The Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner Sees 1 Woman in Her 'Birthday Suit' and Gets a Visit from a Surprise Guest

The Golden Bachelor has officially arrived!

On the season premiere of the latest spinoff of The Bachelor, 72-year-old retired restaurateur Gerry Turner was hopeful to get a second chance at love after losing his wife Toni six years ago, sharing, “Tonight is the first day of the rest of my life. How lucky would I be to find a second true love in my lifetime? I’ve had one that was amazing, wonderful, 43 years of marriage to my high school sweetheart. I married Toni in 1972, and we had 43 wonderful years together.”

The couple bought their dream retirement home in June 2017, Gerry teared up while explaining his wife “became ill and her situation got worse over a couple of weeks. It was July 7, and I said, 'Toni we’re going to the emergency room.' So we went to the local emergency room and she had a bacterial infection.... I took my wife to the emergency room on July 7th, and she never came home. She passed away on July 15th.” 

Earlier this year, the father of two arrived at the Bachelor mansion ready to meet 22 “beautiful” women. However, he admitted to host Jesse Palmer that he was “a little nervous” for the first night.

The Limo Arrivals

The Indiana native was wowed by the night’s first arrival Edith, 60, and told her she looked “lovely” in her very apropos golden dress and matching handbag. The pair got the party started with confetti poppers.

The evening took an emotional turn when Ellen, 71, shared that she made the decision to come on The Golden Bachelor in honor of her friend Roberta, who has cancer.

On the other hand, 75-year-old suitor Sandra made Gerry laugh with profanity-laced meditation. The retired executive assistant also didn’t hold back when describing what she is looking for in a man, explaining, “At my age, I’m energetic. I’m still connected with my body and I want intimacy with a guy and since I really haven’t been in love in a long time. I really need someone to step into my golden years with.”

Leslie, 64, pulled out all the stops for her entrance by arriving with a wig, nightgown and walker before pulling off the costume to reveal a sparkling gown. She also revealed that she has been married twice and once dated Prince, who wrote “Sexy Dancer” about her. The fitness instructor immediately asked Gerry to dance because she wanted to show off her skills.

Theresa, 70, came ready to celebrate her birthday and in honor of the occasion, she teased that she had arrived in her “birthday suit” — in fact, she was sporting a nude bodysuit under her robe, hoping the stunt would be “truly memorable.”

April, 65, also made an impression when she arrived with a basket of eggs and told Gerry her eggs were still “very fresh.” Before heading inside, she did a chicken dance while Patty, 70, took a simpler approach by saying she thinks ABC's long-running dating experiment really does “work” because her son Matt James was a former Bachelor who has now been with his final pick Rachael Kirkconell for two and a half years.

Faith, 60, rode in on a motorcycle to meet Gerry, telling him, “I’m proof that you can live fast and not die young. And if you leave here with me, it will be the ride of your life.”

Before the arrivals ended, Gerry received a surprise visit from none other than Jimmy Kimmel’s Aunt Chippy. She referred to the Golden Bachelor as the “unluckiest” guy in the world, which he promptly denied. She jokingly accused him of “lying” about his age. She said that she arrived at the mansion after telling her nephew that Gerry was “one in a million” so she wanted to meet him. When she made her way inside and saw other women, she realized she was in “the wrong place.”

THE COCKTAIL PARTY

After Gerry’s first toast, April wasted no time in stealing him away and made sure he would forget her name by gifting him a calendar in which every month was April, of course. She shared, “I’m a flirt, but it’s been 20 years for me, I need to get back into my game.”

From there, Ellen admitted that she was feeling “giddy” after Gerry told her that she had his “attention” while describing her desire to find love and Natascha, 60, couldn’t help but notice that the Golden Bachelor is in “great shape.”

Marina, 60, shared a message from her daughter, telling him, “She told me to tell you you’re dope” and he responded by sharing that his granddaughter informed him that he had “rizz.”

Susan, 66, and the new lead bonded over their love of the song, “At Last” by Etta James. In a confessional, she gushed, “Gerry is handsome. I’ve checked out every last inch of him, he’s got a beautiful smile. He’s just perfect.”

During Faith’s one-on-one time, she performed an original love song on the guitar and Gerry appeared mesmerized. He said, “That was a gorgeous song. It had me right from the get-go.”

When the high school teacher asked what he wants his future to look like, he replied, “A little bit of this would be just about right.” Following their chat, she shared, “You can be completely honest with him. He’s so reciprocal. He listens very well. I recognize that is something that I want.”

After Theresa read a letter her daughter wrote to her before she arrived at the mansion, Gerry gave her a cupcake to celebrate her birthday. The pair didn't just share the sweet treat — they also snuck a first kiss!

The financial services professional confessed, “It’s been forever since I kissed a guy, and it felt incredible. It was just so good. It’s been an amazing 70th birthday. I never imagined in a million years that this is where I would be. I feel that we made a connection. I’d be very surprised if I don’t get the First Impression Rose.”

Gerry and the ladies started a full-on dance party in the mansion and the first Golden Bachelor called the evening “a wild ride,” adding, “I didn’t expect to build connections here so quickly but it’s working.”

Of course, the night couldn’t come to an end until Gerry gave out his First Impression Rose. Faith was the lucky recipient, with Gerry telling her, “I want you to know that you made this impression not because you rode in a motorcycle, not even because you have a beautiful voice and you sang a song to me, but because of what you’re doing right now — you’re making me feel very special.”

The pair then shared a kiss, and she said, “To me this rose represents hope, a hope that we can create something beautiful together and that’s the beginning and I felt so special.” 

The Rose Ceremony

Gerry began his first rose ceremony with a speech: “I want you to know how grateful I am that you’re all here and that you’ve started this journey with me. I also know that this is working because tonight I felt connections with a number of you.” 

He continued, “Unfortunately, this is something that I’ve dreaded doing for many months. It’s difficult to look at women as wonderful as you and know that not all of you will be here tomorrow.”

In the end, Ellen, Theresa, Joan, Natascha, Leslie, Christina, Edith, Nancy, April, Sandra, Jeanie, Kathy, Marina, Peggy and Susan all received roses.

Unfortunately, it would not be happily ever after for Anna, Maria, Pamela, Renee, Sylvia and — perhaps most shockingly — Patty (apologies on Gerry's behalf to Matt and Tyler Cameron).

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The Golden Bachelor airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.