Will Leslie Be the Golden Bachelorette? Here’s Who Gerry Wants

Jason Pham
·6 min read
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Now that we can safely say that everyone in Bachelor Nation is Team Leslie, we’re left with one question on our minds: Will Leslie be the Golden Bachelorette? Keep reading for where Leslie is now and whether Gerry’s runner-up could be the first-ever Golden Bachelorette.

Leslie Fhima, a 64-year-old Fitness Instructor from Golden Valley, Minnesota, was the runner-up on the first season of The Golden Bachelor, a spin-off of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette featuring single men and women aged 60 and older. Season 1 was led by Gerry Turner, a 72-year-old Retired Restauranteur and widowed father whose wife, Toni Turner, died in 2017 from cardiac arrest. “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 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.”

Leslie was one of two finalists in The Golden Bachelor Season 1 finale, along with Theresa Nist, a 70-year-old Financial Services Professional. She was eliminated in the final two after Gerry sent her home and gave his final rose to Theresa during the Final Rose Ceremony. Since The Golden Bachelor Season 1 finale aired, fans have become firmly Team Leslie. But Will Leslie be the Golden Bachelorette? Read on for what we know about whether Leslie will be the Golden Bachelorette and who Gerry wants to be the lead. (For more on the Golden Bachelorette, check out our Golden Bachelorette predictions here.)

Is Leslie the Golden Bachelorette?

Is Leslie the Golden Bachelorette? ABC hasn’t confirmed who the Golden Bachelorette will be—or if there will even be a Golden Bachelorette show—however, Leslie became the number one choice among Bachelor Nation after she was sent home as the runner-up in The Golden Bachelor Season 1 finale.

“LESLIE FOR GOLDEN BACHELORETTE,” a user commented on Leslie’s Instagram. Another user wrote, “Heard Leslie will be the next Golden Bachelorette.” One more user commented, “Hoping you’re the Golden Bachelorette. But have to say, Gerry did you and Faith wrong! How dare he profess his love and lead you both on! He’s not the man he appeared to be. That was heartless. Even the 20 year olds on the regular show don’t do that. He messed with your hearts and that is wrong!”

Gerry, for his part, told Entertainment Tonight before The Golden Bachelor Season 1 finale that any of his 22 Golden Bachelor contestants, including Leslie, would be great as the Golden Bachelorette.

“I don’t have a pick, because I believe any one of the 22 women that started this journey with me could do the job,” he said. He continued, “They all have interesting personalities, different attributes that would be strong in a Golden Bachelorette situation. I can’t pick out a favorite.” He added that “you bet your ass” he’ll be watching The Golden Bachelorette if the show happens. “I’m hoping to be involved, not just watching,” he said. “I hope I’m there.”

Will there be a Golden Bachelorette?

Will there be a Golden Bachelorette? ABC hasn’t a Golden Bachelorette yet. However, host Jesse Palmer told Entertainment Tonight in November 2023 that he’s in support of a Golden Bachelor spin-off with a female lead. “I really hope we do it. I’ve been clamoring for it as well,” he said. “I just love the group of women on Gerry’s season. I can’t single one out specifically. I think there’s a number that would be phenomenal Golden Bachelorettes, and that are very deserving of that opportunity.”

He continued, “I would also love to see a mansion full of 70-something-year-old guys just trying to fix everything around the mansion all day with their hands down their pants. Snoring and falling asleep on the couch during the da. I think it’d be pretty compelling, actually, to watch. I’m on the edge of my seat just like everybody else waiting to find out if this is something that’s going to happen or not.”

Gerry also confirmed that he was “wholeheartedly in favor” of a Golden Bachelorette spin-off in an interview with People. “I have no say in it, just to be clear, but I think it would be exciting because it’s going to continue the theme that we’ve started of being hopeful and being visible at our age,” he said. “So hopefully it happens.” He continued, “There’s 22 women that stand out. I absolutely would not be able to single one out. Each one of them has a certain personality that would make a show interesting and charm, and they’re all intelligent, so there’s no bad choice.”

ABC executive Rob Mills also seemed to confirm that The Golden Bachelorette was in the works in an interview on the “Bachelor Party” podcast in 2023. “I think right now, it’s really important to get this season right,” he said. “We haven’t really dove deep into it. I mean, we haven’t even started casting yet.” He continued that he agreed with fans’ support of a Golden Bachelorette. “I don’t disagree. They’d all be very different stories. It’s really going to be difficult.”

Who is Leslie from The Golden Bachelor?

Who is Leslie from The Golden Bachelor? Leslie Fhima is a 64-year-old Fitness Instructor from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was one of Gerry’s two finalists on The Golden Bachelor Season 1.

Read Leslie’s biography for The Golden Bachelor Season 1 ahead:

“Leslie may best be known as a former professional figure skater, but this woman has way more going on than what meets the eye. Outside of her love for figure skating and dancing, Leslie is now a personal trainer and is passionate about helping others live their best lives. She has run 10 marathons and is looking for her running buddy for life. When she isn’t working at the gym, Leslie is an incredible mom to her three kids and “glama” to her three grandkids. She also loves spending time with her mini Aussiedoodle, Billie. Leslie is looking for a real man who will enhance her life, and she’s ready to put it all on the line to pursue love.

Fun Facts:
● Leslie absolutely hates mice.
● Leslie is a former aerobics champion.
● Lady Gaga & Post Malone are at the top of Leslie’s Best Concerts Ever list.”

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