‘The Golden Bachelor’ Needs to Take Inspiration From ‘Love Is Blind’ After Gerry & Theresa’s Split
Opinion
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Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist‘s decision to divorce only three months after their live TV wedding shocked Bachelor Nation, and now fans are starting to think The Golden Bachelor (and The Golden Bachelorette) should make a change when it comes to casting the contestants in future seasons.
TikTok user Anna O posted a video saying that there was a “major flaw” with The Golden Bachelor. According to Anna, the flaw was casting women from all over the United States, instead of ones closer to Gerry’s home base in Indiana.
“That’s fine, I think, for the regular Bachelor and Bachelorette shows because these people are young,” she pointed out. “Most of them don’t have established families started already, like, of their own. So, they can kind of move to wherever suits them best. But The Golden Bachelor and all the contestants, most of them had families established, like in a certain area, and I feel like because they’re from different areas it would be unfair for one to have to uproot, and I think that would cause a lot of tension in a relationship.”
@annaonthemtn Golden Bachelor producers need to choose the area where the golden whoever lives and only cast contestants from that area! That’s my hot take! #goldenbachelorabc #goldenbachelor #goldenbachelordivorce #gary #theresa #bachelor #bachelorette #bachelorinparadise #like ♬ original sound – Anna O
The fan ended her video by urging producers “to choose the Golden Bachelor or Bachelorette from a certain area, and all of the contestants need to be from that area.” Fellow Bachelor Nation fans agreed. One fan commented, “It should be Golden Bachelor Chicago. Golden Bachelor Dallas, etc. 100% agree.” Another wrote, “I agree with this!! I wouldn’t have thought about this beforehand but how can people with kids and grandkids just up and leave.”
The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette should explore taking inspiration from fellow dating series Love Is Blind. Each season of Love Is Blind is set in a different city around the United States, and most of the contestants are from the same general area. As a result, location is usually, with a few exceptions, not a major sticking point when it comes to figuring out whether their relationships can work outside the pods.
Gerry and Theresa cited location as one of the reasons behind their split. “Theresa and I have had a number of heart-to-heart conversations, and we’ve looked closely at our situation, our living situation, and so forth — and we’ve kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it’s probably time for us to — dissolve our marriage,” Gerry said on Good Morning America.
While Gerry is from Indiana, Theresa still lives and works in New Jersey. The former couple revealed in their GMA interview that they looked at homes in South Carolina and New Jersey, but they “never got to the point where we made that decision.” They are “dedicated” to staying close to their families and know it’s “best for the happiest of each of us to live apart.”
If ABC cast contestants closer to where the lead lives, it could eliminate this obstacle for the older contestants. Finding love in their golden years will always be the goal, but it’s going to be difficult for the leads and contestants to move away from their kids, grandkids, and the rest of their loved ones. Gerry and Theresa’s split should be a cautionary tale.
The Golden Bachelorette is currently set to premiere in fall 2024. Given the suddenness of Gerry and Theresa’s breakup, ABC should reassess how they cast the contestants moving forward to avoid another situation like this.
Do you think The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette should cast potential suitors closer to where the lead similar to Love Is Blind? Let us know in the comments below.
