Our Golden guy!

Earlier this month, our very first Golden Bachelor was announced, and it’s none other than Gerry Turner.

The charming 71-year-old patriarch from Indiana is looking for love again after his wife Toni passed away six years ago.

So now, with the support of his daughters and granddaughters, Gerry is ready to put himself out there and find love in his golden years.

And ahead of kicking off his journey as the Golden Bachelor, Gerry stopped by for an exclusive chat with BachelorNation.com.

Check out our full interview with Gerry below!

Bachelor Nation: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us! How are you feeling about potentially developing strong feelings for multiple women?

Gerry Turner: Thank you! I actually think that could perhaps be a good thing to happen. Then the logical side of me can kick in and I could start looking at what each woman brings to the table versus the other. My bigger fear is that I don’t develop strong feelings and don’t find that person. I really hope I can find someone to develop those big feelings for.

BN: That makes a lot of sense. Is there a specific feeling you’re looking for when it comes to finding that spark with someone?

GT: Okay, the feeling is kind of hard to describe, but I know that I’ll know it when I see it. When I see the look in their eye and that smile that lights up her whole face rather than just a smile on her lips. I can’t really explain it, but I’ll know it!

BN: How sweet; I love that! We’re obviously all still getting to know you. What’s something Bachelor Nation and the women that will be vying for your heart don’t know about you yet?

GT: Oh, yes! Fun fact: At one point in my 30s, I was able to ride a unicycle and juggle at the same time!

BN: At the same time?! That’s amazing. What are you most excited about on your Golden Bachelor journey?

GT: Wow, all of it. I think Night One is going to be really exciting. I have such a visual in my head for that. But then what happens after that is what I’m most excited about. I want to really get to know everyone. Granted, the resource of time is limited, so I want to try to be a good questioner and a good listener to really get to know the women so I can make good decisions. I am excited to just really learn about them.

BN: Love that. Have you received any advice from anyone going into this process?

GT: I’ve received all kinds of advice. My fishing buddies say one thing, pickleball buddies say another. I haven’t received any advice from anyone who’s been on the show, though, so I’m just going into it trying my best.

BN: That’s the way to do it. Do you remember the moment that you found out you were selected to be the first Golden Bachelor?

GT: Oh, yes, I remember it so clearly. I won’t ever forget that moment. It was Memorial Day morning and I was on a Zoom call, then Jesse Palmer surprised me and just popped in. We had a few minutes of chitchat and then Jesse says, “So, do you want to be the first Golden Bachelor?” And I said hell yes, I did. And then he asked what my family would think about that, and to set the stage, it was a holiday weekend and I live on a lake, so all my family — my girls and my granddaughters — were there. So I said to Jesse, “Well, how about you ask them yourself?” And then they all came into the Zoom and our faces all filled up the screen. It was a really special moment I’ll always remember sharing with them.

BN: That is so sweet! Now that you are getting ready to start your journey, are there specific qualities you’re looking for in a partner?

GT: Yeah, there are some qualities I’m looking for. The first and most important is being a good communicator, both in delivering information and listening. Good communication is the most important. Also, a good sense of humor is huge for me. I screw things up a lot and I can laugh about it, so I hope to find someone who is able to laugh at themselves too. And the third leg of the stool would be a lot of energy. I like to stay busy and try new things, so I hope to meet someone who is also energetic and excited for new experiences.

BN: Absolutely. And how did you know you were ready to find love again?

GT: That’s a great question. I would say a number of failed relationships showed me that I’m really ready now. You try and date, and when you fail, you look back and ask yourself why. Pretty soon, I was looking internally and realized at the time that I wasn’t ready for it yet. I thought that magic number, one year after my wife passed, everything would be fine and I would be ready. Like okay, I’ve served my year of solitude, now I’m ready. But it didn’t work like that for me. It was a lot longer, so once I realized that’s why those dating experiences weren’t working out, it got me over the hump and I took my time to really heal and feel ready. I know now six years later that I am truly ready because I can recognize the ways I wasn’t ready before.

BN: That’s extremely insightful, Gerry. We really appreciate your time and can’t wait to watch your Golden Bachelor journey!