The Golden Bachelor captured the hearts of America with its messages of hope, real conversations about grief and some amazing cast members. However, just three months after the unhinged Golden Wedding special aired on ABC, Gerry Turner held hands with Theresa Nist on Good Morning America to announce that they were getting a divorce. Rumors had circulated that things had already stalled out for the septuagenarians, given that they continued to live in different states, but I held out hope after watching their love story unfold. That’s why I’m disappointed by the latest Bachelor Nation breakup, but I can’t say I’m surprised.
The golden couple said on GMA that they were still in love with each other and encouraged their fans to continue believing it's never too late to find your person. They just apparently came to the decision mutually that the relationship had run its course. Gerry Turner announced:
Theresa and I have had a number of heart-to-heart conversations, and we’ve looked closely at our situation, our living situation, so forth, and we’ve kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it’s probably time for us to dissolve our marriage.
The announcement is disappointing, to say the least. People who were not even fans of The Bachelor went all in on the Golden spinoff for how wholesome it was. Gerry Turner’s story inspired yet another dating spinoff The Golden Bachelorette, which will air this year, and it even got us thinking about other dating shows we’d like to see featuring senior contestants.
Breakups in Bachelor Nation are nothing new — just look at the disaster that was Bachelor in Paradise Season 9 — but dammit, The Golden Bachelor was supposed to be different. I had hoped that these senior citizens, with their decades of life experience, would be better than the 20- and 30-somethings at choosing the person they want to live out their remaining years with. Maybe those expectations were too high.
Because OF COURSE this relationship didn’t last. Whether you’re 22 or 72, the odds just aren’t great for people to find their forever person in a matter of weeks within such a highly manipulated environment. Throw in any of the other complications Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist faced — particularly having homes, jobs and families in different states — and it’s really not surprising at all.
Maybe I’m most surprised at how quickly the divorce news came. Despite making it down the aisle, they didn’t even last long enough to keep the rings. At the very least, I expected them to make it through a season of The Golden Bachelorette, but here we are, and ABC hasn’t even announced who the lead is yet!
To me this news puts kind of a dark cloud over the upcoming spinoff, as well as added pressure to prove that the Golden formula can be successful. Will people even tune in, after Gerry Turner’s marriage ended so quickly?
Only time will tell. Before that happens, though, Jenn Tran will get her second chance at love in the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, which is filming now and will air this summer on ABC. The Golden Bachelorette is expected to premiere in the fall. Keep an eye on the 2024 TV schedule for those dates, and you can always relive the happier times of Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s love story by streaming The Golden Bachelor with a Hulu subscription.
