The Golden Bachelor premiered on September 28, 2023, and marked a new era for Bachelor Nation. The show starred 72-year-old Gerry Turner, a retired restaurateur and widower from Hudson, Indiana as 22 women competed against each other for his attention. While the show was similar in format to The Bachelor, it’s focus on senior-citizens is what really drew in the fans. There was something unexpectedly charming and honest about watching older individuals navigate love. After all, these were people who had lived full lives and brought years of experience with them. Some of them had been married, some had tragically lost their partners and some were hoping to find love after decades of leading an independent life.
If you ask me, The Golden Bachelor is exactly what the Bachelor franchise needed. The show was free from the immaturity of young love, which is entertaining to watch, but often feels predictable and even manufactured at times. The senior-focused spinoff gave us a refreshing take on romance and centered stories that you don’t usually see on screen. The show talked about the stigma around dating in your 60s and 70s. But as authentic as the spinoff was, that’s not to say it didn’t have its fair share of crazy moments. I mean, this is still Bachelor Nation we’re talking about, and over-the-top dramatics are part of the deal. Sure, the cast was older and much more mature, but when it comes to matters of love, chaos will find its way.
10. Joan Vassos’s Self Elimination
Episode 3
Joan Vassos was a fan-favorite right from the start. The 61-year-old private school administrator was on the show almost two years after her husband, John Vassos, passed away due to pancreatic cancer. Now, I was immediately invested in Joan’s journey of finding love again. You could tell that it was taking a lot out of her to get back into the dating game as she simultaneously grieved the loss of her husband. But the truth is that Joan formed a genuine connection with Gerry. In fact, Gerry chose Joan for a one-one-one date in The Golden Bachelor Season 1, Episode 3. The sparks were definitely flying between these two as they bonded over the loss of their respective spouses. To no one’s surprise, Gerry offered Joan a rose before the night was over.
However, their romance didn’t get a real chance to blossom because the very next day, Joan woke up to a message from her daughter who had recently given birth. Turns out that Joan’s daughter was struggling with intense postpartum depression. This is when Joan makes the difficult decision to quit the show and head back home to be with her family. When she tearfully breaks the news to Gerry, he immediately starts crying too and expresses how sad he is to see her leave. At the end of the day, though, he understands that Joan has to do what’s best for her daughter. Safe to say that no one expected this sudden turn of events, especially because Joan was just emerging as one of the strongest candidates from the cast.
9. Theresa Nist’s Limo Entrance
Episode 1
This moment during The Golden Bachelor premiere might have been the one that sealed the deal for Theresa Nist and Gerry. During the iconic limo entrances, which have become a staple of the Bachelor franchise, the finance services professional brought out her playful side. As she arrived in a black satin robe, you could see that Gerry’s eyes were definitely on her. Theresa walked over to the leading man and told her that it was her 70th birthday that night.
Before Gerry could even react, Theresa looked into his eyes and teased that she had arrived in her “birthday suit.” While Turner was still processing if she was joking or being honest, Theresa slowly slipped her robe off to reveal a nude bodysuit underneath. Safe to say, Gerry was left speechless. That’s when she laughs it off and says that she would never actually strip on camera with her 7 grandsons watching the show. Gerry and Theresa shared a sweet kiss, and he wished her a happy birthday before their memorable first meeting came to an end.
8. The Ladies Playing Never Have I Ever
Episode 4
What I loved about The Golden Bachelor was that it challenged a lot of notions about what the elderly are supposed to look and act like. During Episode 4, while Gerry was out on his one-on-one date with Leslie Fhima, the ladies decided to gather around and play Never Have I Ever in an attempt to get to know each other better. But instead of taking shots, they all sat down with tubs of ice cream to keep things PG. Right off the bat, the ladies were confessing to scandalous things such as kissing another woman’s husband, having sex in a workplace and experimenting with the same gender.
Now, seeing this group of senior ladies talking about the most controversial things you can imagine was refreshing and shocking at the same time. Since this moment was relatively early on in the show, the audience hadn’t really seen the ladies’ wild side. Up until this point, the show had mostly focused on heartwarming stories of giving love a second chance. But the honesty and lack of embarrassment during the game really set the tone of The Golden Bachelor. Just because these ladies are a certain age, don’t expect them to be boring!
7. Kathy and Theresa Clash Over Gerry
Episode 3
You know what I find the most entertaining about The Bachelor and The Bachelorette? The never-ending drama and catfights. When you put together a group of feisty, young individuals who are all trying to impress the same man or woman, arguments are bound to happen. But since the cast of The Golden Bachelor was far more mature and experienced, I didn’t think they’d waste their time starting petty drama. But boy, was I wrong, because Theresa and Kathy Swarts gave us one of the most unexpected feuds of the season.
The drama began when Theresa and Kathy struck up a conversation about how kind they perceived Gerry to be. During the conversation, Theresa told her fellow contestant that Gerry had come up to her bedroom and said something very nice to her as she was crying. However, Kathy accused Theresa of bragging and being insensitive toward the ladies who hadn’t had similar opportunities with the leading man. “That’s the kind of stuff you need to keep to yourself,” replied Kathy.
