Who is Gerry Turner?
Gerry Turner, the star of The Golden Bachelor, appears lively on the show, despite being in his 70s. The premiere of The Golden Bachelor on September 28, 2023, added it to the extensive roster of spin-offs from ABC’s The Bachelor.
The Golden Bachelor is a new show that shares some similarities with The Bachelor, but it caters to a different audience – senior citizens looking for love.
The participants on the show are all 65 years old or above. On July 17, 2023, the first season’s star was revealed to be Gerry Turner, a retired restaurant owner and widower from Hudson, Indiana.
Turner became the pioneer in “The Golden Bachelor” by captivating both the participants and viewers at home with his use of hearing aids and endearing interactions with the potential matches who arrived in the limo and shed tears alongside him during the initial rose ceremony.
Life Before Fame
According to his ABC profile, Turner was known for his charm and romantic nature. He married his high school love, Toni, in 1974, and they remained together for 43 years. They had two daughters, Angie and Jenny, and two granddaughters, Charlee and Payton.
Sadly, the family was faced with tragedy when Toni, after being married for 43 years, became ill with a bacterial infection that eventually caused her death. This occurred just six weeks after her retirement.
Before becoming a reality TV personality, Turner’s profession was in the restaurant industry, but he has since retired. He is eager to introduce Nist to his favorite pastimes, pickleball, and golf.
The retired individual resides in his idyllic lakefront home. In his leisure time, he enjoys organizing outdoor cookouts, rooting for his beloved Chicago sports franchises, participating in pickleball matches, embarking on four-wheeling adventures, and unwinding in the company of loved ones.
The Golden Bachelor Journey
Gerry Turner became the first senior gentleman to helm the Bachelor spin-off series, establishing a new standard for septuagenarians in the dating scene. Despite the expectations, he maintained a positive outlook and expressed a lack of concern, stating that he had nothing to risk.
According to his interview with PEOPLE, Turner revealed that he was easily persuaded to join the show.
“When they sent me a text about it, I had seen the ads throughout the show. In the back of my mind, I thought, ‘That would be quite an experience. That would be a lot of fun.'”
He added,
“So when they really hit me up hard with it one night, they didn’t have to push as hard as what they maybe thought. It was a back-and-forth in my head before I decided to actually fill out a questionnaire online, but I’m certainly glad I did.”
Gerry Turner & Theresa Nist
After the conclusion of The Golden Bachelor, Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist revealed their plans to tie the knot during a televised event on ABC.
The extravagant ceremony was held on January 4th, 2024 at La Quinta Resort and Club in La Quinta, California. Nist, accompanied by her son Tom, walked down the aisle in a stunning Badgley Mischka dress, while Turner looked dashing in a timeless black tuxedo.
In an interview with PEOPLE a month earlier, Gerry Turner expressed his satisfaction in allowing Nist to take control of the planning process.
“I can just hear the joy in her voice when I talk to her and she’s talking about whether it’s a dress or a cake or flowers or whatever it is,” he said. “It makes me so happy that she’s having this much of a good time with it. It’s like, what could be more fun?”
