The Golden BachelorpremieredonSeptember 28, 2023,and put asenior-focused spinon the iconicBachelorfranchise. After years ofBachelorNation being dominated by 20 and 30-year-olds looking for love,The Golden Bachelorwas afresh take on romance and relationships.Withwidower Gerry Turner as the leading man, the show tackled topics such as losing a spouse andgiving love a second chancelater in life. And whileonly one contestant walks away with the final roseon theBachelorfranchise, many of them go down in history as fan favorites.
Gerry Turner’s story of finding love after thedeath of his wife of 43 years, Toni Turner,was the center ofThe Golden Bachelor. As the retired restaurateur navigated the dating scene for the first time in decades, the audience really rooted for him to find love. But let’s be honest,The Golden Bachelorwouldn’t have been a success without itscast of unforgettable women.These ladies werehilarious, messy, and unabashedly themselves.And while only one of them made it down the altar with Gerry, these womenbrought something specialto theBachelorfranchise.
The Golden Bachelor
10Ellen Goltzer
Retired School Teacher
71-year-oldEllen Goltzermade it to the top 4, which goes to show thatshe definitely had Gerry’s attention. During the season premiere, Ellen shared that she decided to come on the show tohonor her friend Roberta,who had been battling cancer. After getting out of the limo and seeing Gerry for the first time, Ellen exclaimed:“Roberta, we made it!”She then explained to the rather confused leading man that her friend convinced her to look for love on the show. The confession took Gerry by surprise, and he wasinstantly attracted to Ellenbecause of how genuine she was. Their connection deepened in week 2 when Gerrygave Ellen a birthday gifton his birthday. Not to mention that the twoshared a love for pickleball.
All in all, Ellen seemed like theperfect match for the Golden Bachelor. In week 3, Gerry picked Ellen for a one-on-one date andgave her a pair of earrings to wearthat night. The two went on a hot air balloon ride where they shared a kiss. Over the next few weeks, Ellen told Gerry thatshe was falling head-over-heels in lovewith him. But sadly, he didn’t reciprocate the feelings and eliminated her right before the home visits. This came as a shock to Ellen and the fans, who were really hoping that she would get her happy ending.Watching her leave in tearsafter putting her heart on the line was one of the toughest moments of the season.
9Sandra Mason
Retired Executive Assistant
Sandra Mason had Gerry’s attention right from the start. During her limo entrance, sheshared her “healing practice”with the leading man, which consisted of deep breaths andblurting out all kinds of cuss words.What’s even crazier is that she asked Gerry to participate in the practice and let outa few swears of his own.While Gerry was initially confused, he started to appreciate Sandra for her unfiltered humor. The unexpected moment set the tone for Sandra’s time on the show, and let’s just say thatthere was never a dull momentwith her around.
During week 4, she actually admitted to Gerry that she wasskipping her daughter’s wedding to be on the show.And if that’s not a commitment, I don’t know what is! But Sandra was nothing if not bold, and that’s why the fans came to love her so much. Sadly,she was eliminated during Week 5, but let’s just say that Sandra walked away asaBachelorNation icon.
8Nancy Hulkower
Retired Interior Designer
Nancy Hulkowerwas one of the most impressive contestants onThe Golden BachelorSeason 1. The62-year-old mother of threeimmediately became a fan favorite when she stepped out of the limos and told Gerry that she, too,wore hearing aids like him. This sweet moment helped her kick things off with the leading man on a great note. Nancy lost her husbandMark Hulkower to colon cancer back in 2011. After that, she started a foundation to help fight cancer in his honor. The Golden Bachelor also took a liking to Nancy and thetwo were filmed shooting hoops together,which goes to show how naturally they clicked. The two also bonded over the passing away of their respective spouses.
During a group date, the ladies participated in aromance novel cover photo shoot. Nancy had to wear a wedding gown for the date, and as she put it on, she wasoverwhelmed with emotions.She later cried tofellow contestant April Kirkwoodbecause she hadn’t worn a wedding dress since her and Mark’s wedding day. Nancy later spoke to Gerry, who hadnoticed Nancy being distant. When Nancy admitted that she didn’t expect the grief to hit her so suddenly, Gerry confided in her and revealed that the smell of cinnamon balls alwaysreminded him of his late wife.The moment Gerry and Nancy shared was so meaningful to him that he ended upgiving her the group date rose.Sadly, though,Nancy self-eliminated in week 4when she realized that Gerry’s connections with the rest of the ladies were much stronger. You really have to appreciate her honesty.
