My one takeaway from The Golden Bachelor last night: Gerry Turner has terrific taste in women and cars. The Bachelor‘s birthday episode—which celebrated his 72nd year on earth—aired last night, and I cannot think of a better way to ring in a new year than with a romantic drive with my date of choice.
ICYMI, The Golden Bachelor premiered on September 28th, and just released episode 2 last night. The wholesome energy just continues to flow. Gerry is really hitting his stride as the franchise’s leading man—and people are way more obsessed with these contestants than the ones from Bachelor franchises that came before. Finally! A group who calls out that bunk beds is a weird choice!
Gerry Turner, now 72, is the lovable and first Golden Bachelor. He hails from Indiana, and joined the new reality show at the encouragement of his daughters, after the passing of his late wife, Toni, in 2017.
So far, Gerry is cultivating the best vibes Bachelor Nation has ever seen. Even Reality Steve says the program is “1 billion times better” than The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. It’s an exaggeration maybe—but only a little!
If you can’t get enough of the Golden Bachelor deets, look no further. Below, see everything to know about what’s to come on this gilded season.
Where did Marina go?
As you may have noticed, last night’s episode only included 15 contestants. After starting with 22 women, Gerry sent six women home last week—so, the math wasn’t mathing!
Sadly, Los Angeles-based contestant Marina Perera, 60, had to leave the show to attend to a family matter. The issue wasn’t addressed during the episode itself, but ABC later posted a clip of Gerry and Marina saying goodbye via FaceTime.
“I really respect you for doing what you’ve done,” Gerry told Marina in the clip. “I agree with you 100 percent that you needed to put your family needs before everything else.”
This unfortunately will be the last audiences will see of Marina this season—but luckily there’s plenty of amazing women left.
Theresa gets a one-on-one at Jack’s Cadillac Cafe.
At the beginning of the episode, Gerry pulls up to the Bachelor mansion in a baby blue corvette—similar to the one Eartha Kitt must’ve been singing about in “Santa Baby“—to pick up Theresa.
And by that I mean, the car must be so old it doesn’t have working headlights. The date had potential to be the hottest in Bachelor history, but the mechanical malfunctions end up getting Gerry extremely frazzled on the road.
Sweetly, Theresa tells him he’s doing a “wonderful job.” And each time I think this show can’t get any better—I’m wrong again! The pair make it safely to Jack’s Cadillac Cafe, which is a retro-themed diner in Los Angeles, according to the LA Times. In a review, the newspaper states it, “isn’t a restaurant, it’s a phenomenon,” which makes it perfect for The Bachelor, as no one ever actually eats in this franchise.
Like everything else in this show, the date is very wholesome. The location reminds Gerry of his time working as a restauranteur, and Theresa gets a free blow-out, courtesy of Susan and the California highway wind.
Theresa also opens up about her high school sweetheart, Billy, whom she married when she was just 18 years old. Like Gerry, Theresa also suffered a loss when Billy died of kidney complications. The pair are able to empathize with each other’s grief.
“I like you a lot,” Gerry tells Theresa at the end of the date. Then, the pair share a chocolate shake with two straws. And, of course, Theresa gets a rose.
What’s else has happened so far?
Later, the group date includes April, Edith, Christina, Natascha, Ellen, Faith, Jeanie, Kathy, Nancy, and Sandra. The date is a romance novel-inspired photo shoot, and the producers put poor Gerry in a Fabio wig. Nancy ends up getting the rose, and all the women are genuinely very happy for her.
The episode ends with Gerry’s actual birthday, and then rose ceremony. Jeannie, Peggy, and Natascha are sent home.
And ICYMI: last week, Faith received the first impression rose. The pair even shared a smooch afterward. Aww. The limousine reveals were also super interesting. The Golden Bachelor women were totally bringing their A-game. One woman, Ellen, gave another heartfelt shoutout to her friend, Roberta, who is battling cancer.
Gerry seemed pretty giddy with how introductions went, and even told Jesse Palmer that his life got “a lot brighter,” in the first hour of the show. Behind every happy Golden Bachelor man is 22—now 12—hilarious women!
Who is Gerry Turner?
