The Golden Bachelor it’s officially here!
At the season premiere of the latest spinoff film Bachelor, 72-year-old retired restaurateur Gerry Turner was hoping for a second chance at love after losing his wife Toni six years ago, sharing: “Tonight is the first day of the rest of my life. How happy would I be if I found another true love in my life? I had one that was amazing, wonderful, 43 years of marriage to my high school sweetheart. I married Toni in 1972 and we spent 43 wonderful years together.”
The Golden BachelorGerry Turner’s love story with late wife Toni: Everything you need to know (Exclusive)
The couple bought their dream retirement home in June 2017, with Gerry tearfully explaining that his wife “became ill and her situation deteriorated over a few weeks. It was July 7 and I said, Toni, let’s go to the emergency room. So we went to the local ER and she had a bacterial infection… I took my wife to the ER on July 7th and she didn’t come home. She passed away on July 15.”
Earlier this year, the father of two children arrived in Bachelor castle ready to meet 22 “beautiful” women. However, he admitted to host Jesse Palmer that he was “a bit nervous” on the first night.
Gerry Turner and Jesse Palmer in ‘The Golden Bachelor’.
ABC/Craig Sjodin
Limousine arrivals
The Indiana native was in awe of the night’s first arrival to Edith, 60, and told her she looked “gorgeous” in her very form-fitting gold dress and matching handbag. The couple kicked off the party with confetti.
The evening took an emotional turn when Ellen, 71, revealed she had made the decision to perform The Golden Bachelor in honor of her friend Roberta who has cancer.
On the other hand, 75-year-old courtesan Sandra made Gerry laugh with a swear-filled meditation. The retired executive assistant also didn’t hold back when she described what she looks for in a man, explaining: “At my age, I’m energetic. I’m still connected to my body and I want intimacy with a guy, and since I really haven’t been in love for a long time. I really need someone to step into my golden years with.”
Leslie, 64, pulled out all the stops by arriving in a wig, nightgown and walkers before shedding her costume to reveal a sparkly dress. She also revealed that she was married twice and once dated Prince, who wrote “Sexy Dancer” about her. The fitness instructor immediately invited Gerry to dance because she wanted to show off her skills.
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Teresa and Gerry Turner in ‘The Golden Bachelor’.
ABC/Craig Sjodin
Theresa, 70, came prepared to celebrate her birthday and to mark the occasion, she teased that she arrived in her “birthday suit” – in fact, she wore a bare bodysuit under a cape, hoping the stunt would be “truly memorable.”
April, 65, also made an impression when she arrived with a basket of eggs and told Gerry her eggs were still “very fresh”. She did a chicken dance before heading inside, while Patty, 70, took a simpler approach, saying she thought ABC’s long-running dating experiment was really “working” because her son Matt James was a former bachelor who is now with his last choice Rachael Kirkconell for two and a half years.
Matt James is a proud son as he cheers on mum Patty ahead of her ‘Golden Bachelor’ journey
Faith, 60, rode up on her motorbike to meet Gerry, telling him: “I’m proof that you can live fast and not die young. And if you leave here with me, it will be the ride of your life.”
Before the arrivals were over, Gerry got a surprise visit from none other than Jimmy Kimmel’s Aunt Chippy. She called the Golden Bachelor the “unluckiest” guy in the world, which he immediately denied. She jokingly accused him of “lying” about his age. She said she arrived at the mansion after telling her nephew that Gerry was “one in a million” so she wanted to meet him. When she went inside and saw the other women, she realized she was in the “wrong place.”
COCKTAIL PARTY
After Gerry’s first toast, April wasted no time in stealing him away and made sure he forgot her name by presenting him with a calendar that had April in every month, of course. She shared, “I’m a flirt, but it’s been 20 years for me, I need to get back on my game.”
From there, Ellen admitted she felt “giddy” after Gerry told her she had his “attention” as she described her desire to find love, and Natascha, 60, couldn’t help but notice the Golden Bachelor is in “great shape . ”
Gerry Turner Says the Women on The Golden Bachelor We got along except for one ‘insignificant incident’ (Exclusive)
Marina, 60, shared her daughter’s message, telling him: “She told me to tell you you’re a fool,” and he responded by sharing that his granddaughter had informed him she had “rizz.”
Susan, 66, and the new leading role bonded over their love of the song “At Last” by Etta James. In the confessional, she said: “Gerry is handsome. I checked every inch of him, he has a beautiful smile. He’s just perfect.”
During Faith’s one-on-one, she performed an original love song on guitar and Gerry looked mesmerized. He said: “It was a beautiful song. He had me from the start.”
Faith and Gerry Turner in ‘The Golden Bachelor’.
ABC/Craig Sjodin
Gerry Turner on his ‘Golden Bachelor’ survival guide, from Helen Mirren’s hopes to being someone’s ‘granddad’
When a high school teacher asked him what he wanted his future to look like, he replied, “A little bit of this would be just fine.” After their conversation, she said: “You can be completely honest with him. He is so reciprocal. He listens very well. I recognize that this is something I want.”
After Theresa read the letter her daughter had written to her before arriving at the mansion, Gerry gave her a cake to celebrate her birthday. The couple didn’t just share a sweet treat — they also shared their first kiss!
The financial services professional admitted: “It’s been a while since I kissed a guy and it felt amazing. It was so good. It was an amazing 70th birthday. I could never have imagined in a million years that I would be here. I feel like we made a connection. I would be very surprised if I didn’t get the First Impression Rose.”
The cast of the film ‘The Golden Bachelor’.
ABC/Craig Sjodin
Gerry and the ladies kicked off a full-on dance party in the mansion, with the former Golden Bachelor calling the evening “a wild ride”, adding: “I didn’t expect to build relationships here so quickly, but it’s working.”
Every Bachelor Nation contestant who got the first impression rose up and won
Of course, the night couldn’t end until Gerry released his First Impression Rose. Faith was the lucky winner and Gerry told her: “I want you to know that you made such an impression not because you rode a motorbike, not even because you have a beautiful voice and sang me a song, but because of what you do right now — you make me feel special.”
The pair then kissed, and she said: “For me this rose represents hope, the hope that we can create something beautiful together and that’s the beginning and I felt so special.”
Rose ceremony
Gerry began his first rose ceremony by saying, “I want you to know how grateful I am for all of you to be here and for starting this journey with me. I also know this works because I felt a connection with some of you tonight.”
He continued: “Unfortunately, this is something I’ve been afraid to do for many months. It’s hard to look at such wonderful women like you and know that you won’t all be here tomorrow.”
In the end the roses went to Ellen, Theresa, Joan, Natascha, Leslie, Christina, Edith, Nancy, April, Sandra, Jeanie, Kathy, Marina, Peggy and Susan.
Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be happily ever after for Anna, Maria, Pamela, Renee, Sylvia and – perhaps most shockingly – Patty (apologies to Matt and Tyler Cameron on Gerry’s behalf).
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The Golden Bachelor airs Thursdays at 8:00 PM ET on ABC.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education