Summary

I used to think thatThe Golden Bachelorleading man Gerry Turner saved theBachelorfranchise, but now I’ve changed my mind and realized thatit was actually theGolden Bachelorwomen who were its saving grace. Gerry was introduced as a 72-year-old retired restaurateur, who’d suddenly lost his wife, Toni, to a bacterial infection six years before the show. They were together for 43 years and had two children and two grandchildren.

With a sweet smile and a twinkle in his eye, Gerry began hisGolden Bachelorseason 1journey with 22 women over the age of 60. As Gerry fell in love with Theresa Nist and proposed to her, the show gave hope to people of all ages that anyone could find love at any point in their lives, no matter their circumstances. The tiredBachelorfranchise was revitalized, and I gave credit to Gerry for saving it. However,when scandal ruined Gerry’s reputation, I realized that it was actually his contestants who breathed new life intoBachelorNation.

jasmine alan cumming

20 Best Reality TV Shows Right Now

Reality TV is more popular than ever. With so many to choose from, here are some of the best reality TV shows to stream or watch right now.

Gerry Turner Was Allegedly Not Who He Appeared To Be

The Golden Bachelor Divorce Was A Disaster Too

DuringThe Golden Bachelor,I was shocked whenThe Hollywood Reporterpublished an exposé about Gerry that alleged that he’d lied about his past, including his career and dating history. The report alleged that, according to Gerry’s LinkedIn page, he hadn’t owned a restaurant since 1985. The article also stated that Gerry wasn’t completely retired and had been working as handyman before the show. I didn’t think that this was too much of a red flag, since many retired people have jobs after they retire from their main career.

However, I was concerned when I read thatGerry allegedly lied about not having a dating historybeforeThe Golden Bachelor.He was accused of dating a woman for an extended period of time before the show, and later breaking up with her because she’d gained weight before his reunion. It didn’t bother me that Gerry might have dated this woman after his wife passed away, but it was strange that it wasn’t mentioned on the show. It was more of a lie of omission than an outright falsehood, but it definitely made me see him in a different light.

Gerry Turner from The Golden Bachelor in color and gold colorwash

Gerry’s innocent widower image was tarnished. To me, he now seemed like every otherBachelorfranchise lead who went on the show more to gain fame than love. The way he blindsided runner-up Leslie Fhima by making her think that he was going to choose her also ruined his reputation.The final straw was Gerry’s divorce from Theresa, just three months after the Golden Wedding, which made me realize that Gerry couldn’t possibly live up to the high expectations that were created for him. However, I still loved the show, and now I know that it’s because the women saved the franchise, not Gerry.

The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner Can Redeem Himself If He Does This One Thing

The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner’s has tarnished his image throughout the past few months, but there’s something he could do to redeem himself.

The Golden Bachelor Contestants Are Exceptional Women

The Women Saved The Bachelor Franchise

Although I first thought that it was Gerry who brought theBachelorfranchise back to life,I now know thatThe Golden Bachelorwould have been nothing without the amazing women who appeared on the show.Some of the standouts were Theresa, who’s a strong, capable woman with a thriving career at age 70, and Leslie, who, at 65 years old, is still teaching dance classes and motivating people to achieve their goals. Faith Martin, 61, is a multi-talented singer and musician, who’s still playing live shows and entertaining audiences.

At 75, Sandra Mason is as vibrant as ever, making people laugh with her incredible sense of humor. Best friends Susan Noles, 67, and Kathy Swarts, 71, are the hosts of theBachelor Happy Hour: Golden Hourpodcast, and have been imparting their wisdom with their unique brand of kindness and humor. Andthe wonderful Joan Vassos, 61, is about to begin her journey as the first-ever star ofThe Golden Bachelorette.

The Golden Bachelor TV Poster

I believe that these women,along with Ellen Goltzer, April Kirkwood, Nancy Hulkower, Christina Kemption, Edith Aguirre, Jeanie Howard, Natascha Hardee, Peggy Dercole, Marina Perera, Anna Zalk, Maria Trice, Pamela Burns, Patty James, Renee Halverson Wright, and Sylvia Robledo, were the ones who saved theBachelorfranchise, not Gerry.Their inspiring stories and beautiful friendships were the highlight ofThe Golden Bachelor.These women deserve the credit for breathing new life into theBachelorfranchise.

The Golden Bachelor

Cast

The Bachelor returns to TV with The Golden Bachelor, a romantic reality competition series created for ABC. The show will focus on an older generation of hopefuls, with one senior male hoping to court and win the heart of one of several older female contestants.