Gerry Turner is ready to find the new love of his life.
The 71-year-old was announced as the star of ABC's new Bachelor spinoff show, The Golden Bachelor, in July 2023. According to the network, the father-of-two is a “hopeless romantic” looking for someone to “share the sunset years of life."
"It’s never too late to fall in love again," Turner said during an appearance on Good Morning America. "Don't give up, there's always possibilities."
Turner said he was pushed to join the show by his two daughters after their mother, Turner’s wife, died. Though the pressure could make any man nervous, he told GMA that being the first elderly man to lead the show “feels amazing and it's still sinking in.”
While ABC has yet to reveal the women that will be vying for Turner’s heart, the new leading man said he is looking for someone “high energy.”
“I'd love it if I found a partner who is high energy,” Turner said. “Someone who was high-energy. Someone who maybe plays pickleball; someone who maybe plays golf."
The Golden Bachelor will premiere on ABC this fall, where Turner will meet women with "a lifetime of experience, living through love, loss and laughter, hoping for a spark that ignites a future full of endless possibilities.”
So who is the Golden Bachelor? Here’s everything to know about Gerry Turner, the newest addition to the growing Bachelor franchise.
ABC/Brian Bowen Smith
Turner is from Indiana where he lives “in his dream house on a beautiful lake,” according to The Golden Bachelor’s official synopsis.
He is the first-ever Golden BachelorABC/Brian Bowen Smith
As the first senior-aged man to lead the Bachelor spin-off show, Turner will set the precedent for men dating in their 70s. But the pressure hasn’t gotten to him and he remains positive about his prospects, saying he “has nothing to lose.”
On whether he would get married again, Turner told GMA, “I wouldn’t discount it!”
In ABC’s promotional video for the show, the network teased some snippets of what audiences can expect with Turner as the lead.
"He posts his thirst traps in a leather-bound album. His DMs have postage,” the teaser trailer revealed. ”He gets the early bird special any time he wants. If you call him, he’ll answer the phone. He doesn't have gray hair, he has 'wisdom highlights.' Florida wants to retire, and move to him. He’s Gerry.”
He is a retired restaurateur with many hobbiesABC/Brian Bowen Smith
Before he started his journey as a reality TV star, Turner was a restaurateur, though he is now retired. He also has a number of hobbies that he is excited to share with a loved one, including pickleball and golf.
“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,” his official description reads.
ABC/Brian Bowen Smith
Turner married his high school sweetheart, Toni, in 1974. The two lived a “full and happy life” until Toni’s sudden death in 2017, six weeks after she retired and fell ill.
"She got robbed. Every day that goes by, that's the thought that I have," Turner told GMA. "I have her picture on a dresser in my closet. Every morning I give her a nod, 'So what do you think about this?' For awhile it was like, I was having a hard time figuring out if she would be okay. But we always told each other when one of us goes, we want the other to be happy. She's up there rooting [for me]. She's saying, 'Yeah, Gerry. Do this.' "
He has two daughters and two granddaughtersABC/Brian Bowen Smith
Turner raised two daughters, Angie and Jenny, with his deceased wife. He also has two granddaughters: Charlee and Payton.
Turner’s daughters encouraged him to join the show and were cheering him on when he got chosen as the first Golden Bachelor.
“They started screaming and everybody gathered round,” he said on GMA of his daughter’s reactions to the news.
Bachelor host Jesse Palmer delivered the good news to Turner on a video call. Turner's daughters and grandchildren joined him on the call, with Angie telling Palmer, "One of those 25 ladies will be super lucky ... they’ll be like ‘Yes, I scored!’ ”
