'The Golden Bachelor' star Gerry Turner reveals his physical type and ideal date

The Golden Bachelor star Gerry Turner has revealed his type in women and described his idea of an ideal date.


Earlier this week on Good Morning America, ABC announced Gerry, a widowed father of two girls from Indiana, as the upcoming star of The Golden Bachelor, which is set to air on Monday nights at 10PM ET/PT this fall.

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Gerry told Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt how he admires strong family values in a woman -- someone who, if she has children, is very close with them during the July 19 episode of the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast.

And when it comes to his physical type, he said he'd like to find a woman who can keep up with him.


"I guess I kind of do [have a type]. I want someone that, in their own way, is fit," Gerry said.

"If they're tall or short, those kind of things don't matter. It's [the idea of], 'Are they using or getting the most out of their physical attributes? Are they pushing themselves? Are they refusing to give up?'"

Gerry is going to embark on many dates on The Golden Bachelor, most of which will presumably be romantic, thrilling and over the top.

But Gerry said his ideal date would be one that sets him up for a great chat.

"I think an ideal date is focused heavily on conversation," The Golden Bachelor star explained.


"If we're talking an early date, first date, or something like that, [I'd like to] talk about priorities, and we can talk about whether or not the person is interested in being married."

Gerry has come to the conclusion that many senior women aren't interested in tying the knot again -- or at all for that matter.

"Many women my age look at marriage and say, 'You know, it's kind of a complication. Do we need to be married to be committed to each other?' And it's an interesting thought," Gerry noted.

"I would also want that date to include some activity so that I would know we could engage together. It would be nice if there was an activity where I would know how well we would work as a unit."

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The Golden Bachelor star pointed out how he'd love to include Pickleball or golf on a date with a woman.

"That would be great!" he said. "I think those things are pretty revealing of people's character."

Gerry said the woman doesn't have to be good at sports but he'd just like to confirm they're "on the same level" physically and "could be competitive with each other."

Of all the things Gerry has to look forward to on The Golden Bachelor, he said he's "most excited" about Night 1, when he "gets to see all of the women and get a first impression."

"That is really a moment I think sets the tone, mentally, for me," Gerry revealed, adding how he's "really not" nervous about his televised journey.


"I'm beginning to think I'm super naive and need to be more nervous! But I'm more nervous of stepping on a rake and breaking my nose here at home than I am anything about the show. It doesn't make me nervous. It makes me feel excited and energized. I can't wait!"

Gerry had married his high school sweetheart, Toni, and they were together for 43 years. The pair welcomed two daughters together, but in 2017 -- just six weeks after she retired -- Toni became sick and passed away.

"She got robbed," Gerry said in tears on GMA earlier this week. "I have her picture on a dresser in my closet... We always told each other, 'When one of us goes, we want the other one to be happy.' She's up there rooting [for me]."

Gerry's daughters had apparently nominated Gerry for The Golden Bachelor and urged him to sign up for it. Once ABC picked Gerry for the role, he recalled how they "started screaming" and cheering for him.

Gerry added how he "wouldn't discount" the possibility he may film a wedding special down the road.


The Golden Bachelor will air after new two-hour episodes of Dancing with the Stars' 32nd season on ABC.

Official fall premiere dates and complete casting for the two reality TV series will be announced at a later date.

On The Golden Bachelor, Gerry will be given a second chance at love and will search for a partner with whom to share "the sunset years of life," according to ABC.

"The women arriving at the mansion have a lifetime of experience, living through love, loss and laughter, hoping for a spark that ignites a future full of endless possibilities. In the end, will our Golden man turn the page to start a new chapter with the woman of his dreams?"

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The Golden Bachelor, which is being produced by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon, has been in the works for quite some time.


ABC's desire to film a senior edition of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette was first teased in early 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic seemed to delay producers' plans.

However, ABC executive Robert Mills assured fans in May 2022 that the long-mentioned spinoff would eventually come to fruition.

"The senior citizens show is definitely going to happen at some point," Mills told Variety at the time.

"The response to that is so massive every time we put up a casting call, so I think it's definitely coming sooner rather than later."

Mills added, "For us, we really feel a responsibility to find the right person to be that senior Bachelor. So, we're looking. COVID obviously put a major wrinkle in everything, but we are really looking back in earnest at it."

Mills hoped The Golden Bachelor would answer the following question: "[If you have] one great love in your lifetime, can you have another?"


Mills called that idea "really interesting" and "not something" producers usually get to explore on The Bachelor franchise.

Mills concluded that "Senior Bachelor" was "really high on" producers' list.

A casting notice for the seniors project had originally appeared online in January 2020, disclosing that "producers of The Bachelor" were looking for single men and women age 65 or older.

However, the casting notice didn't reveal what network was attached to the show or whether it would be an actual spin off of The Bachelor franchise.

And then a commercial break that aired during Peter Weber's season of The Bachelor in February 2020 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," Chris continued. "To nominate someone or apply, go to abc.com/casting."


Upon visiting the show's casting page at the time, producers called the "exciting" new project a "new dating show for seniors" and were looking for older "active and outgoing single men and women" who were looking "for a committed relationship."

After the episode of Peter's season aired, ABC reality chief Robert Mills tweeted, "#Bachelornation give us your Grumpiest Old Men, give us your Goldenest Girls. #TheBachelor."

"To be clear," he added, "this is [age] 65 [and up]."

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski