime of love and loss has only made him more qualified to headline a nationally-beloved dating show, and here's hoping he's more successful than some of "The Bachelor's" past leads.
Gerry Turner lost his wife in 2017
Gerry Turner has been a widower for the past six years. He tragically lost his wife, Toni, in 2017 after over 40 years of marriage. The pair met in high school, fell in love, and got married in 1974. "She got robbed. Every day that goes by, that's the thought that I have," ABC's newest bachelor said on "Good Morning America." He knows Toni would support his decision to find love again. "We always told each other when one of us goes we want the other one to be happy. She's up there rooting saying, 'yeah, Gerry, do this.'" The retiree also has the support of his two daughters, Jenny and Angie, and his granddaughters, Payton and Charlie. In fact, they're the ones that got him to sign up for the show.
So far, "The Bachelor" spin-off series has received some celebrity interest. Martha Stewart even said she'd headline the show, "If [she gets] to see the men first," that is (via Variety). Who knows, maybe we'll be treated to "The Golden Bachelorette" next. After all, in the words of Gerry Turner, "It's never too late to fall in love."