17 July 2023 , 17:16
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After years of speculation about whether the spin-off would go ahead, ABC has finally revealed the new lead of their upcoming reality dating series, The Golden Bachelor.
Father of two Gerry Turner, 71, has been confirmed as the series' lead, which will see him meeting women at later stages of their lives looking for love.
This is a far cry from the dating franchise whose main shows, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, focus on men and women in their twenties and thirties finding love. And Gerry's introduction was much welcomed as he made his full reveal on Good Morning America, a day after a first-look poster of him from behind was released.
During his interview, he told the cameras: "I'm Gerry. I'm 71 years young. I'm from Indiana, and I'm going to be the first golden bachelor because it's never too late to fall in love again."
ABC has revealed that Gerry Turner, 71, will be the lead of The Golden Bachelor (ABC/Brian Bowen Smith)Of the opportunity, he gushed: "It feels amazing, and it's still sinking in."
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When asked how he felt about being the representation of what dating looked like in your seventies, he said: "My thoughts always go to the way I've always done things, don't give up, there's always possibility."
Gerry gave further insight into his background, telling the story of how he was married to his high school sweetheart Toni for 43 years until she fell sick six months after her retirement and passed away in 2017.
Welling up with emotion, Gerry said: "You know she got robbed. Every day that goes by, that's the thought that I have."
Gerry made his big reveal on Good Morning America (@gma)The retired restaurateur added that he still has his late wife's picture on a dresser in his closet and asked her what she thought about his new dating experience. He candidly admitted difficulty when figuring out if she was okay with him moving on, adding, "but we always told each other that when one of us goes, we want the other one to be happy".
The interview also featured a previous clip of him being asked to take on the show's lead by host Jesse Palmer. Upon joyfully accepting his two daughters, Angie and Jenny, were seen crying tears of joy for their father's future.
Jerry was married to his high school sweetheart until her passing in 2017 (@gma)Gerry, who also has two granddaughters, Charlee and Payton, went on to add what he was looking for in a partner, stating he'd love someone who was high-energy, with a particular emphasis on someone who enjoyed playing pickleball and golf.
ABC are yet to reveal the identities of the women vying for Gerry's affection, and a release date has yet to be confirmed. However, The Golden Bachelor is set to launch later this year.
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