Gerry Gives Inside Scoop into ‘Golden Bachelor’ Fantasy Suites
The Golden Bachelor star Gerry Turner is ready for fans to see his hotly anticipated reality show—and reveals fantasy suites were “very important.”
After weeks of hype and speculation, the lovable retired Indiana restauranteur, 72, is ready for viewers to see his search for love.
When the series premieres Sept. 28, 22 accomplished women age 60-75 from across America will vie for Gerry’s heart.
The Golden Bachelor said he was heartbroken when his wife Toni died suddenly in 2017 from a bacterial infection after they’d been together 43 years. But with his family’s support, Gerry decided it was finally time to look for a new partner.
Gerry sat down for a Zoom 1:1 interview with Parade to discuss what viewers can expect from his women, rose ceremonies and fantasy suites.
The whole process in a nutshell: “I would summarize it as exhilarating, very exciting, very rewarding [and] fulfilling,” he tells Parade.
Although rumors have already swirled about his possible final two, fans must tune in to see what actually happened—and how older age affected the Bachelor process!
Read on to find out what all the details Gerry shared about the biggest show of the fall TV season.
Related: Everything to Know About 'The Golden Bachelor'
What shocked Gerry most about his group of ladies?
“I guess the biggest surprise was how incredibly supportive they were of each other,” he told Parade. “They were all very beautiful and elegant, and I expected them to be more competitive with each other where in reality, they were very supportive. They shared their lives’ experiences, they let their guard down, [and] allowed themselves to be vulnerable.”
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How else did the women impress Gerry?
“By and large, most of the women had really good sense of humors. They enjoyed life, they enjoyed watching the things unfold around them,” he said.
What was it like meeting them on the first night out of the limos?
“That was my best memory of the entire process,” Gerry said. “I looked forward to that night for many, many weeks, and then when it happened, it was very exciting. I loved that night in particular. What stood out the most is each and every one of them came up, took me by the hand and looked me in the eye, introduced themselves, and that was how the friendships and the connections began, with those moments.”
Related: Meet the Golden Bachelor's Sexy Single Ladies
Gerry on the painful rose ceremonies
As we've heard on so many Bachelor Nation rose ceremonies before, the ex-restaurateur said "they were very emotional times."
"When I’ve met all these women and they’ve all shown themselves to be so wonderful and so open and so hopeful and caring, then to have to say goodbye to some of them, was very difficult,” he said.
How did The Golden Bachelor's condensed shooting schedule affect the process?
The whirlwind shooting process seemingly took Gerry by surprise.
“It would have been nice to have more time with every one of the individuals [who] was there but I will say that I’m very comfortable and confident with the decisions that I made,” he said.
Gerry Gives Sneak Peek of Fantasy Suites
The Bachelor's Fantasy Suites—private time behind closed doors—are traditionally the phase of the competition where contestants get physical. For the senior franchise, many have questioned whether they would happen and how they would play out. Well, wonder no more. Gerry spills the details.
“I’ll give you a little inside scoop from behind the locked doors—those times were very important to my decision-making process. When are you able to have open and frank conversations with someone without cameras and without the judgement of millions of people watching, the conversation is much more earnest and honest and revealing.
“Simply put, Fantasy Suites are behind closed doors so I think the expectation might be that [viewers] see a locked door and not much more than that,” he smiled.
How Gerry stays fit and active
The reality star is trim and fit, and he told Parade he stays very active. “Several times a week I’ll play pickleball and I try to watch my diet. I go back to the days when I was a marathon runner. You try to stay in tune to a couple of pounds if you gain or a detriment in your diet, whether it’s protein or something else so you try to stay aware and just compensate for that.” But he said, “There wasn’t anything specifically [during] the show that I relied on” to keep energy high.
Gerry on the Golden Bachelor dates
On The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, we've seen dates range from skydiving and bungee jumping to kissing contests, hot tub parties and private concerts. How did The Golden Bachelor's dates compare?
“They were exciting but they definitely weren’t too strenuous," Gerry said. "There were some activities there that were rather challenging and I’m not alluding to the [leaked photo of an ATV ride date] but some other activities. I think viewers will be pretty well impressed with some of it but I like adventure and I like physical challenge, so it wasn’t up to a level that I thought I was overly challenged.”
Gerry hopes the show will inspire viewers
As if we didn't already think Gerry was the bomb already, he's now using his platform to inspire others to live their best lives.
“People of all ages will watch the show and realize that at our age, or as they are getting older, that they shouldn’t give up on some of the things they like to do and want to do,” Gerry noted. “Specifically finding people to be with, whether it’s friends or a special someone. People who have suffered the loss of a spouse in any given way—don’t give up [or]…feel like you’re going to be alone the rest of your life. Go out and find someone and enjoy every moment.”
Is Gerry happy with his final outcome on The Golden Bachelor?
The plucky senior said, “I’m always happy. To say that it is attributed to the outcome of the show would not be accurate—and I really don’t want to give too much away.”
