WhileThe Golden Bachelorwas successful withBachelorNation,the issues that came up with Gerry Turner throughout the season turned out to be nothing more thanBachelorproducers setting him up to take the fallfor them.The Golden Bachelorseason 1was a major development forBachelorNation, who’d been hoping for a more mature spin-off for years. Watching older people fall in love from the fairy-tale lens ofThe Bachelorwas exciting for viewers, and the majority ofBachelorNation was ready to see more once they met Gerry and heard about his difficult yet hopeful backstory.
Throughout the season, Gerry and got to know the gorgeous cast through a series of sweet dates and open conversations. Whilethe cast ofThe Golden Bachelorwound up being nominated for an Emmy because of their dynamic nature, Gerry could only move forward with one woman after the series. Choosing to propose to Theresa Nist, Gerry’s persona on the series came to a screeching halt just days before the show’s finale when reports of deception surrounding his life before the show. Though Gerry’s reputation took a nosedive,it became clear months later thatBachelorproducers were actually at fault.

The Golden Bachelor Producers Painted Gerry In A Light That Was Too Perfect
They Wanted Him To Look Like The Perfect Lead
As he moved through the season, Gerry seemed like he was one of the most emotionally vulnerable, sweet leads thatThe Bachelorfranchise had ever seen, which is whyBachelorNation was so shocked to hear about his relationship history toward the end of the season. After sharing that he hadn’t dated since his wife passed suddenly in 2017, it became abundantlyclear that Gerry had been in relationshipsafter her death. While Gerry was painted as the bad guy in the breakup,BachelorNation was more scandalized by his apparent lies.
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ThroughoutThe Golden Bachelorseason 1, there were moments where Gerry could’ve been allowed to clarify his past, but it was clear thatBachelorproducers wanted him to come off like an unassuming, unfailingly loyal person without much of a dating history. Despite knowing that the reality was far more interesting than the fabrication,Bachelorproducers had painted Gerry in a light that made him seem like the “perfect” partnerthroughout the season, even though they were aware that wasn’t his reality. Creating a hero,BachelorNation had no choice but tomake Gerry a villain when they found faults.

The Golden Bachelor Producers Knew Gerry’s Reputation Would Falter
They Knew He Couldn’t Outrun His Past
AlthoughThe Golden Bachelorwas a much lighter show than the traditionalBachelor,it was clear that the relationships formed in the series were going to be deeper, quicker, and hopefully more lasting than they were in the original series. After Gerry chose Theresa, his past returning to haunt him quickly thereafter spun the media into a frenzy, andBachelorproducers tried to fix things by pushing the couple into the spotlightwithout answering about Gerry’s past. Even so,Bachelorproducers had to know that Gerry’s perfect persona would falter, even without his past coming back to play a role.
The Golden Bachelor Producers Didn’t Protect Gerry When Bachelor Nation Came For Him
They Didn’t Try To Save Gerry’s Reputation
AlthoughBachelorNation has recently started to understand that Gerry wasn’t at fault for his poor reputation,things were tough forThe Golden Bachelorlead for some time after the show. WhenGerry and Theresa got married and divorcedwithin three months, viewers turned on Gerry and felt that it must be his fault, not knowing the difficulties that theBachelorlead was facing behind the scenes. Gerry, who was diagnosed with an incurable cancer, was eviscerated by the press, but he wasn’t given a helping hand fromThe Golden Bachelorproducers. Instead, he was left to fend for himself.
The Golden Bachelor
Cast
The Bachelor returns to TV with The Golden Bachelor, a romantic reality competition series created for ABC. The show will focus on an older generation of hopefuls, with one senior male hoping to court and win the heart of one of several older female contestants.
