Bachelor franchise host Jesse Palmer thinks their new Golden Bachelor is truly golden. Though he initially wondered how a dating show starring a 72-year-old would work, he’s now fully on board with star Gerry Turner.
“I think they just [finally] found the guy,” Jesse said the new star of the show. “He has just been so incredible. He’s so personable. He’s so loving. He was the perfect person to do this.”
Even though the show still features the same roses and date cards as other Bachelor shows, Jesse was concerned whether the older cast “would face the same difficulties or challenges.” He shouldn’t have worried, because now that filming has been completed, he thinks viewers will be happy. E! News has the exclusive scoop.
Same level of drama, with a dash of life experience
As it turns out, the older contestants can bring just as much drama as the younger ones. But in this case, the drama is tempered a bit by the life experience and emotional maturity the twenty-somethings don’t have.
“There’s a different maturity level,” Jesse explained. “The way that they decipher problems, the way that they think about some of the situations that they’re in … It’s a very, very resilient group of people. That’s probably been one of the more surprising things for me.”
Golden Bachelor Gerry is looking for a second chance at love following the death in 2017 of his high school sweetheart and wife of over 40 years. And while Jesse will still serve as a mentor to the show’s star, his role will be a little different than usual.
“There’s really … no advice that I can give Gerry that he doesn’t already know,” the host admitted. “There’s nothing I’m gonna be able to tell Gerry about love, about relationships, about intimacy, nothing.”
Already a pro at relationships
As a man who was married for over four decades, Gerry probably has a lot of things he could teach Jesse, a relative newlywed, especially now that he and his wife are expecting a baby girl. Gerry has two daughters and two granddaughters, so he has experience raising girls.
“The vibe of the show … has been very different,” Jesse shared. “There’s really this sort of overarching theme of hope … If it doesn’t work out between Gerry and one of the women, it’s not so much heartbreak but it’s more, ‘You know, I wasn’t sure I could put myself out there again and give love another try. You and this experience have given me the courage to do that moving forward, and I believe I’m gonna find my person.’ And it’s beautiful.”
The Golden Bachelor premieres Thursday, September 28 at 8/7c on ABC.
TELL US – ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO WATCHING THE GOLDEN BACHELOR? DO YOU THINK GERRY WILL FIND HIS SOULMATE?
