I’m Confident Gerry Turner Should Not Compete on Joan Vassos’ Season (He Hasn’t Earned A Second Shot)

Summary

• Gerry Turner may have been a hit on The Golden Bachelor, but he shouldn’t try his luck on The Golden Bachelorette.
• Joan Vassos, a contestant on The Golden Bachelor, wasn’t into Gerry, hinting she wouldn’t want him on her season.
• Gerry’s whirlwind romance with Theresa ended in divorce, but he’s leaning on family and showing gratitude post-breakup.

The Golden Bachelor‘s Gerry Turner may be single again, but I’m confident he shouldn’t appear as a contestant on The Golden Bachelorette. Joan Vassos was cast as The Golden Bachelorette after appearing as a contestant in the inaugural season of The Golden Bachelor. The show was a huge surprise hit for ABC. Audiences fell in love with 72-year-old widow and retired restaurateur Gerry Turner. After dating 22 highly eligible women in their 60s and 70s, Gerry gave his final rose to fellow widower, 69-year-old financier, Theresa Nist.

Gerry and Theresa were married in a televised Golden Bachelor wedding in January 2024. Though hopes were high for the couple, Gerry and Theresa recently announced their divorce, just a few short months after getting married. With Gerry finding himself single again just as The Golden Bachelorette goes into production, there has been some speculation that Gerry could appear as one of the contestants vying for Joan’s heart. Though Gerry is a very compelling character and an extremely eligible bachelor, I don’t think he should compete on Joan’s season of The Golden Bachelorette.

Joan & Gerry Had Their Chance

Joan Wasn’t Into Gerry

Joan, a 61-year-old private school administrator from Rockland, Maryland, was one of the women who competed for Gerry’s heart on the inaugural season of The Golden Bachelor. Gerry was instantly interested in the striking blonde, and the two had some serious chemistry. Joan’s journey on the show was cut short when a family emergency sent her packing. Joan’s adult daughter had just had a baby and desperately needed her mother. Joan made the difficult decision to leave the show early, giving up on the chance to win Gerry’s heart.

Though it’s understandable that Joan would put her family first, it does say something about how she felt about Gerry as a love match. It’s hard to say whether Joan would have stayed if she had a stronger connection with Gerry. Joan’s daughter had already given birth when Joan decided to go do the show, so it’s not as if Joan wasn’t willing to endure the separation. The truth is, though Joan’s daughter needed her, Joan was able to leave because she wasn’t that interested in Gerry.

What Happened Between Gerry & Theresa

Married And Divorced

Gerry and Theresa, The Golden Bachelor season 1 couple, had a whirlwind romance that played out on national television. Gerry was announced as the lead of The Bachelor spin-off in July 2023. The names of the 22 women chosen to vie for Gerry’s heart were made public soon after. Gerry had been married to his high school sweetheart, Toni, for 43 years until she passed away in 2017 after a brief illness.

Theresa’s beloved husband of 42 years, William Nist, passed away in 2014. After some healing, the widow was ready to search for love.

She and Gerry hit it off right away, from the moment Theresa stepped out of the limousine on night one, pretending to be nude under her coat. The cute bit charmed Gerry and made Theresa memorable, setting her apart from the crowd. The competition for Gerry’s heart was stiff, with many impressive older women in the running. In the end, Gerry gave his final rose to Theresa.

Though Gerry and Theresa fell in love on The Golden Bachelor season 1, they weren’t able to blend their lives. Gerry lives in Indiana near his children and grandchildren, while Theresa lives in New Jersey, near her family. Neither of them were willing to sacrifice being close to their family, so they couldn’t figure out where they’d even live. Though both Gerry and Theresa tried to make it work, the marriage turned into a long-distance relationship and ultimately ended.

What Has Gerry Been Up To Since The Breakup?

Leaning On Family & Practicing Gratitude

Since the announcement of his divorce, Gerry has focused on being with family. In late May 2024, Gerry posted a family photo to Instagram. The post has 8.7K likes and the caption reads, “Memorial Day weekend was so much fun with all the family around.” In the photo, Gerry drove his family around the lake on a boat.

In addition to spending time with family, Gerry has also been practicing gratitude.

In May 2024, when The Golden Bachelorette casting was announced, Gerry posted a congratulatory note to Joan on Instagram. His note read, in part, “FROM ONE GOLDEN TO ANOTHER….RELAX, BREATHE AND ENJOY.” Though the process didn’t work for Gerry, he wasn’t bitter and would probably do it all over again. The post currently has 13.9K likes.

Would Gerry Appear On The Golden Bachelorette?

He’s Ready To Date Again

Though I can’t say for sure whether Gerry would agree to appear on Joan’s season of The Golden Bachelorette, it does appear that the former Golden Bachelor is ready to date again. According to reporting by IndyStar, Gerry has already dipped his feet back into the dating pool.

On May 17, before his divorce was finalized, the newly single retiree attended the TinCaps Love and Roses Night event in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The event includes a series of challenges in which singles aged 21 and up compete, with one man and one woman selected as the winners of the competition.

Some have speculated that Bachelor producers would eventually end up making Golden Bachelor In Paradise, where former contestants from The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette could try to find love with one another. If this happens, Gerry would be the perfect contestant to appear on the show. Though I don’t feel that Gerry should appear on Joan’s season of The Golden Bachelorette, I do think he’d make a great addition to The Golden Bachelor In Paradise. Comment below about whether Gerry should compete for Joan’s heart.

The Golden Bachelorette debuts this fall on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.

Sources: Gerry Turner/Instagram, Gerry Turner/Instagram, IndyStar