ABC has revealed the star of its new reality dating show for seniors, “The Golden Bachelor.” The show will follow 71-year-old Gerry Turner as he searches for love among a group of eligible women.
Turner is a retired restaurateur from Indiana. He was married to his high school sweetheart for 43 years, but she passed away in 2017. He is now ready to find love again.
“I’m looking for someone who is kind, funny, and intelligent,” Turner said in a statement. “I want to find someone who I can share my life with and grow old with.”
Described as “charming” and a “romantic,” Turner married his high school sweetheart, Toni, in 1974. The couple was married for 43 years and welcomed two daughters, Angie and Jenny, and two granddaughters, Charlee and Payton. Unfortunately, Toni died of an illness in 2017.
“Six years after Toni’s passing and with the support of his family, Turner is ready to put himself out there and find a love that will stand the test of time in his golden years,” a press release explains.
“The Golden Bachelor” is the first dating show for seniors from ABC. The network is hoping to capitalize on the growing popularity of dating shows for older adults.
“There is a huge audience of single seniors who are looking for love,” said Rob Mills, executive vice president of unscripted programming at ABC Entertainment. “We’re excited to bring them a show that is specifically tailored to their needs.”
According to ABC, the spinoff series will feature “a whole new kind of love story — one for the golden years.” Jesse Palmer will host the series as it follows Turner, a “hopeless romantic,” who seizes his “second chance at love in the search for a partner with whom to share the sunset years of life.”
“The Golden Bachelor” is set to premiere on ABC in the fall of 2023.
