I was skeptical from the get-go of 72-year-old Gerry Turner, the widower who launched “The Golden Bachelor.”
After all, the goal was to sweep some breathless woman off her feet. But if you’ve ever been swept off your feet, you know the landing is painful.
So while Theresa Nist, the 70-year-old financial services professional Turner chose as his bride, seems to have won a coveted prize, the rejected women likely dodged a stay at Heartbreak Hotel.
Though Turner’s “aw shucks” demeanor and seemingly heartfelt tears touched millions of lonely hearts, the Hollywood Reporter suggests he isn’t as genuine as he appears. According to its report, which broke on the eve of the finale but wasn’t mentioned during the show, Turner had begun a three-year romantic relationship with a woman 14 years his junior a month after his wife’s death.
Don’t get me wrong. A single person has every right to look for love after losing a spouse.
But, as the Hollywood Reporter points out, “His amorous activity certainly didn’t align with how he regularly yanked viewers’ heartstrings with on-air announcements about his lack of a love life since his wife died.”
And other behavior the entertainment publication reported is not what you would expect from someone who can’t talk about his late wife of 43 years without breaking down.
For instance, Turner repeatedly said in news reports that he had no romantic relationships since his wife passed away, but the publication found convincing information contradicting that assertion.
So it is disappointing that the host of “The Golden Bachelor” didn’t ask Turner about the discrepancies during the show’s finale.
If the goal was to portray Turner as Prince Charming, the producers stuck to the script to do that.
Just about every woman whom Turner sent packing described him as being exceptionally caring and a good person.
But, as the show progressed, Turner looked more like a classic womanizer who told vulnerable women what he thought they’d want to hear.
We probably didn’t see Turner’s true character until the final episodes. By then, he had told at least three women he loved them.
Ironically, it was Leslie Fhima, 64, the twice-divorced fitness instructor and the show’s runner-up, who called out Turner on his inconsistencies.
Like many viewers, I thought Fhima had the proposal locked up after spending the night with Turner in the fantasy suite.
“We woke up the next morning, and he left, [and] turned around three times and blew me kisses,” Fhima told reporters. “He didn’t want to leave. That’s why I wasn’t worried that he was going on a date [with Theresa]. I just knew he had to get through the motions.
“Did he say, ‘Will you marry me’ in there? No, but he all but said that. I would have been happy with just, ‘I love you,’ but he took it to a different level,” Fhima said.
In other words, he led her on.
When Turner told Fhima he was going to propose to Nist, she exploded.
“Everything you told me the other night was a lie. Everything you told me the other night was a complete and utter lie!” Fhima said tearfully.
Her reaction gave fans of the show a much-needed reality check.
While “The Golden Bachelor” pushed the notion that it is never too late to find romance, seniors still need to guard their hearts.
To continue the momentum gained by this new spinoff into the bachelor world, the producers should bring back Fhima. Her emotions were raw and honest, and she deserves a shot at finding a true life partner before, as she put it, “running out of time.”
The most refreshing thing about “The Golden Bachelor” is that it paves the way to have “The Golden Bachelorette.”