7April Kirkwood
Professional Counselor
April Kirkwood’s mischievous personalityis what made her stand out from the rest of the ladies. For starters, during her first interaction with Gerry, she handed him a basket full of eggs to let him know thather eggs were “still very fresh.”Her cheeky humor is what led to a lot of fans rooting for her to win Gerry’s heart. But that’s not where her antics stopped. April provided the much-needed comedic relief on the show as she tried to seek Gerry’s attention. During the series premiere, she took Gerry to the side andgifted him an “April Calendar,”in which every month was April and featured photos of her. That’s one way to make sure a guy never forgets about you.
That’s not all, though! April thenfaked an injury during a pickleball gamethat the leading man organized among all the ladies. So, while the rest of them were busy trying to win the game,April dramatically collapsed on the courtand claimed that her ankle had been injured. This resulted in Gerry rushing to be by her side. The Golden Bachelor bought her water and kept an eye on her to make sure she was okay. But little did she know that this was just April’s way ofscoring some extra one-on-one time with him. In another instance, Aprilredecorated the sleeping quarterswith her April calendars at night to surprise her fellow contestants the next morning. April’slarger-than-life humorand her knack for making everyone laugh made her one of thebest contestants on the show.
6Susan Noles
Wedding Officiant
Susan Noles might not havewalked down the altar onThe Golden Bachelor,but she definitely emerged asone of the most successful contestantsonce the show was over. Because Susan was previously married toformer Major League Basketball player,Dickie Noles, she entered the show as a familiar face to many. Not to mention that her signature hairstyle made her adead-ringer forKris Jenner. I have to admit that Susan was the heart ofThe Golden Bachelor.She quicklyformed friendships with many of the other ladiesand was largely responsible for keeping things light anddiffusing any kind of tension.
That scene with her trying to figure outwhat caused her gasand then confessing to Gerry about it isreality TVgold, and exactly why fans couldn’t get enough of her. As far as Gerry goes,he and Susan got along immediately. Even though they didn’t get a lot of one-on-one time, there was a natural warmth and ease in their interactions. Susan was eliminated in week 5, butit almost felt wrong to say goodbyeto someone as hilarious and real as her. She even came back in the season finale toofficiateGerry and Theresa’s wedding,which goes to show her positive attitude toward everything in life.
5Kathy Swartz
Retired Educational Consultant
70-year-oldKathy Swartzwas one of the show’s most unexpected surprises. Right off the bat,she was a straight-shooterwho wasn’t afraid to say it how it was. Her interactions with Gerry were sweet. But what Kathy is remembered for is herexplosive confrontation with Theresa Nist. WhileThe Golden BachelorSeason 1mostly remained drama-free,Swartz had a bone to pick with Theresa when she started bragging about spending time with Gerry. The feud led toKathy actually telling Theresa to “zip it”when she tried to explain her position.
Now, a lot of people didn’t agree with Kathy’s harsh reaction to what Theresa said and claimed thatshe was projecting her insecuritiesonto her. However, some believed that she was just speaking her mind. No matter what, though, Kathy definitely made an impact on the senior-focused franchise and even gave it itsfirst official catfight. As far as her relationship with Gerry goes, the two shared a sweet bond, but it just wasn’t enough for her to stay. After the show was over,Kathy teamed up with Susan to host theBachelor Happy Hourpodcast where fans got to see a different side of her. And I’ll be honest, Kathy wouldmake a pretty greatGolden Bachelorettesolely because of how entertaining and unfiltered she is.
4Joan Vassos
School Administrator
Joan Vassos was oneof my favorite contestants. I was rooting for the 61-year-old as soon as I found out thatshe had lost her husband to pancreatic cancerjust two years before she came on the show. There was a refreshing honesty about Joan, as shemourned the loss of her husbandand tried to move on with her love life at the same time. Their shared grief is also why Gerry found himself drawn to her. During their first one-on-one date in week 3,Gerry and Joan opened up to each otherabout their pasts and dreaming of their potential future together.
