I'm Convinced That Gerry Turner Should Be The Golden Bachelor Again

Though the show's inaugural season ended in a devastating divorce, I'm increasingly convinced that Gerry Turner should be The Golden Bachelor again. I know it may sound strange, but I strongly believe that the retired restaurateur who recently celebrated his 73rd birthday is the only one who could save the show. It's hard to imagine that Gerry wasn't in the public eye until the Bachelor franchise had the brilliant idea of producing a version of the dating show focused on the love lives of the elderly. From the moment audiences caught a glimpse of the telegenic Gerry, they were hooked.

The Golden Bachelor season 1 premiered in September 2023 and was an instant hit as ABC's highest-rated unscripted series debut in two years. The show also earned a permanent place in history as the first reality series about seniors. When Gerry was announced as the Bachelor spin-off's first lead, widowers and divorcees from all over the country flooded ABC casting offices with applications. In the end, Gerry gave his final rose to Theresa Nist, and the two were married, but they divorced three months later. Over time, I've grown increasingly convinced that Gerry should be The Golden Bachelor again.

Gerry Has Star Power

The Man Is A National Treasure

After his split from Theresa, Gerry took the brunt of the blame. Bachelor Nation fans went from loving Gerry to turning on him at lightning speed. Though I strongly believe that the level of vitriol towards Gerry was misplaced, he didn't do himself any favors. Not only was it revealed that he lied about his love life before appearing on The Golden Bachelor season 1, he also bragged about his romantic options after his relationship with Theresa had ended.

An almost infinite amount of ink has been spilled detailing the ins and outs of Gerry's questionable behavior, but no one can ever accuse the man of not being entertaining enough. Love him or hate him, Gerry has star power, which is why I'm still writing about him months after The Golden Bachelor season 1 aired its final rose ceremony in November 2023. I strongly feel that the show needs Gerry, because no one can possibly be as entertaining as he is.

Gerry Deserves A Second Chance

He Learned A Lot From His First Go Around

Long before Gerry joined the cast of The Golden Bachelor season 1, he lived a quiet life, and this was not his first brush with love. He was married to Toni Turner for 43 years before she passed away in 2017, after a brief illness. The fact that Gerry was able to sustain a loving marriage for 43 years says a lot about the man.

I'm sure that Gerry learned a lot from his first time as The Golden Bachelor, which would help him to make better choices this time around. For example, he won't tell a woman that she's "the one," then turn around and give his final rose to someone else, like he did to 65-year-old Leslie Fhima. Also, the Bachelor franchise has never recast a lead, so not only would it make history, I think this could be a fascinating experiment.

Who Else Could Be The Golden Bachelor?

No One Can Touch Gerry

One of the reasons that I think Gerry is the only person out there who could do The Golden Bachelor season 2 justice is that I can't imagine who else ABC could cast who would excite audiences in the same way. While watching a recent episode of The Golden Bachelorette season 1, which is currently airing on ABC, I saw an ad asking women to apply to be on The Golden Bachelor season 2. Since a second season is all but guaranteed, the producers must already be considering who the next lead will be, and I just hope they don't overlook Gerry.

A clear front-runner is 58-year-old Mark Anderson, who made his television debut during The Bachelor 28, when his daughter, Kelsey Anderson, chose Joe Graziadei for a hometown date. If producers don't come to their senses long enough to cast Gerry as The Golden Bachelor again, Mark would be an adequate plan B. Mark would make a good enough Golden lead, but he'll never be as charismatic and interesting as the great Gerry Turner.