How Old Are the Contestants on ‘The Golden Bachelor’?

Heavy

Fans reacted to “The Golden Bachelor” announcement.

Fans of “The Bachelor” are reacting to ABC’s announcement that the first-ever “Golden Bachelor” star will be retired businessman Gerry Turner. The 71-year-old widower will woo multiple women as part of “a whole new kind of love story – one for the golden years,” per a network press release.

But how old will Turner’s bevy of beauties be? An earlier casting call for the show sought “active and outgoing” single women “in their golden years” and senior citizens “looking for a committed Relationship.” A senior citizen is defined as “an older adult and especially one who is age 65 or older,” per Merriam-Webster.

Based on the casting call, it would be surprising if Turner’s contestants aren’t all in their mid-60s or older. Heavy has reached out to ABC for comment on the age range of “The Golden Bachelor” cast.

Fans Want to See Older Women on “The Golden Bachelor”

ABC“The Golden Bachelor” Gerry Turner.

“The Bachelor” franchise is known for casting younger women; Clare Crawley, at age 39, was the oldest “Bachelorette” to ever lead the show, and most women cast for “The Bachelor” to Date are in their 20s or early 30s.

But in the case of the new show, fans seem to want to see women more in line with the lead’s age – possibly even grandmothers, since Turner is a grandfather of two. “The Golden Bachelor” married his high school sweetheart, Toni, in 1974 and they shared two daughters, Angie and Jenny, as well as two granddaughters,  according to Variety.

On social media, fans reacted to “The Golden Bachelor” announcement, with some saying they will only tune in if the women are older like Turner.

“Ok, but are all the women still going to be 20-something? 🫣“ one fan asked on Instagram.

“Let’s hope the girls are golden too…” another fan wrote. “You know he will choose someone substantially younger. Can you even imagine if he chose someone his own age or a few years older? 🙄” another replied.

“If the women aren’t in his age bracket, then the show will be a huge disappointment!!! We don’t need to see a man of his age Dating 20 or 30 year olds,” another wrote.

“Prediction: they’ll have women of all ages including his own, a few of whom he keep around, but he’ll choose a girl substantially younger than him,” another chimed in.

Some Past Bachelor Nation Stars’ Moms Have Expressed an Interest in “The Golden Bachelor”

Some Bachelor Nation stars have revealed that their moms are interested in being contestants on “The Golden Bachelor.” Andrew Spencer, who was a contestant on “The Bachelorette” season 17,  told the “Here for the Right Reasons” podcast that his mom, Phyllis, was interested in the senior citizen version of the ABC dating show.

“My mom wanted to go on it, but I didn’t see the sign-ups and I don’t think I could go through seeing that,” Spencer revealed in July 2023. “I literally would rather put bleach in my eyes than watch my mom making out with someone.”

And former “Bachelor” star Matt James’ mom, Patty, was actually  in talks for the show. “Matt’s mom Patty is speaking with producers about competing on the new season,” a source told Page Six in June 2023.

According to Reality Tidbit, Patty James turned 68 years old in March 2021, which would make her 70 years old today—and in Gerry Turner’s age group as a septuagenarian.

“The Golden Bachelor” will air Mondays this fall on ABC.