Summary
The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner may be single again, but I’m confident he shouldn’t appear as a contestant onThe Golden Bachelorette.Joan Vassos was cast asThe Golden Bacheloretteafter appearing as a contestant in the inaugural season ofThe Golden Bachelor. The show was a huge surprise hit for ABC. Audiences fell in love with 72-year-old widow and retired restaurateur Gerry Turner. After dating 22 highly eligible women in their 60s and 70s, Gerry gave his final rose to fellow widower, 69-year-old financier, Theresa Nist.
Gerry and Theresa were married in atelevisedGolden Bachelorweddingin January 2024. Though hopes were high for the couple, Gerry and Theresa recently announced their divorce, just a few short months after getting married. With Gerry finding himself single again just asThe Golden Bachelorettegoes into production, there has beensome speculation that Gerry could appear as one of the contestants vying for Joan’s heart. Though Gerry is a very compelling character and an extremely eligible bachelor, I don’t think he should compete on Joan’s season ofThe Golden Bachelorette.
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Joan Wasn’t Into Gerry
Joan, a 61-year-old private school administrator from Rockland, Maryland, wasone of the women who competed for Gerry’s hearton the inaugural season ofThe Golden Bachelor. Gerry was instantly interested in the striking blonde, and the two had some serious chemistry. Joan’s journey on the show was cut short when a family emergency sent her packing. Joan’s adult daughter had just had a baby and desperately needed her mother.Joan made the difficult decision to leavethe show early, giving up on the chance to win Gerry’s heart.
Though it’s understandable that Joan would put her family first, it does say something about how she felt about Gerry as a love match. It’s hard to say whether Joan would have stayed if she had a stronger connection with Gerry. Joan’s daughter had already given birth when Joan decided to go do the show, so it’s not as if Joan wasn’t willing to endure the separation. The truth is, though Joan’s daughter needed her,Joan was able to leave because she wasn’t that interestedin Gerry.
What Happened Between Gerry & Theresa
Married And Divorced
Gerry and Theresa,The Golden Bachelorseason 1couple, had a whirlwind romance that played out on national television. Gerry was announced as the lead ofThe Bachelorspin-off in July 2023. The names of the 22 women chosen to vie for Gerry’s heart were made public soon after.Gerry had been married to his high school sweetheart, Toni, for 43 years until she passed away in 2017after a brief illness.
Theresa’s beloved husband of 42 years, William Nist, passed away in 2014. After some healing, the widow was ready to search for love.
She and Gerry hit it off right away, from the momentTheresa stepped out of the limousine on night one, pretending to be nude under her coat. The cute bit charmed Gerry and made Theresa memorable, setting her apart from the crowd. The competition for Gerry’s heart was stiff, withmany impressive older women in the running. In the end, Gerry gave his final rose to Theresa.
ThoughGerry and Theresa fell in loveonThe Golden Bachelorseason 1,they weren’t able to blend their lives. Gerry lives in Indiana near his children and grandchildren, while Theresa lives in New Jersey, near her family. Neither of them were willing to sacrifice being close to their family, so they couldn’t figure out where they’d even live. Though both Gerry and Theresa tried to make it work,the marriage turned into a long-distance relationshipand ultimately ended.
What Has Gerry Been Up To Since The Breakup?
Leaning On Family & Practicing Gratitude
Since the announcement of his divorce,Gerry has focused on being with family. In late May 2024,Gerryposted a family photo to Instagram. The post has 8.7K likes and the caption reads, “Memorial Day weekend was so much fun with all the family around.” In the photo,Gerry drove his family around the lake on a boat.
In addition to spending time with family, Gerry has also been practicing gratitude.
In May 2024, whenThe Golden Bachelorettecasting was announced,Gerryposted a congratulatory note to Joan on Instagram. His note read, in part, “FROM ONE GOLDEN TO ANOTHER….RELAX, BREATHE AND ENJOY.” Thoughthe process didn’t work for Gerry, he wasn’t bitterand would probably do it all over again. The post currently has 13.9K likes.
Would Gerry Appear On The Golden Bachelorette?
He’s Ready To Date Again
Though I can’t say for sure whether Gerry would agree to appear on Joan’s season ofThe Golden Bachelorette, it does appear that the formerGolden Bacheloris ready to date again. According to reporting byIndyStar,Gerry has already dipped his feet back into the dating pool.
On May 17, before his divorce was finalized, the newly single retiree attended the TinCaps Love and Roses Night event in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The event includes a series of challenges in which singles aged 21 and up compete, with one man and one woman selected as the winners of the competition.
Some have speculated thatBachelorproducers would eventually end up makingGolden Bachelor In Paradise, where former contestants fromThe Golden BachelorandThe Golden Bachelorettecould try to find love with one another. If this happens,Gerry would be the perfect contestant to appear on the show. Though I don’t feel that Gerry should appear on Joan’s season ofThe Golden Bachelorette, I do think he’d make a great addition toThe Golden Bachelor In Paradise.Comment below about whether Gerry should compete for Joan’s heart.
The Golden Bachelorettedebuts this fall on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.
72 years old
Retired restaurateur
69 years old
61 years old
School administrator
