The Golden Bachelor Cast: Gerry’s Contestants Include 2 Celebrity Family Members
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It’s never too late to fall in love again, and no one knows that better than The Golden Bachelor cast and the women looking for love with Bachelor Nation’s oldest and wisest lead.
The Golden Bachelor is a spin-off of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette featuring single men and women aged 65 and older. “Some of the casting interviews we got, they were just so touching,” ABC unscripted executive Rob Mill told Variety in 2020 about why the network wanted to create The Golden Bachelor. “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. We thought that would be an interesting dynamic through the Bachelor prism.”
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Gerry Turner, a 71-year-old restaurant owner from Indiana, was announced as the Season 1 Golden Bachelor on Good Morning America in July 2023. “It’s never too late to fall in love again,” he said. Gerry is a father, grandfather, and widower. He married his wife and high school sweetheart, Toni, in 1974. They share two daughters, Angie and Jenny, and two granddaughters, Charlee and Payton. Gerry and Toni were married for 43 years until her death from an illness in 2017, six weeks after her retirement. “She got robbed,” Gerry told Good Morning America about Toni. “Every day that goes by, that’s the thought I have.”
When asked what Toni would think of him starring on The Golden Bachelor, Gerry told Good Morning America that he believed his late wife would be “rooting” for him. “I have her picture on a dresser in my closet,” he said. “Every morning I give her the nod, ‘So what do you think about this?’ For a while it was like I was having a hard time figuring out if she would be OK. But we always told each other, when one of us goes, we want the other one to be happy.” He continued, “She’s saying, ‘Yeah Gerry, do this.’”
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In an interview with Glamour in September 2023, Gerry revealed that his first love from even before he married Toni contacted him after news he was the Golden Bachelor. “There has been one, yes. And actually someone that I had that early first love with, even before Toni. I have heard from one. It was more of a well-wisher than anything else, but it was kind of interesting that after all these years we hadn’t had much contact,” he said.
But back to The Golden Bachelor cast. Meet The Golden Bachelor Season 1 contestants vying for Gerry’s heart ahead.
Who’s in The Golden Bachelor cast?
Read on for a full list of contestant in The Golden Bachelor cast—including Season 25 Bachelor Matt James’ mom, Patty James, and Jimmy Kimmel’s aunt, Aunt Chippy.
Anna Zalk
Age: 61
Hometown: Summit, New Jersey
Job: Retired Nutritionist
April Kirkwood
Age: 65
Hometown: Port St. Lucie, Florida
Job: Therapist
Christina Kempton
Age: 73
Hometown: Sierra Madre, California
Job: Retired Purchasing Manager
Edith Aguirre
Age: 60
Hometown: Downey, California
Job: Retired Realtor
Ellen Goltzer
Age: 71
Hometown: Delray Beach, Florida
Job: Retired Teacher
Faith Martin
Age: 61
Hometown: Benton City, Washington
Job: High School Teacher
Jeanie Howard
Age: 65
Hometown: Estill Springs, Tennessee
Job: Retired Project Manager
Joan Vassos
Age: 60
Hometown: Rockville, Maryland
Job: Private School Administrator
Kathy Swarts
Age: 70
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Job: Retired Educational Consultant
Leslie Fhima
Age: 64
Hometown: Golden Valley, Minnesota
Job: Fitness Instructor
Maria Trice
Age: 60
Hometown: Teaneck, New Jersey
Job: Health & Wellness Director
Marina Perera
Age: 60
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Job: Educator
Nancy Hulkower
Age: 60
Hometown: Alexandria, Virginia
Job: Retired Interior Designer
Natascha Hardee
Age: 60
Hometown: New York City, New York
Job: Pro-Aging Coach & Midlife Speaker
Pamela Burns
Age: 75
Hometown: Aurora, Illinois
Job: Retired Salon Owner
Patty James
Age: 70
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina
Job: Retired Real Estate Professional
Peggy Dercole
Age: 69
Hometown: East Haven, Connecticut
Job: Dental Hygenist
Renee Halverson-Wright
Age: 67
Hometown: Middleton, Wisconsin
Job: Author
Sandra Mason
Age: 75
Hometown: Doraville, Georgia
Job: Retired Executive Assistant
Susan Noles
Age: 66
Hometown: Aston, Pennsylvania
Job: Wedding Officiant
Sylvia Robledo
Age: 64
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Job: Public Affairs Consultant
Theresa Nist
Age: 70
Hometown: Shrewsbury, New Jersey
Job: Financial Services Professional
The Golden Bachelor airs on Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABC. Here’s how to watch it for free.
Bachelor Nation by Amy Kaufman
Bachelor Nation by Amy Kaufman
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To get more of an inside scoop, check out Los Angeles Times writer Amy Kaufman’s book, Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure, for a deep dive into the Bachelor franchise. The book uncovers the secrets of Bachelor Nation, from how much the Bachelor and the Bachelorette are paid to the rules contestants have to follow, that producers don’t want fans to know. It’s a must-read for any Bachelor Nation member.
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