Gerry Turner is the ultimate Grandzaddy. He’s a retiree, but he did work in the restaurant ‘biz for several years. He joined the show on somewhat of a whim, he previously explained—from the encouragement of his two daughters, and two granddaughters.
Other than his latest Bachelor gig, the grandfather lives a pretty average life. He loves his lake house, and playing pickleball.
Sadly, Gerry lost his wife, Toni, in 2017—but also says that he feels she’d be happy for his reality television debut. “I think [Toni] would totally be in favor of what I’m doing,” he told USA Today.
Who wins the Golden Bachelor?
It’s not known quite yet—but stay tuned!
Who is Gerry Turner’s Final Three?
Yes, the Golden Bachelor’s final three is already known: Faith, Theresa, and Leslie will make it to hometowns, according to Reality Steve. There won’t be the typical four-date hometowns as with The Bachelor and The Bachelorette this time.
Who is Faith Martin?
Faith Martin meeting Gerry on Night 1.
Faith, 60, is a high school teacher who loves horseback riding.
Who is Theresa Nist?
Theresa loves gardening!
Theresa, 69, is from New Jersey, and won Gerry over night one by wearing her “birthday suit.” Don’t worry. It was just a nude dress!
Who is Leslie Fhima?
Leslie is a former fitness instructor and aerobics champion.
Leslie, 64, is a totally cool gal. She revealed in her introduction that she once had a love affair with Prince—like the “Purple Rain”—singing Prince.
Gerry Turner’s Final Two
Reality Steve narrowed down the final two: Leslie and Theresa.
This may not even be a shock to you—Gerry hit it off with these woman from night one. In the first episode, Leslie and Theresa had the most memorable limousine exits.
It seems they will continue to tug on Gerry’s heart strings!
Who are the Golden Bachelor contestants in 2023?
At the start, Gerry welcomed 22 women to the Bachelor mansion last week. Here’s a rundown:
- Anna, 61
- April, 65
- Christina, 73
- Edith, 60
- Ellen, 71
- Faith Martin, 60
- Jeanie, 65
- Joan, 60
- Kathy, 70
- Leslie Fhima, 64
- Maria, 60
- Marina, 60
- Nancy, 60
- Natascha, 60
- Pamela, 75
- Patty James, 70 (yes—Bachelor Matt James’ mom!)
- Peggy, 69
- Renee, 67
- Sandra, 75
- Susan, 66
- Sylvia, 64
- Theresa Nist, 69
Which Golden Bachelor contestants were sent home so far?
Last week, Gerry sent home six women during the rose ceremony. Here’s who has said their goodbyes so far:
Rose Ceremony #1
- Anna
- Pamela
- Maria
- Renee
- Sylvia
- Patty
Rose Ceremony #2
Plus, Marina is now gone as of episode 2, as a result of her family issues.
Who makes it to Golden Bachelor hometowns?
Good question! TBH, I’m interested to see what Golden Bachelor hometowns look like, but trust they will happen! Reality Steve revealed that only three women make it to hometowns: Theresa, Leslie, and Faith.
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Apparently, these episodes were filmed back in August. Faith went first on August 19, Leslie on August 21, and then Theresa on August 23. Sadly, Faith was eliminated.
Where are Fantasy Suites and the proposal filmed?
Gerry and the remaining contestants will go to Costa Rica toward for the final episodes. The final rose ceremony will reportedly take place there, according to Reality Steve. BTW, the final rose was handed out on September 1, 2023.
A 1-on-1 date will include an ATV ride at some point, according to images obtained by The Betchelor on Instagram.
Are there any other Golden Bachelor spoilers?
Reality Steve also reported that some filming will take place in Minneapolis at the Stone Arch Bridge. This could potentially have been a hometown date for Leslie, as she’s from there!
And that’s all for now. You can catch new episodes of The Golden Bachelor on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, or next-day on Hulu.
News Editorial Assistant
Olivia Evans (she/her) is an editorial assistant at Women’s Health. Her work has previously appeared in The Cut and Teen Vogue. She loves covering topics where culture and wellness intersect. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, running, and watching rom-coms.
