72 years old Gerry Turner prepares for his “Golden Bachelor” journey to the sky.
Turner will become the very first ‘Golden Bachelor’ and now he tells us how Fantasy suites went in his time.
Gerry Turner ‘beats’ Boots during Fantasy Suite Week
!['Golden Bachelor' Gerry Turner talks about his ideal partner](https://d3stcg8iy7fvse.cloudfront.net/2023/07/Gerry-Turner-Bachelor.png)
With “The Golden Bachelor” just days away from its debut, fans are looking forward to seeing how this show may differ from others within the franchise, including what Fantasy Suites will look like.
While production didn’t want to reveal too much, the team did confirm that the show had at least one overnight date.
“This is the first time we’ve ever heard someone say, ‘I have to think about what my grandchildren are going to think’ before they go into a Fantasy Suite,” executive producer Bennett Graebner told Entertainment Weekly. “I think it’s really great that Gerry and the women are open to that experience. But I don’t know if I want to hear the term “knockin’ boots” again. I think I’ve heard it enough.”
Turner himself subsequently offered an explanation as to why he used the reference to ‘knockin’ boots’ in the past. “I think I was trying to avoid some cliché phrases about physical intimacy, and maybe I did the exact opposite,” the future “Golden Bachelor” star explained with a laugh.
He continued to talk about Fantasy Suites, and what makes them so important to him. “The Fantasy Suites were about connecting intellectually and emotionally, not connecting physically,” he said before adding, “I think with a certain age and wisdom you realize that the most important and lasting things you look for come in a relationship from areas other than physical intimacy.”
Fantasy suites will look ‘very different’
![Gerry Turner Says What He's Excited About on 'Golden Bachelor'](https://d3stcg8iy7fvse.cloudfront.net/2023/08/11075417/Golden-Bachelor-Gerry-Turner.jpg)
Before experiencing his Fantasy Suites for himself, Turner said he assumed the overnight dates would “look very different” than on a typical “The Bachelor” or “The Bachelorette” season.
“I just think a Fantasy Suite for someone my age can look very different,” Turner told ET ahead of his “Golden Bachelor” journey. “The activities can be very different than for someone in their 20s or 30s.”
He went on to explain that the potential Fantasy Suite activities “really don’t” make him nervous, adding that “they make my daughters a lot more nervous than I do.” The 72-year-old leading man shares two daughters, Angie and Jenny, with his late wife, Toni. He is also the grandfather of two girls, Charlee and Payton.
Who is Gerry Turner?
!['Golden Bachelor' Gerry Turner talks about his ideal partner](https://d3stcg8iy7fvse.cloudfront.net/2023/07/Gerry-Turner-Golden-Bachelor-1.png)
72-year-old Gerry Turner is a “retired restaurateur and loving father and grandfather, Gerry [GAIR-ee] Turner lives in his dream home on a beautiful lake in Indiana,” ABC said. “He is often found organizing barbecues, playing pickleball, cheering on his favorite Chicago sports teams, riding all-terrain vehicles and spending time with friends and family at restaurants and local entertainment venues.”
The ABC press release continued: “Always a romantic, Turner married his high school sweetheart Toni in 1974. Together they lived a full and happy life with their two daughters, Angie and Jenny, and later two granddaughters, Charlee and Payton. Unfortunately, after their 43 years together, Toni suddenly became ill and passed away in 2017.”
“Six years after Toni’s passing and with the support of his family, Turner is ready to put himself on the map and find a love that will stand the test of time in his golden years,” ABC concludes.
The 72-year-old recently said he is looking forward to the new chapter in his life, telling the ‘Bachelor Happy Hour’ podcast: ‘I want to enjoy every moment. I want to be able to mentally write down or write in a log some highlights of the day and remember those moments. And if I can do that, it will be pretty fun.”
The new series will air on ABC this fall, starting on Thursday, September 28.