After two decades of dramatic dates and riveting romances, the enduring reality TV franchise “The Bachelor” will premiere a new spin-off this fall: “The Golden Bachelor”, with an entire cast of people ages 65+.
In an apparent attempt to appeal to older reality TV buffs and romantics, the show’s concept has reportedly been tossed around for a while. The SAG-AFTRA strike presented the perfect timing to develop a new version of the popular unscripted reality dating show featuring 25-30 single contestants who compete for the love of one bachelor. The identity of the starring bachelor for the new spin-off was revealed last week to be 71-year-old Gerry Turner, a widower from Iowa who lives in Indiana.
“After more than 20 years of fostering young love on ‘The Bachelor’, ‘The Bachelorette’, and ‘Bachelor in Paradise, ‘The Golden Bachelor’ showcases a whole new kind of love story – one for the golden years,” ABC said in a press release announcing the series.
“The Golden Bachelor” is structured similarly to previous versions of “The Bachelor”, but the new show will feature older, more seasoned contestants vying for love. Additionally, the coveted hometown dates with the finalists may require meeting each other’s children, rather than meeting the parents.
Who is ‘The Golden Bachelor’ star Gerry Turner?
Turner is a widower who was married to his high school sweetheart for 43 years prior to her passing. In a recent interview on Good Morning America, the new star grew visibly emotional when speaking of his late wife.
“She got robbed,” Turner said of Toni, who died in 2017. Turner also shared that his daughters approve of him appearing on the show, adding that his late wife would be “rooting” for him from beyond.
“We always told each other, ‘When one of us goes, we want the other one to be happy,’” Turner told GMA.
Turner is active and energetic and hopes to find a love who will share his interests and activities, including pickleball and golf. The contestants have not yet been revealed at press time. However, a casting page remains live online, revealing a bit about the type of information prospective contestants were asked to provide upon applying to be on the show.
While it may be too late to get a spot as a contestant for the premiere season this fall, “it’s never too late to fall in love,” Turner has said.
Will “The Golden Bachelor” provide a fairytale ending with true love? Fans will have to tune in this fall to ABC on Monday nights at 10 p.m. to find out.
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