Jesse Palmer, the presenter of The Golden Bachelor, has opened out about how ‘tough’ it was to witness Gerry Turner in misery when he was forced to send the first group of hopefuls home.
The 72-year-old pioneered the latest addition to the Bachelor franchise, becoming the show’s first older adult seeking for love.
In this week’s premiere, he was seen getting close to the ladies at a wild party, which culminated in an emotional rose ceremony, with Patty, Pamela, Renee, and Maria saying their farewell.
Following the programme, the host commented on Gerry’s debut and applauded the manner the retired restauranteur handled filming.
‘Talking with Gerry outside the mansion, I had a feeling that nothing was off the table,’ Jesse said. ‘Gerry was intent on being open and allowing the night to take him wherever it may.
‘The thing I was most impressed with was everyone’s energy on night one. I thought for sure there would be some napping throughout the evening, but Gerry and the ladies were partying all throughout. They even had a dance party at 5am!’
When asked how hard it was to see the Bachelor becoming emotional at having to send women home on the first night, he added to Entertainment Weekly: ‘I think one of Gerry’s many incredible qualities is his compassion, so it was very difficult to see him hurting like that.
‘Gerry wears his heart on his sleeve, and that first rose ceremony was the first time I think he realized just how emotional this journey was going to be for him.’
Gerry’s first season of the Golden Bachelor premiered this week, documenting the moment he met the 22 ladies competing for his love.
Following the death of his wife, Toni, in 2017, the actor turned to the ABC show for a new companion.
He earlier said that he unwittingly violated all of the boundaries he had set for himself, hinting at what spectators may anticipate.
‘I had a few rules, but I was breaking them all. That was the problem. So I decided I would stop,’ he told Us Weekly.
‘[My daughters and granddaughters] were worried that I was going to be that guy that was kissing everybody on the first night. And I said, “Nope, I’m not going to kiss anyone on the first night. You’re not going to see that. Maybe not even as we get into it.”
‘Well, as you’ll see, I failed on the very first night, but I don’t feel bad about it at all.’
Gerry stated that he had ‘no regrets’ about getting intimate with any participants, despite stepping fully out of his comfort zone to ensure his experience on the show was as real as possible.
‘As time went on, many of those kisses were of affection. I really wanted to be supportive of all the women. I wanted them to feel good about themselves.’
The Golden Bachelor airs on ABC on Thursdays at 8pm ET.
