‘The Golden Bachelor’: The Biggest Hurdle to Gerry Turner Finding Love Isn’t His Age

The Golden Bachelor is a success. While the original The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have enjoyed plenty of ratings success, there is something special about Gerry Turner, and the series focused on a retiree finding new love. It feels more wholesome and more real. Still, one question remains: can Gerry Turner find love in his 70s? One major hurdle might prevent him from settling down again, and it isn’t all about his age. Sure, relocating feels like a bigger problem when you’re older than when you are 20-something. Still, it’s feasible, depending on the location. Gerry Turner’s Indiana lake house feels like a stumbling block, though.  

Where is Gerry Turner from? 

Gerry Turner, 72, is the first-ever “golden” bachelor. While the original franchise sees men in their 20s and 30s fighting for the affection of women in the same age bracket, The Golden Bachelor offers a unique spin on the franchise. Turner’s pool of potential love interests is all women in their 60s and 70s looking for a partner for the rest of their lives. 

Gerry has had a full life before The Golden Bachelor, which has all occurred in Indiana. In a promo for the show, Turner explained that he married his high school sweetheart in the 1970s and that they welcomed two children together. They had big retirement plans, but Turner’s wife, Toni, became ill suddenly and died, leaving him with their retirement home on a lake in Indiana. He is pretty attached to the house, the lake, and the plan he and his late wife devised, and we totally understand why. 

Indiana doesn’t feel like a prime location for the cast of ladies on ‘The Golden Bachelor’ 

Gerry Turner has made a life for himself and his family in Indiana, but the ladies who signed on to compete for his affection are from very different locales. In fact, the nine women left competing for Turner’s affection hail from across the United States. Two of the final nine call Florida home, while other contestants call Pennsylvania, Washington, Virginia, New Jersey, Texas, Georgia, and Minnesota home. 

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The remaining contestants have established lives with families, careers, and extended social networks, so picking up and moving to Indiana feels like a big commitment. Turner, just like the contestants, has built a life for himself. Viewers wonder just how committed he is to leaving it behind, too. 

Several Reddit fans have posited that Turner’s biggest hurdle to finding love is location, and we completely agree. Turner wouldn’t be the first bachelor whose home state could be problematic for his romantic prospects. 

Would Gerry Turner move to a new city to follow his love? 

The U.S. Sun caught up with Turner’s dad, Everett Turner, who feels fairly certain that his son won’t be moving to wherever the recipient of the final rose lives. He said that he believes Gerry has plans to stay in Indiana. He told the publication, “He likes Indiana. The house on the lake he bought for his two kids, so it’s probably where he wants to stay.” Everett’s wife, who is not Turner’s biological mother, also feels confident her stepson won’t be heading for a new home when The Golden Bachelor wraps up. 

Turner himself has waffled about whether or not he would be willing to relocate should he and his lucky lady take things beyond the show. In a September 2023 interview with Glamour, Gerry said he’d be willing to compromise with his new love about geographical location but that it was a pretty tough hurdle to overcome. Still, he said he was open to it. 

While filming, Turner seemed a bit more wishy-washy on the prospect. In an episode of The Golden Bachelor, he revealed that he was missing his social outlets back home in Indiana and was interested in getting back to pickleball. Sure, there are pickleball courts nationwide, but his friendships are largely based in Indiana.