Gerry Turner Is Ready For Someone To Make Him Their ‘Grandzaddy’

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The long-awaited senior Bachelor Nation spin-off, The Golden Bachelor, is almost here. ABC officially introduced Gerry 71-year-old Gerry Turner (pronounced like "Gary") last night during the Bachelorette Men Tell All episode, and fans are freaking out.

The best news is, filming has already begun. Yup, the formula that delivers The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and The Bachelor in Paradise now includes a version filled with boomers looking for love. It's sure to be golden, indeed.

Dedicated members of Bachelor Nation will know that the original Bachelor season debuted in 2002, and that this momentous occasion has been in the works since 2020—so it's been a long time coming! ABC's official description of the show reads that "one hopeless romantic is given a second chance at love," searching for a partner "to share the sunset years of life." Personally, I can't think of any other concept that will give Bachelor Nation a revival other than adding senior citizens to its roster.

Last night, sweet sweet Gerry said he really wants to "fall in love," and "[wants] to find [his] person who can put me in my place when I need it and make me smile at it. The person who can lay down beside [me] at night, not have to say anything, and you feel it. That’s love. That’s what I want, and I know that person’s out there.” Aww.

The upcoming show also boasts that "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." It seems like The Golden Bachelor is already the most wholesome of spin-offs.

Here's everything to know (so far) about the boomer Bachelor:

The Golden Bachelor has been in the works for a while.

If you can remember, ABC first started floating the idea back in January 2020, dropping casting commercials during Peter Weber's 24th Bachelor season, Parade reported. The show was supposed to air in the fall of 2020, but it was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, per Variety.

When does The Golden Bachelor start filming?

It has ~already~ started filming, actually! On August 5, Jesse Palmer, who returns for his hosting duties, took to Instagram to announce that Gerry's season was in full swing.

"It’s finally happening! 🚨 Gerry, our first-ever Golden Bachelor, has begun his historic journey to find love!!! 🌹 So excited and honored to be along for the ride!!!" he wrote.

And by the looks of it, the spin-off will also take place at the iconic Bachelor mansion (a.k.a. Villa de la Vena in Malibu, California).

When does The Golden Bachelor premiere?

It's not clear exactly when the first episode of The Golden Bachelor will air just yet, but ABC did confirm that it will be in the fall lineup, and new episodes will come out on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET, following Dancing with the Stars.

The episodes will (as usual) run for about an hour. So, it might be time to start scheduling your siestas. The only downside: The series is a part of the network's "strike-proof," unscripted schedule, which will allow business to continue under the Writers Guild of America strike.

If I had to make an estimate, it's likely The Golden Bachelor will air sometime in September, after the finale of The Bachelorette. ICYDK, Charity's season of The Bachelorette is almost over after premiering on June 26, and it is airing on an abbreviated schedule. Now that The Golden Bachelor has been announced, that's all making sense!

Who is the new lead?

Everyone, please welcome Gerry Turner of Indiana. Gerry previously worked as a restauranteur, the site says. He also apparently "lives in his dream house on a beautiful lake," and spends time "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."

Rob Mills, Walt Disney Television executive VP unscripted and alternative, revealed that the hardest part of getting the show off the ground was finding the right lead. “For us, the most important thing is that we get the exact right person, whether it’s a Bachelor or Bachelorette, and it’s somebody that everyone wants to see us tell their story and that everyone gets invested in seeing them find love," he told The Hollywood Reporter.

Who was Gerry's wife?

The 71-year-old is a father of two, and a grandfather who married his high school sweetheart, the late Toni Turner, in 1974. They had two daughters, Angie and Jenny, and their granddaughters are Charlee and Payton. After 43 years together, Toni fell ill of a bacterial infection and passed away in 2017, per his ABC bio.

"If there's one thing I would tell [anyone about love]," Gerry said of his successful marriage during the Bachelorette's Men Tell All episode. "It's to look at your spouse every day and tell them that you love them. The day comes too soon for one of you that you can't do that."

Gerry went on to say that he isn't looking for a relationship to replace what he had with Toni. "I am looking for a person who can make me whole again. I don't think it will look like what I had with Toni. I don't think it would be right to do it that way," he said.

What is Gerry Turner's net worth?

It's unclear at the moment what exactly Gerry is worth. He's currently retired, but he worked for many years as a restauranteur.

The average income for the owner of a single restaurant in Indiana is around $32,372, according to the Economic Research Institute. It seems likely Gerry owned or operated a franchise, which is closer to an annual salary of $100,000.

Gerry also owns a lakeside home in Indiana that is valued at around $675,000, per The U.S. Sun. Some sources estimate Gerry's net worth at around $1.5 million.

Who are the contestants?

ABC has not provided any of the names of the women who will be on the show yet, but The Golden Bachelor cast will include a full group of women 65 years and older, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Last year, ABC put out a casting call for "active and outgoing" senior women and men, the outlet wrote. As for who Gerry is hoping for, the Golden Bachelor said he hopes actress Helen Mirren makes an appearance.

The Casting Crane page, which is still live, asks questions from hair and eye color, to if you've ever been on a TV before, to your job and salary, education, family life, and why you want to find love on TV.

The upcoming series' cast has a lot of potential to bring new life into the franchise. A lot of the recent Bachelor and Bachelorette seasons have been geared toward a digital age—which has been a big criticism. Many contestants seem to go on the show just to boost their social media following, which tends to make the show itself a bit...predictable and boring (sorry, Zach).

Will The Golden Bachelor contestants turn into boomer influencers? Or are they genuinely looking for a partner for their "sunset years"? I'm hoping for the latter, but only time will tell.

Still, here's a bit of promising info: Rob Mills told Variety in 2020 that some of their casting interviews were very "touching," he said. "It’s such a different way of doing 'The Bachelor' because these people are just at a totally different place in their lives. There is an interesting thing about people who have hit the other end of the spectrum, who’ve lived their lives, they’ve raised their kids, some have been widowed or divorced and maybe some have never been in love."

Will The Golden Bachelor have the same format as the original Bachelor?

As of right now, the only thing known to be different about the show is how hometowns will work. Instead of Gerry meeting his contestants' parents, he'll be meeting their children and other family members, per Parade.

During the Men Tell All episode, Gerry also hinted that there will be overnight dates, but they might look different than the typical Bachelor/Bachelorette set up. The new leading man of Bachelor Nation also seems pretty serious about finding his person.

"I think what I'm most looking for that night is for one of those women, or several of those women, to just have that look in their eye like, oh gosh, okay I found my own grandzaddy," Gerry joked to Jesse Palmer during the Bachelorette's Men Tell All episode. For context: the Internet has nicknamed Gerry "grandzaddy."

Is there a trailer?

Yep, there's one trailer out now that is pretty hilarious (and says things like "he's sliding in your DMs with postage" and "posts thirst traps in a leather-bound album").

Here it is:

There was also a brief teaser released set to "This Magic Moment," but it didn't really provide any more details.

Watch this space, though. WH will add all the updates as they come. In the meantime, I will be making my dream Golden Bachelor cast roster.

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