The Golden Bachelorseason 1 starred Gerry Turner, a man many viewers quickly grew fond of. While the show itself went off without a hitch,Gerry’s image took a hit once the season ended, as the way he was depicted on screen didn’t match up with his real-life persona. Although he was a widower eager to participate in the popularBachelorfranchise, Gerry found himself cast in a role that felt somewhat disconnected from who he truly was.
As fans eagerly await the announcement ofThe Golden Bachelorseason 2, there’s a lingering curiosity aboutwhether the next season will be an improvement over the first.Gerry, a 72-year-old retired restaurateur from Hudson, Indiana, made several missteps during his time onThe Golden Bachelor. He became engaged to Theresa Nist, a 70-year-old financial services professional from Shrewsbury, New Jersey.
The couple married soon after in a live televised special called The Golden Wedding, which seemed promising. However, three months later,they revealed they were divorcingdue to their inability to agree on where to live, as neither was willing to move away from their respective families. Because the older contestants all have established lives and locations they likely don’t want to leave, thiscould be a repeat problemfor the franchise.
8Gerry Turner Tarnished The Series' Reputation
He Isn’t Who He Said He Was
Gerry spent 43 years with his wife, Toni, until she suddenly passed away due to a bacterial infection. When his season ofThe Golden Bachelorbegan, Gerry was presented as an innocent widower who hadn’t dated much since he lost his wife–but that turned out not to be true. According toThe Hollywood Reporter,Gerry had allegedly dated a woman for three years after Toni died, even living with her.
When Will The Golden Bachelor Season 2 Lead Be Announced?
Following the end of The Golden Bachelorette, fans are eager to find out when the lead for season 2 of The Golden Bachelor will be announced.
To make matters worse, he was accused of breaking up with the woman because she gained weight before his high school reunion. After hearing this, a lot ofBachelorNation believed thatGerry misrepresented himself in order to win fans over. That, plus the fact that his marriage to Theresa only lasted a few months, put a bad taste in a lot of viewers' mouths that could make them not want to watch future seasons.
7Producers Might Want To Bring In Women Who Are Too Young
It Wouldn’t Be The First Time
In January 2020,a casting call was made for men and women aged 65 and olderfor a senior citizen edition ofThe Bachelor. The show was originally scheduled to air in the fall of 2020 as part of the 2020–21 TV lineup, but its debut was postponed until 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 29, 2025, ABC officially greenlit the first season ofThe Golden Bachelor, and a month later, on July 08, 2025, Gerry was announced as the show’s first lead.
The second the show was announced, fans were excited to see the franchise experiment with older singles. A big reason many viewers criticizeThe BachelorandThe Bacheloretteis a lot of the contestants are in their early 20s,which means many of them aren’t ready to get married. The women on the first season ofThe Golden Bachelorranged in age from 60 to 75, which was a refreshing change for the franchise. However, some fans are concerned they might skew younger with the second season, which would defeat the whole purpose of the show.
6There Could Be Producer Plants (Maybe Mark Anderson)
Intentions May Be Called Into Question
The first season ofThe Golden Bachelorettewas plagued with allegations of producer plants. Mark Anderson, the father ofThe Bachelorseason 28’s winner Kelsey Anderson, wasaccused of being a producer plant throughout the series, with some thinking he wasn’t there for the right reasons. Despite seeing Mark was excited to be on the show, many were curious about how he became a cast member, even wondering if he would be the nextGolden Bachelor.
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Every reality show deals with allegations of producer plants, but no franchise gets more thanThe Bachelor. Though these things are hard to confirm, producer plants become obvious when certain contestants get a lot of screen time when they shouldn’t or when contestants stick around for a long time, even though they don’t have a strong connection with the lead. Having producer plants onThe Golden Bachelorseason 2could lead to an even worse outcome than the first, with the show pushing contestants who the lead isn’t interested in.
5Producers Might Choose The Wrong Golden Bachelor
Pascal Ibgui Is One Example
Pascal Ibgui, a contestant onThe Golden Bachelorette, was initially seen as a strong contender to become the lead onThe Golden Bachelor. However,a controversial comment he made about the age of his potential contestantsraises concerns about whether he’s fit for the role. While speaking withUs WeeklyafterTheGolden BacheloretteMen Tell All episode, Pascal, who turned 70 in September, revealed if he were offered the position ofThe Golden Bachelor, he would want younger women as his contestants.
