Now thatGerry Turner’sseason ofThe Golden Bachelorhas been wrapped up for quite some time now, and the next season set to start filming in June,all the buzz is on who the next leading man will be. Although Bachelor Nation has thrown out names likePascal IbguiorJordan Heller,I think we all know the obvious choice –Charles Ling.
Charles stole our hearts right from the get-go.He came to the show as a 66-year-old dad and retired financial analyst, who wasopen from the beginning about his grief over his late wife. As he sat alone during the prom episode, missing his late wife, fans were left wanting nothing more than this man to find love again.Charles’ vulnerability is exactly what fans and myself want to see in a Golden Bachelor. Although Charles didn’t make it super far, I think this time around he will be ready to forge a true connection and move on from his late wife.
Charles Ling Couldn’t Be More Different Than Gerry Turner
Charles is pretty different in comparison to Gerry.I don’t sense any shocking bombshells being dropped about Charles. If you remember,The Hollywood Reporterpublished an exposé revealing that Gerry had been lying about parts of his storyline on the show.For starters, he claimed he was a “retired restaurateur.” However, the article revealed he owned a fast-food hamburger joint (far from classy), and continued to work maintenance jobs after he sold it, contradicting his story that he’d retired.
The article went on to reveal that Gerry hadn’t been single since his wife died, andThe Golden Bachelorwasn’t his first time dating since he became a widower. He supposedly dated a woman for years who he met at the mental health clinic he worked at, among a few other more short-term relationships.The exposé enraged fans who were under the impression that Gerry was using the show as a stepping stone to open his heart up again for a second chance at love.His whole storyline was completely shattered.
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I don’t think we will be seeing any exposé pieces on Charles.He’s a true gentleman, who is kind, quiet, and genuine. Hisvulnerability regarding his grief poured through our screens. He opened up to ER doctorGuy Gansertwhich gave him some clarity in his grief, and also connected withThe Golden BacheloretteJoan Vassosabout her own loss. Charles didn’t make it super far in the series,which leaves fans only wanting to see more of his funny and charismatic personality.
Charles Ling Is Open to The Idea of Being The Golden Bachelor
Charles could very possibly be the nextGolden Bachelorbecausehe has expressed his openness to the opportunity. Charles toldEntertainment Tonight, “This is a new idea to me, to be honest. I have to wait and see. When I applied, honestly, I didn’t know much about thisBacheloror evenTheGolden Bachelorprogram itself.”So that’s not a no?
At the taping ofMen Tell All, Charles toldUs Weeklyhe would consider the opportunity, but he had some other considerations. “I need to probably talk to my kids whether I should move on or not necessarily move on,” he said. “[It’s] kind of too early to make a call at this moment.” However, on an episode of the Bachelor Happy Hour: Golden Hour podcast in February, Charles revealed he’s still single. He said, although he’s gotten plenty of DMs after the show, he has not started talking to any of them yet and added that “Maybe subconsciously I’m waiting for that right lady.“Is that a clue that he’s saving himself for the women on his season ofThe Golden Bachelor? Quite possibly.
Host Jesse Palmer Is Team Charles Ling
I know that Bachelor Nation loves Charles, but do you know who else does? Bachelor franchise hostJesse Palmer. He shared his support for Charles in an interview withUs Weeklysaying“He’s a national treasure…I totally get why America has fallen so hard for Charles L. He’s legendary. I love the guy.”I mean, if the host is Team Charles, that’s got to mean something, right? Charles being the nextGolden Bachelorwould be amazing for the network. The world fell in love with Charles.Nobody would ramp up viewership more than him as the nextGolden Bachelor.
As we get closer and closer to when filming is supposed to kick off,I’m crossing my fingers that Charles is announced as the next leading man.With a heart of gold and a personality beaming with light, nobody deserves a second chance at true love and a life partner more than him. He will be a breath of fresh air compared to Gerry, and with both the fans and host Jesse Palmer on his side he would be sure to have a great season. I guess now all we will have to do is wait and see. Stream The Golden Bachelor in the U.S. on Hulu.
