The Golden Bachelor: Gerry gives the final rose in heart-wrenching finale

The two finalists fighting for Gerry’s heart were 70-year-old financial services professional Theresa Nist and 64-year-old fitness instructor Leslie Fhima

The inaugural season of The Golden Bachelor has drawn to a dramatic close.

ABC’s The Bachelor spin-off kicked off on 28 September with 72-year-old widower Gerry Turner and 22 senior women vying for his attention.

After weeks of dates, hometown visits, and a spicy hotel stay in Costa Rica, Gerry narrowed it down to two women: 70-year-old financial services professional Theresa Nist and 64-year-old fitness instructor Leslie Fhima.

In the emotional series finale, which aired Thursday (30 November), Gerry told Leslie that he had decided to move forward with Theresa.

In floods of tears, Leslie told Gerry that he could “feel how the f***” she wanted. “I’m sorry, I wish there was something I could say, but I know there isn’t,” Gerry said in the segment that was filmed in Costa Rica following the hotel stay.

As fans awaited the results, Gerry told the audience that he was “very happy” with his choice.

Appearing on stage, Leslie told the crowd that she was “devastated”.

The results came a day after The Hollywood Reporter published an article that included claims from a woman who alleged she dated Turner for three years, with the reported relationship starting only three months after Toni had passed away.

(From left) Leslie Fhima, Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist (Disney/John Fleenor)

In The Golden Bachelor, Gerry expressed that he hadn’t kissed a woman in six years, seemingly referring to his late wife.

Speaking to THR, the woman, who was referred to as Carolyn in the article, alleged that she and Gerry fell out over his high school reunion in 2019, which he uninvited her to after she gained 10 pounds.

She claimed Turner asked her to leave his home by January 2020, but while packing fell down the stairs, which led to a visit to the ER and foot surgery.

Carolyn alleged that when Turner returned, he not only accused her of falling so she could stay at his home longer, but also suggested that she wanted to sue him for the injury.

The Independent has contacted representatives for ABC and The Golden Bachelor for comment.