“They will have to lower the age. The age has got to be lower. Yes, I’m old, but I don’t go out with a 72-year-old woman.”
Pascal’s desire for younger womenis an odd request, considering the entire premise ofThe Golden Bacheloris to allow older adults to find love.His comments suggest a disconnect with the core concept of the show, potentially disqualifying him from ever being considered as its lead. Choosing someone like Pascal for the lead could ruin the entire season when viewers realize that the lead isn’t interested in women his age, raising questions about his intentions.
4They Might Not VetThe Golden BachelorProperly
These Problems Will Only Get Worse
Throughout the course ofThe Bachelor’s history, there has been no shortage of scandals surrounding the cast of the show. One example is Guy Gansert, who appeared onThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1. According to reports fromPeople,Guy’s ex-wife, Heidi O’Gara,sought a temporary protective order against himin October 2021. However, she had the request dismissed a month later before it could be officially approved.
The Golden Bachelorette: Ways Joan Vassos & Chock Chapple Are No Better Than Gerry Turner And Theresa Nist
Joan Vassos and Chock Chapple fell in love on The Golden Bachelorette, but they may end up like The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist.
While the restraining order was never finalized, some of Heidi’s claims were troubling, to say the least. She accused Guy of displaying anger, making threatening remarks, and even alleged that he mimicked the motion of aiming a gun at her with his hand shaped like a pistol. Heidi ultimately withdrew the request a month after filing it, butthe allegations against him still raise questions aboutThe Bachelor’s casting department. If the people behind the scenes allowed a contestant like this onto the show already, what’s stopping them from bringing on similar men or women in future seasons?
How Many Splits Will Fans Tolerate?
The first season ofThe Golden Bachelorending in divorce was the worst possible way to kick off the series. Gerry and Theresa, who met on the show and got married,divorced after three months of marriage in April. While they initially attributed the split to distance, Theresa recently revealed it wasn’t the only factor that led to their breakup.
On the Nov. 5 episode of Ben Higgins and Ashley Iaconetti’s podcast,Almost Famous, Theresa said,“You really can’t know somebody in four weeks. I’ll just say that […] I don’t wanna say any more than that.“Her comments about the timeline are even more concerning for the future of the show, with the winner from the first season admitting she doesn’t believe in the entire premise of the series. If four weeks wasn’t enough for Gerry and Theresa, it likely won’t be enough for future couples trying their luck onThe Golden Bachelor.
2The Golden Bachelor’sPremise Might Become Boring
Will Fans Continue To Care?
When the premise ofThe Golden Bachelorwas first announced, viewers were intrigued, to say the least. The idea of older people finding love, especially after loss is endearing,which drew a lot of fans to the series. It’s refreshing to watch contestants who know a lot more about themselves and what they want compete for love, versus the younger contestants on otherBachelorfranchises.
While it’s a great idea for a spin-off, that doesn’t mean it will last any longer than a couple of seasons.The novelty of watching older people try to get together might wear off after a while, effectively killing the show’s appeal.The Golden Bacheloris an idea a lot of fans loved in the beginning, but after seeing that it wasn’t so successful the first time around, it might not last much longer.
1People Might PreferThe Golden Bachelorette
The Female Leads Tend To Become Fan Favorite
Joan Vassos, the lead ofThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1, was married to John Vassos for 32 years before he passed away in 2021 following a battle with cancer. The children they raised together were already out of the house, so Joan found herself alone. Right before her husband passed,he sat Joan down and told her he didn’t want her to be alone for the rest of her life, which led to her eventual journey onThe Golden Bachelorette.
With her backstory alone, Joan is a more likable lead than Gerry. She was only on his season ofThe Golden Bachelorfor a short time, and shewas still endearing enough to win over fans, which is why she was chosen as the lead for her own season. Female leads are often praised by viewers for being more expressive with their feelings, which is what fans want from this series. For that reason, in the future, viewers might only want to seeThe Golden Bachelorettecontinue.
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.
