Gerry Turner, 71, Is ABC's First-Ever 'Golden Bachelor': 'It's Never Too Late to Fall in Love Again'

The network has described the upcoming 'Bachelor' spinoff show as the chance for "one hopeless romantic" to find "a partner with whom to share the sunset years of life"

Love knows no age, as ABC is hoping viewers will learn this fall when they tune into their latest Bachelor spinoff, The Golden Bachelor.

On Good Morning America Monday, the network announced Gerry Turner as its first-ever Golden Bachelor star.

"It’s never too late to fall in love again," the 71-year-old Indiana father of two and retired restaurateur said on the show. "Don't give up, there's always possibilities."

Turner, who's first name is pronounced GAIR-ee, married his high school sweetheart, Toni, in 1974 — the two living a "full and happy life" with their two daughters, Angie and Jenny, and later two granddaughters, Charlee and Payton. But after 43 years together, Toni fell ill and died in 2017, just six weeks after she retired.

"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.' "

Turner's daughters were the ones who suggested he sign up for the show, he said. He told the ABC news morning show he signed up because he knew he had "nothing to lose."

"I'd love it if I found a partner who is high energy. Someone who was high-energy. Someone who maybe plays pickleball; someone who maybe plays golf."

According to The Golden Bachelor's official synopsis, Turner "lives in his dream house on a beautiful lake in Indiana. 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."

As for getting married again, Turner tells GMA, "I wouldn't discount it."

The Bachelor teased on its social media accounts Friday that it will be “looking to the future with rose gold lenses” and that the Golden Bachelor is “for mature audiences only.”

Related: Andi Dorfman Marries Blaine Hart in ‘Dreamy’ Italian Wedding: 'He’s My Person' (Exclusive)

The franchise has been gearing up for the new series since 2020 when it began a casting call for people enjoying their “golden years” who would be interested in an “exciting new dating show.”

In May, ABC announced that The Golden Bachelor  will premiere this fall, as will season 9 of Bachelor in Paradise.

“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 statement at the time. “On this all-new unscripted series, one hopeless romantic is given a second chance at love in the search for a partner with whom to share the sunset years of life. The women arriving at the mansion have a lifetime of experience, living through love, loss and laughter, hoping for a spark that ignites a future full of endless possibilities.”

Related: Andi Dorfman Marries Blaine Hart in ‘Dreamy’ Italian Wedding: 'He’s My Person' (Exclusive)

The debut season of The Bachelor premiered in 2002 with Alex Michel serving as the first lead. The Bachelorette premiered the following year with Trista Rehn (Sutter) handing out the roses. Trista, 50, and her final rose recipient, Ryan Sutter, tied the knot in December 2003 and have since welcomed two children together.

Along with Bachelor in Paradise, which premiered in 2014, The Bachelor franchise has also inspired spinoffs The Bachelor Winter Games, Bachelor Pad, The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart and The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons – Ever!

The Bachelorette’s 20th season, hosted by Jesse Palmer and featuring Charity Lawson searching for her soulmate, is currently airing on ABC.

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The Golden Bachelor will premiere this fall on ABC.

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