The Golden Bachelorette contestant Charles Ling has become a fan favorite, and he's now explaining why he decided to compete for Joan Vassos' heart on the reality dating show for seniors. Charles, a 66-year-old retired financial analyst from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been very open about how difficult it was to deal with the sudden loss of his wife of 36 years due to a brain aneurysm six years ago. She was his first and only love. However, on The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Charles has explained that his two daughters have helped him to begin moving on with his life.
In an interview with Bachelor Nation, Charles explained how and why he applied for The Golden Bachelorette. He shared that it was his daughter who encouraged him to watch The Golden Bachelor, which he'd heard about, but never watched. He shared that when they watched the show, his daughter said, "Dad, I think this is a very fascinating program and I think you’d find it interesting, plus it’s really time for you to move on… You deserve it." Charles then applied for The Golden Bachelorette, "and after a few days the phone rang and the interviews started."
To be honest, it’s really my daughter. When she visited me somewhere around spring, she watched a few episodes of the program in the past. And after dinner one night, she said, “Dad, you’ve got to see this program,” and I said, “What program?” and she said, The Golden Bachelor. And I’d heard about it, but I’d never watched it. She said, “Come here, Dad, please take a look. You might find it interesting.” I watched it for probably about 20 to 30 minutes, and then a phone call interrupted. And the next day, she started the topic all over again. We watched it, and she began the conversation of, “Dad, I think this is a very fascinating program and I think you’d find it interesting, plus it’s really time for you to move on… You deserve it.” So I applied myself and after a few days the phone rang and the interviews started.
What Charles' Story Means For The Golden Bachelorette
Charles Is A Very Inspiring Man
Charles' story about how he joined The Golden Bachelorette is a very inspiring one because he's showing people that it's okay to be sad after tragedy strikes, but then life can go on. Charles' daughter helped him to see a path forward through The Golden Bachelor. Although Gerry Turner's season was marred by his eventual divorce from Theresa Nist after just three months of marriage, Charles' story is a reminder of how much good the show did while it aired. The Golden Bachelorette is now bringing that same hope to people.
Our Take On Charles' Golden Bachelorette Journey
Charles & Joan Have A Very Pure Connection
Charles has been a joy to watch on The Golden Bachelorette. It's been beautiful to see him speak about his love for his late wife, while also opening his heart to the possibility of new love with Joan. During the '80s prom group date, Charles admitted that he'd never been to a prom before, so it was lovely to see him experience everything for the first time. Watching him smile and dance brought tears to my eyes.
