The drama was REAL during the first-ever Golden Bachelor series starring 72-year-old Gerry Turner. But hold on! It’s not the end of his TV journey yet!
During the After the Final Rose segment, Bachelor Nation learned that Turner’s story isn’t over just yet.
The senior Bachelor had a tough decision to make between two remaining love interests, Leslie Fhima and Theresa Nist. By the end of the finale, accusations were thrown, and Turner was on his way to a new chapter.
Things got rocky when the Bachelor decided to end things with Fhima. The heartbroken 64-year-old fitness instructor lashed out, confronting him for his earlier declarations of love to both women.
“So everything you told me the other night was a lie?” she asked in disbelief.
Fhima later shared her disappointment with the world, expressing how she felt “left behind” once again.
“I’m heartbroken once again,” Leslie told him. “But now I have to do it in front of the whole world to see once again how broken I am, how no one chooses me. You didn’t choose me — once again.”
“And the other night, you made it sound like you chose me,” she continued. “You said things to me that made me think that this was going to be it. You led me down a path, and then you took a turn and left me there, and that’s how I feel.”
“I knew the minute I saw you,” Leslie noted. “We weren’t off. You were off.”
Turner denied the liar narrative. Of course, he wouldn’t be the first Bachelor to have a change of heart during the series.
“You’re both wonderful, but only one of you is right,” he said. However, the sugarcoated truth will never be enough to console Fhima.
During the After the Rose special, Fhima revealed that Turner had deceived her into believing that he’d chosen her. She had started picking out her wedding dress and even got a head start on writing her vows.
Ultimately, the rejection left Fhima “blindsided.”
Turner was remorseful for the hurt he’d caused Fhima. He later said, “Had I known this is how much pain I would cause someone, I would have never taken the first step on this journey.”
On a happier note, Turner officially proposed to Nist. Fans of the show swooned at the way he delivered his declaration of love for the 70-year-old financial services professional.
“I came to the realization that you’re not the right person for me to live with,” he said, pausing for effect. “You’re the person that I can’t live without.”
The newly-engaged couple’s connection grew stronger post-filming. The two were also surprised with the news that they will be flying off to Italy to deepen their bond courtesy of the show and its host, Jesse Palmer.
“We can use that as our honeymoon trip because we are going to get married,” Turner said. “We’re going to do it as quickly as we can because, at our age, we don’t have a lot of time to waste. As quickly as we can put together a wedding plan, we’re getting married.”
In a move that breaks the norm, Gerry and Theresa aren’t just planning their wedding quickly; they’re taking it to television!
Get ready to witness their journey from planning to “I do.”
The Golden Wedding, following The Golden Bachelor, airs on ABC on January 4.