However,their romance was cut shortwhen Joan had to quit the show midway and go home to deal with a family emergency. Her exit was one ofthe most heartbreaking momentsof the show. As she tells Gerry that she has to leave, both of them have tears in their eyes. Gerry took the opportunity to express that while he understood her situation,he hated the fact that they couldn’t continue getting to know each other. But all’s well that ends well because Joan went on to become thefirst-ever Golden Bacheloretteand found herhappily ever after with Chock Chapple.
3Faith Martin
High School Teacher
60-year-oldFaith Martin made it to the top 3withTheresa and Leslie Fhima. Which goes to show that she was definitely on Gerry’s radar, and her unexpected limo entrance might have something to do with that. Now,Faith was a master of many talents. Not only was she a TV and radio personality, she was also a teacher. And while you’d expect someone dealing with kids on a daily basis to be calm and patient,Faith had a wild streak. Instead of opting for a limo, Faith decided toarrive on a motorbike to showjust how hardcore she really was. And her stunt definitely worked because the leading man gave Faiththe coveted First Impression Rose.
Gerry was instantly attracted to Faith’s energy, and she was one of the few women whobrought out his playful side.Faith also gave the show one of its most emotional moments when sheserenaded Gerry with an original songduring the series premiere. After the home visits before the finale, Faith told Gerry thatshe was falling in love with him.And while she believed that he reciprocated her feelings, that wasn’t the case at all. In the end, Faith had to go home aftergetting so close to the finish line. Faith was also a fan-favorite pick to star inThe Golden BacheloretteSeason 1after her unexpected exit. But Joan took the spot instead.
2Theresa Nist
Financial Services Professional
Theresa made a bold impressionon Gerry in the series premiere. She walked out of the limo wearing a silk satin robe and told the Golden Bachelor that it was her birthday. Theresa then teased that she hadshown up in her “birthday suit”and continued to strip out of her robe. At this point, Gerry’s face said it all! He was shocked and amazed at the same time. But when Theresa revealeda nude bodysuit underneaththe robe, he laughed out loud. This set the tone for the couple’s dynamic over the rest of the season. Theresaconfided in Gerry about losing her husbandof 42 years. In turn, Gerry talked to Theresa about the loss of his wife, Toni Turnerin 2017.
BecauseGerry didn’t make bold declarations of loveto Theresa, the same way he did to Leslie and Faith, his decision to marry her came as a surprise. However, when you look back, you see that theirdynamic remained consistentthroughout the season. And that consistency is what led to their televised wedding. Sadly, though, Theresa and Gerrycalled it quits in April 2024,just three months after they said their vows in front of the whole world. Despite their unhappy ending, though,Theresa remains a fan favoritefor how gracefully she has handled themessy split with Gerry. Many fans even believe thatshe deserved betterbecause maybe Gerry wasn’t as invested in their relationship as he pretended to be.
1Leslie Fhima
Fitness Coach
Despite being the runner-up, Leslie Fhima is my favorite contestant fromThe Golden BachelorSeason 1. In fact, I’m convinced that if it wasn’t forGerry’s last-minute switch-up,Leslie would have won the show. She had the audience and Gerry hooked as soon as shestepped out of her limo with a walkeras she wore a gray wig and a nightgown. Gerry tried to figure out who this really old lady was, even by his standards. But in a swift move, Leslieremoved her wig and nightgownto reveal her blonde locks and sexy black dress. Talk about a memorable first impression.
Over the course of the season,Gerry had the strongest chemistry with Leslie. Unlike his relationship with Theresa, which was more of a slow burn, Gerry and Leslie had an instant connection. It was evident that Lesliebrought out a completely different side of Gerry,and he loved every minute of it. Things heated up between themduring the Fantasy Suiteswhen Gerry practically told Leslie thatshe was “the one” for him. So imagine my shock when he woke up the next day only to tell her that he had chosen to marry Theresa. What followed was one of themost heartbreaking momentsin the season, as Leslie broke down and called Gerry out for misleading her. Leslie might have walked out of the show without a ring, butshe completely won over the audiencewith her charm and honesty.
