The Golden BachelorandThe Golden Bachelorettehave both only been on the air for a short time, butthe number of scandals that have happened in two seasons could leave the franchise’s credibility shot. Many fans have been enjoyingThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1, but unexpected pitfalls after the first two seasons of the new franchise have caused some to question whether the show should continue. This season has been slightly less controversial than its predecessor.The Golden Bachelorseason 1 faced major issues that left viewers uncertain about the future of the franchise in its entirety.
Even with consideration of potential challenges surrounding the premise working forBachelorNation’s younger demographic,The Golden Bachelorseason 1was a series viewers had eagerly anticipated for years. The idea had circulated for nearly a decade, butBachelorNation wasn’t sure it would ever come to fruition. With a mature-aged cast,there were doubts about whether the show would resonate with audiences or capture the typicalBachelorvibe, though many were curious if it could appeal to viewers outside of the usual fan base. Despite concerns,The Golden Bachelormoved ahead.
WhenThe Golden Bachelorwas finally greenlit and announced for ABC, fans were thrilled. While production details were kept under wraps, the network’s commitment inspired hope that the series would offer a thoughtful portrayal of mature relationships. It was announced thatGerry Turner would be the leadof the new series, and though he wasn’t someone viewers knew,BachelorNation looked forward to rooting for him.Many hoped to see a unique love story that felt more relatable and authentic than otherBachelorseasons.
Although viewers knew thatThe Bachelorand its spin-offs had their share of ethical issues, many trusted the producers to keepThe Golden Bachelorfree of unnecessary drama. While there would obviously be some drama from episode to episode, viewers were looking for a different experience. They were hopeful the show would prioritize authenticity,allowing Gerry and his castto shine without production interference.Early episodes delivered on this promise, capturing real emotions and genuine moments, which quickly earned the audience’s trust.
Even with the best intentions,The Golden Bacheloreventually ran into controversies and faced backlash fromBachelorNation. Despite this, fansremained open toThe Golden Bachelorette, hoping it would continue the journey without as much drama. Both shows have left the newly foundedGoldenside of the franchise needing more credibility. With both seasons now marred by disappointment,many are left wondering if the franchise’s golden era is already at risk of fading.
8Gerry Turner & Theresa Nist Divorce
The First Golden Couple Split
WithThe Golden Bachelorseason 1 hoping to match Gerry with someone who he could spend the rest of his life with,viewers were thrilled when Gerry and Theresa Nist appeared to have a genuine connection. Their opening night conversation, where Gerry brought Theresa a cupcake with a candle in it to celebrate her 70th birthday, which was coincidentally the first night of filming forThe Golden Bachelor,was a sweet, intimate moment that captivated viewers. Moving throughout their relationship with care and ease, Gerry and Theresa’s feelings developed through a series of dates that led to their eventual engagement.
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Unfortunately, things wouldn’t last for theGoldencouple.Although the pair were married in a live TV wedding ceremonythat included some majorBachelorNation alumni, the union didn’t last for long.Gerry and Theresa announced their divorcejust three months into their marriage, and Theresa later shared there was more than just physical distance between them causing the divorce.
7Gerry Turner’s Ex-Girlfriend Drama
His Ex Revealed His Deception
ThroughoutThe Golden Bachelorseason, Gerry was sold to be a sweet, wholesome grandfather who’d been widowed just a few years prior. Though Gerry was a widower with grandchildren,the persona he was playing during his time as the lead wasn’t actually who he wasoutside of the series. This was proven to be true because of an ex-girlfriend, who shared more about her time with Gerry both in their relationship and afterward, which painted him in a poor light.
Gerry’s persona was shatteredwhen his ex came forward and shared that he wasn’t the caring, considerate partner he seemed to be. Instead, Gerry was secretive and deceptive during his relationship with his ex, hiding her from his public persona. When the pair broke up and his ex had a broken foot that deterred her from moving out, Gerry was allegedly cruel instead of kind. Reports of this behaviorcausedBachelorNation to struggle to see Gerry in a positive light.
6Gerry Turner’s Clout Chasing
His Online Behavior Reeks Of Desperation
While Gerry’s reputation has been virtually destroyed throughoutThe Golden Bachelorprocess, he’s still been looking for all the attention he can get online. Though Gerry didn’t have any social media presence prior toThe Golden Bachelor,he was well-versed in social media once he became the leadand went through the process of filming the show. Gerry got his own Instagram account, and things began to take a turn for the worse.
Though it was clear that Gerry enjoyed connecting with people online, his behavior wasn’t always somethingBachelorNation was happy with. After his divorce from Theresa,it seemed like Gerry didn’t take any time to mourn his relationship, and all of his posts felt like they were clout chasing or attention-seeking.Gerry’s reputation continued to tank, and still hasn’t recovered.
