Who Is the 'Golden Bachelor'? All About Gerry Turner (2024)

Gerry Turner thought he found love on ABC's Bachelor spinoff The Golden Bachelor.

But, in April 2024, he filed for divorce from his wife, Theresa Nist, whom he'd married just three months prior.

"Theresa and I have had a number of heart-to-heart conversations, and we've looked closely at our situation, and we've come to the conclusion mutually that it's probably time for us to dissolve our marriage," Turner said on Good Morning America.

Before The Golden Bachelor aired, Turner — whose first name is pronounced GAIR-ee — said he was pushed to audition by his two daughters after their mother, Turner’s wife, died. Though the pressure could make any man nervous, he told GMA that being the first elderly man to lead the show “feels amazing."

So, who is the first Golden Bachelor? Here’s everything to know about Gerry Turner, the latest addition to the growing Bachelor franchise.

He lives in Indiana

Turner is from Indiana, where he lives “in his dream house on a beautiful lake,” according to The Golden Bachelor’s official synopsis.

Prior to their split, Turner told PEOPLE that he and Nist, who is from New Jersey, planned to move south to Charleston, South Carolina.

“One of the things that I think fate played a hand in is the possibility of where we might wind up living,” Turner told PEOPLE. “For the last couple of years, when my family gets together, I've talked about moving to South Carolina, and it's an idea I've toyed with. And then in conversation with Theresa, a private moment, she's saying, ‘Well, yeah, my son lives near Charleston in South Carolina.’ "

He was excited to be the first-ever Golden Bachelor

As the first senior-aged man to lead the Bachelor spin-off show, Turner set the precedent for men dating in their 70s. But the pressure didn't get to him and he remained positive about his prospects, saying he “has nothing to lose.”

In ABC’s promotional video for the show, the network teased some snippets of what audiences could expect with Turner as the lead.

"He posts his thirst traps in a leather-bound album. His DMs have postage,” the teaser trailer revealed. ”He gets the early bird special any time he wants. If you call him, he’ll answer the phone. He doesn't have gray hair, he has 'wisdom highlights.' Florida wants to retire, and move to him. He’s Gerry.”

In his interview with PEOPLE, Turner shared that it didn't take too much convincing for him to sign up for the show.

“When they sent me a text about it, I had seen the ads throughout the show. In the back of my mind, I thought, ‘That would be quite an experience. That would be a lot of fun,’ ” he said. “So when they really hit me up hard with it one night, they didn't have to push as hard as what they maybe thought. It was a back-and-forth in my head before I decided to actually fill out a questionnaire online, but I'm certainly glad I did.”

He is a retired restaurateur with many hobbies

Before he started his journey as a reality TV star, Turner was a restaurateur, though he is now retired. He also has a number of hobbies that he is excited to share with Nist, including pickleball and golf.

“He's often busy hosting barbecues, playing pickleball, cheering on his favorite Chicago sports teams, four-wheeling, and spending time with friends and family at restaurants and local haunts,” his official description reads.

He was previously married

Turner married his high school sweetheart, Toni, in 1974. The two lived a “full and happy life” until Toni’s sudden death in 2017, six weeks after she retired and fell ill.

"She got robbed. Every day that goes by, that's the thought that I have," Turner told GMA. "I have her picture on a dresser in my closet. Every morning I give her a nod, 'So what do you think about this?' For awhile it was like, I was having a hard time figuring out if she would be okay. But we always told each other when one of us goes, we want the other to be happy. She's up there rooting [for me]. She's saying, 'Yeah, Gerry. Do this.' "

He told PEOPLE in September 2023 that after her death, he sold the lake house they planned on retiring in together and he sought grief counseling, which was "life-changing."

“About three years in, I wasn't sure I was on track. I wasn't sure I was mending properly,” Turner admitted. “I remember having two sessions with the counselor, and he goes, ‘You're fine. You just got to give yourself credit for being OK.’ I changed my mind about counseling during that time. That is something I would recommend to anyone who's had loss, that just doesn't feel like they're getting over it quickly enough or in a healthy way.”

He has two daughters and two granddaughters

Turner raised two daughters, Angie and Jenny, with his deceased wife. He also has two granddaughters: Charlee and Payton.

Turner’s daughters encouraged him to join the show and were cheering him on when he got chosen as the first Golden Bachelor.

“They started screaming and everybody gathered round,” he said on GMA of his daughter’s reactions to the news.

Bachelor host Jesse Palmer delivered the good news to Turner on a video call. Turner's daughters and grandchildren joined him on the call, with Angie telling Palmer, "One of those 25 ladies will be super lucky ... they’ll be like ‘Yes, I scored!’ ”

Angie, Jenny and Charlee's opinions meant everything to Turner as he went through the process, and he knew Nist was the right pick when he saw how overjoyed his family was that he chose her. He described the moment they saw Nist was the winner as "pretty magical."

“Because of the way the sun was and the walk that Theresa had to do, she was a silhouette for an awfully long time. And my daughters tell me, ‘Please let it be Theresa. Please let it be Theresa,’ ” Turner told PEOPLE. “And when the light hit enough so that they could see that it was her, they were ecstatic. They were in tears. They were thrilled."

He added, “So I'm very happy that that's their reaction because I do rely on them a lot to reinforce decisions that I've tentatively made."

He had dating dealbreakers

While chatting with PEOPLE in October 2023, Turner shared two of his dealbreakers. He said he "would not date a smoker" and would be hesitant to enter a relationship where geography was a "serious obstacle."

However, Turner added that he's "trying really hard to stay open-minded," even in the face of red flags.

"Something may look like a red flag on its surface, but when you explore it a little bit further, you might find that it's not a problem at all," he explained.

He and Nist got married on live TV

Following the finale of The Golden Bachelor, Turner and Nist announced they were getting married during a live TV event on ABC.

The lavish wedding took place on Jan. 4, 2024, at the La Quinta Resort and Club in La Quinta, California. Nist, who walked down the aisle with her son, Tom, wore a Badgley Mischka gown, while Turner donned a classic black tux.

“From the first sip of chocolate shake to the last taste of Costa Rican coffee, I learned that you are the woman I can't live without,"Turner said to Nist at the altar. "I learned that you make me calm, with the touch of your hand. I've learned that you make me laugh with the easy comfort of long-lost friends.”

He and Nist announced their split in April 2024

During a joint interview, which aired on Good Morning America, Nist and Turner announced their decision to "dissolve" their marriage. The couple hinted that relocating away from their families in Indiana and New Jersey played a big part in their decision to split.

"We just feel like it's best for the happiness of each of us to live apart," Turned said, adding, "I still love this person. There's no doubt in my mind."

He officially filed for divorce from Nist on April 12, 2024.