ABC has announced the star of the upcoming series “The Golden Bachelor,” a spinoff to their long-running hit franchise The Bachelor (and The Bachelorette).
71-year-old Gerry Turner, a retired restaurateur from Indiana, will lead the senior reality dating series. The format will be similar to that of the flagship dating show except this time, Turner will be looking for love among a group of eligible women 65 years and older. According to a press release, 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.”
Turner was married 43 years to his high school sweetheart, Toni, who suddenly fell ill and died in 2017. He is also the father to two daughters, and grandfather to two granddaughters. Turner said after his introduction as ‘The Golden Bachelor’ on Good Morning America: “It feels amazing and it’s still sinking in,” adding that he’s looking for a “high-energy” partner. He also said of his late wife, Toni: “I have her picture on a dresser in my closet. … For a while, it was like I was having a hard time figuring out if she would be OK [with me moving on]. But we always told each other, when one of us goes we’d want the other one to be happy. She’s up there rooting [for me].”
The Golden Bachelor will premiere on ABC this fall.
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