Gerry Turner has revealed that once he was selected to star on The Golden Bachelor, he initially didn't want to do it -- and producers ultimately changed his mind.
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However, the casting notice didn't reveal what network was attached to the show or whether it would be an actual spinoff of The Bachelor franchise.
A commercial break then aired during Peter Weber's season of The Bachelor in February 2020 that featured former The Bachelor host Chris Harrison saying in a voiceover, "Looking for love in your golden years? We're looking for eligible seniors who want their shot at love. To nominate someone or apply, go to abc.com/casting."
At that time, Gerry's two adult daughters, Angie and Jenny, pushed him to apply for the starring role.
The coronavirus pandemic seemed to delay producers' plans, but then ABC executive Robert Mills assured fans in May 2022 that the long-mentioned spinoff would eventually come to fruition. He said the seniors show was "really high on" producers' list and the response to every casting call had been "massive."
Producers finally called Gerry in February 2023 to inform him that he'd been chosen to star on The Golden Bachelor, but Gerry admitted during that phone call he was no longer interested in the opportunity, according to Entertainment Weekly.
"The conversation was very persuasive," Gerry admitted to EW, adding how the producers had emphasized "the excitement" about potentially finding his "forever partner" and being able to travel.
"You put all this together, and I start looking at my calendar and it's blank, and I'm thinking, 'Hey, this might be a pretty good deal.'"
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
Gerry therefore accepted the position, and ABC was apparently thrilled.
"When we announced that we were doing the show, so many of the viewers [were] speculating about who this guy would be, and they thought it was going to be some 40-something silver fox," The Golden Bachelor executive Bennett Graebner explained.
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"It was never going to be that person. We felt it was important to choose someone who really felt like a Golden Bachelor, not one of our Bachelors who had aged 10 years."
And so when casting "went through the files" and found Gerry, fellow executive producer Jason Ehrlick said Gerry's application went to the top of the pile and remained there.
"Although we kept looking, we just couldn't find anyone better than Gerry," Jason shared.
"He was exactly what we looking for, which is obviously incredibly handsome -- but it's so much more than that. He was kind and considerate and genuine, someone who had experienced real love before, and unfortunately experienced loss, and could come to this open and filled with hope that it could happen again."
Gerry signed up to be The Golden Bachelor star after losing his high school sweetheart and late wife, Toni Turner, to complications from a bacterial infection in 2017.
The pair had been married for 43 years, and in addition to raising two daughters, Gerry also has two granddaughters, Charlee and Payton.
Gerry said he had dated "from time to time" after Toni's passing but nothing really stuck or had marriage potential.
"I really believe people are designed to live with someone," Gerry said. "Living alone, it's obviously lonely, but I also think that we're not our best selves when we're not with the right person. Consequently, I had kind of stalled."
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And like Gerry, there were many senior women out there who were tired of being alone and not having a life partner.
Roughly 30,000 women applied to join The Golden Bachelor, and the show began filming in early August.
When cameras began rolling on The Golden Bachelor, Gerry had a lineup of 22 beautiful and poised bachelorettes to choose from, all ranging in age from 60 through 75.
These accomplished "golden" women -- including former The Bachelor star Matt James' mother, Patty James -- took time away from their children, grandchildren, and established lives at home to hopefully rediscover love and maybe even learn something new about themselves.
"These women have a lot more life experience to know that they're strong enough to handle this," Jason explained of the weekly eliminations and goodbyes during filming.
"When they leave the mansion, they are certainly disappointed, they are certainly bummed. But they aren't devastated in any way. There is this feeling that, 'I'm glad that I put myself out there, and I will continue to put myself out there for the next adventure.'"
The Golden Bachelor is now set to premiere Thursday, September 28 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC, immediately before the debut of Bachelor in Paradise's ninth season.
Now that Gerry's journey to find love for the second time in his life will be televised, he's apparently received an overwhelming amount of support and feels that people are really rooting for him.
Also during his interview with EW, Gerry dished about his Fantasy Suites and whether he had any regrets by the time filming ended.
Click here to read spoilers about Gerry's The Golden Bachelor season -- including his Final 2 women and Final 3 bachelorettes -- or click here to see photos and details of Gerry's 22 bachelorettes.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