5Leslie Fhima’s Golden Bachelorette Flirtations
She Could Be Dating A Golden Bachelorette Contestant
During the beginning phases ofThe Golden Bachelorettebeing thrown around as a potential spin-off,BachelorNation seemed hopeful that Gerry’s runner-up Leslie Fhima would take the leading role. Leslie, a fiercely independent woman who had been hoping to find a lifetime of love with Gerry, wasn’t ready to take her own journey on the series yet, but was thankful for the support. Instead, she worked on herself and bonded with her family, getting back in touch with who she was afterThe Golden Bachelorchanged her life.
While Leslie chose not to becomeThe Golden Bachelorette,that didn’t mean she didn’t scope out the guys who became part of Joan Vassos’ cast. Leslie’s been openly flirtatious with a few of theGoldenguys, buther friendship turned flirtation-ship with Jordan Heller, who was eliminated after the hometown dates onThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1, has been the most interesting. WhileLeslie claims they’re not together, it’s possible something could be happening behind the scenes.
4Kathy Swarts “Zip It” Comment
She Came For Theresa Nist
Although there wasn’t a lot of drama between thecast members ofThe Golden Bachelor,some of the cattiest moments were between Theresa and her show nemesis turned friend Kathy Swarts. Kathy, originally from Austin, Texas, washopeful that she would get a chance with Gerryjust like the rest of the women on the show. While the women ofThe Bachelorare usually catty with one another, the women ofThe Golden Bachelorwere more supportive. Kathy, however, had some issues with Theresa.
During a moment when Theresa was opening up to the other women about her relationship with Gerry, Kathy seemed to think she was bragging about the connection she shared withThe Golden Bachelorhimself. In a moment of anger,Kathy told Theresa to“zip it”, and the iconic line was born. While Theresa and Kathy may have had their struggles, they’ve overcome their issues to become friends after the series.
3Guy Gansert’s Restraining Order
His Ex Revealed Some Shocking Details
After the issues that came up duringThe Bacheloretteseason 21with Jenn Tran’s final pick Devin Strader, who had a restraining order against him due to violence in a previous relationship, many were hopefulThe Golden Bachelorettewould be different. Putting Joan in the driver’s seat, viewers were excited to see the experience from a mature woman’s perspective. Unfortunately, things haven’t gone entirely to plan for the lead of the series, asone of her final two guys has some difficult behavior in his past to answer for.
Joan’s finalists, Chock Chapple and Guy Gansert, both have some red flags, but Guy has a bit more to own up to. It was revealed just weeks before the season’s end thatGuy’s ex-wife had a restraining order against him, as she felt she was in danger when she had to talk to him about their family after their divorce. While the order itself has been dropped, Guy’s got a lot of explaining to do if he wants to be clear about his endangerment of a previous partner.
2Gil Ramirez Restraining Order
He Was Edited Out Of The Season
AlthoughGil Ramirez was an earlier partofThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1, there were some major red flags surrounding him, too. Guy’s restraining order wound up being an older one, but Gil had a restraining order filed against him as well in more recent years. According to Gil’s ex-girlfriend, after they split he wouldn’t stop harassing her,calling and texting her dozens of times a day to the point that she felt unsafe.
While there wasn’t much that could be done,The Golden Bachelorettetook action where they could with Gil. Knowing that he wasn’t going to go far in the series anyway,the producers chose to re-edit the episodes Gil was featured in and remove himas much as possible. Gil was barely a presence onThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1, and his poor behavior made him an example forBachelorNation.
1Bachelor Nation’s Hopes For The Next Golden Bachelor
They’re Setting Their Sights On Charles Ling
Although there’s still quite a bit of time before the next iteration of the show is set to come out,many are already curious about the identity of the nextGolden Bachelor. Though there have been a few options that have been taken off the table, there are a few names thatBachelorNation would be happy with, and names they wouldn’t want to see. For example, one of the front-runners,The Bachelorseason 28’s Kelsey Anderson’s father Mark Anderson, has been taken out of the running due to a newrelationship withOne Tree Hillstar Barbara Alyn Woods.
While there were a few guys whoBachelorNation would be interested in seeing as the nextGolden Bachelor,the one name that keeps coming up is Charles Ling.Charles, who was eliminated midway through the season, has been a light forBachelorNation. His devoted, sweet spirit and dedication to keeping his late wife’s memory alive has been an inspiration toThe Golden Bachelorviewers, and many would love to see him find something meaningful in the next season of the series.
The Golden Bachelor
Cast
The Bachelor returns to TV with The Golden Bachelor, a romantic reality competition series created for ABC. The show will focus on an older generation of hopefuls, with one senior male hoping to court and win the heart of one of several older female contestants.
The Golden Bachelorette
The Golden Bachelorette: This reality series offers one woman in her later years the opportunity to find love, as a group of seasoned men compete for her affection. Participants bring diverse romantic histories, seeking a meaningful connection and a chance to build a promising future together.
