ABC has finally revealed the identity of its very first "Golden Bachelor."
Indiana's Gerry Turner will front the new reality dating series, itself an expansion of the larger "Bachelor" universe. Turner, a retired restaurateur, was married to his high school sweetheart for 43 years before she "suddenly fell ill and passed away in 2017." The network describes Turner as a "charming 71-year-old patriarch," who is not only the father of two children, but also the grandfather of two grandchildren.
The format of the new series "will be similar to that of the flagship dating show," according to The Hollywood Reporter. Typically, a group of individuals live in a mansion, go on various group and one-on-one dates and even travel internationally as they compete for a rose from the bachelor. Only this time, the women will all be 65 years old or older, as "it's never too late to find love."
"On this all-new unscripted series . . . one hopeless romantic is given a second chance at love in the search for a partner with whom to share the sunset years of life," ABC said in a statement. "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?"
Watch Turner's interview with "Good Morning America" here. "The Golden Bachelor" will air this fall at 10 p.m. Mondays on ABC.