The next day, Theresa took Kathy to the side to talk about the tension between them. Theresa clarified that she had no ulterior motive and was simply expressing her feelings. Kathy, on the other hand, told Theresa not to share stories like these because they made her anxious about where she stood with Gerry. The tension heated up once again as Kathy told Theresa to be more mindful of the things she said. Their explosive confrontation ended with Kathy giving Theresa the friendly advice to “Zip it” while Theresa tried to explain her position over and over again. The interaction just goes to show that no matter what your age is, no one is immune to jealousy and insecurity.
6. Gerry Turner Ditching Leslie
Episode 9
I have to admit, Leslie was one of my favorite ladies on the show. From her dramatic limo entrance where she came in with a walker, wig and nightgown to her unfiltered humor, Leslie brought a fun energy to The Golden Bachelor. But at the same time, her chemistry with Gerry was undeniable. In fact, she made it all the way to the top three alongside Theresa and Faith Martin. Now, I was convinced that Leslie would be the one for Gerry because he said it himself! By the time they reached the Fantasy Suites, Gerry straight-up led Leslie on and practically confessed that he was going to choose her.
He told Leslie that he couldn’t live with her. “I have to have you with morning coffee, I have to have you when I go to bed at night,” expressed Gerry during their Fantasy Suite date. So of course, it was a major shock when he chose to marry Theresa in the finale. The very next day, he showed up to Leslie’s room looking guilty and nervous. The moment he decided to break up with her for Theresa was brutal, because there’s no way Leslie could have seen it coming after her heartfelt conversation with Gerry the other night. When Leslie confronted Gerry for lying to her about his feelings, the only response he could come up with was: “At that time, it was the truth.” Watching Leslie completely break down was one of the most heartbreaking moments of the show.
5. April Fakes Injury
Episode 4
During week 4, Gerry decided to organize a game of pickleball with the ladies to introduce them to his favorite sport. While the match was supposed to be friendly and a way for everyone to know each other better, professional counsellor April Kirkwood viewed this as an opportunity to get some alone time with the leading man. In the middle of the game, April suddenly collapsed on the court and claimed that her ankle was badly injured. This immediately caught Gerry’s attention who rushed to be by her side.
While the rest of the ladies continued participating in the tournament, April got to spend some quality time with Gerry as he fetched her water and checked her injury out to make sure she was okay. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, she admitted to faking the injury and claimed: “A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.”
4. Sandra’s Unconventional Zen Practice
Episode 1
Theresa wasn’t the only one with a memorable entrance, because Gerry’s first interaction with Sandra Mason is also one for the books. The retired executive assistant from Atlanta came out of the limo and struck up a conversation with the Golden Bachelor about how nervous and tense he seemed. Sandra then told Gerry that she had a special “zen practice” to calm herself down in moments like these, and Gerry definitely wanted to know more.
But what he didn’t see coming was that Sandra’s practice involved a lot of swearing. With a completely straight face, she told Gerry that her way to relieve stress was to take a deep breath and let out a string of cuss words. At first, the confusion was visible on Gerry’s face. He had to take several moments to process what was going on, Soon enough, though, he joined in on the fun and let out a few expletives of his own. Sandra left Gerry shocked yet entertained by how candid and funny she was.
3. Faith’s Motorcycle Entrance
Episode 1
Faith was one of the contestants to reach the top 3 along with Theresa and Leslie. And let’s just say that she managed to capture Gerry’s attention from the minute he laid eyes on her, or should I say, her motorcycle! The 61-year-old musician, radio show host and teacher made sure to put on a whole show for Gerry.
For starters, she ditched the traditional limo to make her entrance riding a motorcycle. When she took off her helmet with her hair flying in the air, it was like a scene from a romantic movie. And as if that wasn’t enough, she confidently walked over to Gerry and told him that she was proof that he could “live fast and not die young.” If you ask me, that’s a difficult first-impression to beat.
2. April’s Chicken and Eggs
Episode 1
Speaking of first impressions, April had another trick up her sleeve before she faked that pickleball injury. Her limo entrance might not have been very graceful, but it sure was memorable. Since she grew up on a chicken farm in Ohio, she decided her first appearance on the show should be an homage to her roots.
She walked in with a basket full of eggs and presented them to Gerry, who was a little confused at April’s choice of gift. However, when she told him that her eggs were still “very fresh,” the gift seemed to make a lot more sense. That’s not all, though, because before saying goodbye, she did the chicken dance in front of Gerry to let him know how excited she was to be on the show. All of this makes her the most unpredictable contestants to have been on The Golden Bachelor Season 1.
1. Susan Noles Officiating the Golden Wedding
Episode 9
This one takes the cake for the most awkward moment in The Golden Bachelor. Gerry sent Susan Noles back home in Week 5 of the show. This came as a disappointment to a lot of the fans who loved Noles’s vibrant personality. Despite her refreshing sense of humor, Gerry decided that his bond with Susan just wasn’t strong enough. So, it was a surprise when she came back to officiate his wedding with Theresa in the season finale.
This was also the first time in Bachelor Nation history when an ex-contestant would come and officiate their former love interest’s wedding. Of course, Susan took it all in good humor and handled the awkwardness like a pro. In an interview with Glamour, Susan said: “Gerry is my buddy and now Theresa is my girlfriend so why not.” All in all though, the whole thing felt a bit forced, as if the show was pushing for a full-circle moment that really wasn’t needed.
