'The Golden Bachelor': Gerry Teases How Fantasy Suites Will Be 'Quite Different' Than Past Seasons (Exclusive)
The 72-year-old reality star is ready for his second shot at love.
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Gerry Turner has some thoughts about Fantasy Suites. Ahead of the start of his journey on The Golden Bachelor, the series' inaugural star told ET's Denny Directo how his overnights with several lucky ladies may look different than fans of the franchise have come to expect.
"I just think that a Fantasy Suite for someone of my age may look quite different," Gerry, 72, told ET. "The activities could be quite different than for someone in their 20s and 30s."
While Gerry said the potential Fantasy Suite activities "really don't" make him nervous, he quipped that "they make my daughters a lot more nervous than me." Gerry shares two daughters, Angie and Jenny, with his late wife, Toni, and is also grandpa to two girls, Charlee and Payton.
Fantasy Suites traditionally take place when the lead has narrowed down their suitors to three, but physical moments, including kissing, have been known to happy as early as night one.
"That they said absolutely none of that. They said don't do it," Gerry joked of his daughters, before noting that he's "been ignoring that part of the advice."
All jokes aside, Gerry noted that his loved ones have "given good advice" as he prepares to embark on this life-changing journey.
"They said pick your moments. They said enjoy every minute you can," he said. "... They are very much fans of the show. They got me started watching it. They were the ones that motivated me to respond early on to the casting call."
As for what his late wife would think of the whole thing, Gerry said, "She would be thrilled for this."
"We talked frequently as time went on... about what we expected for the other if one of us didn't live forward, and it was, like, we both wanted the other to be happy," Gerry added of Toni, his high school sweetheart who he was with for 43 years. "She would be very encouraging."
ABC/Brian Bowen Smith
ET's exclusive interview with Gerry took place at Bachelor mansion ahead of his first night in his new role. Being at the iconic location made things feel much more real for the retired restaurateur.
"Every day it sinks in a little more. When I walked in the mansion just now it sunk in a lot. [There was] shock and awe," he admitted. "Sometimes I don't have any words for what's going on in my head. I was overwhelmed by the entire scene and overwhelmed by the history of what has happened here."
While Gerry noted that he feels "more energized than nervous" about the process, he admitted that he's "not prepared" to be a household name, calling the prospect "a pretty big task."
He's likewise unsure how he's going to handle dating many women at once, joking, "Is there any way of preparing for that?... Is there a direction book for that, an instruction book?"
At the end of the day, Gerry simply hopes that he's "able to get know" each of his potential partners "very well" and "enjoy each one of their company."
"I think the one thing I'm going to look for is that look in the eye. I've seen it before, and I know the feeling when it's there," he said. "If I see that, that's going to be the person that I'm going to probably pursue above others."
That special someone, Gerry said, will likely have "a great sense of humor, particularly something that is self-effacing."
"I think I'm going to be looking for someone who's sensitive, who's warm and kind," he added. "Someone who blends with me well, so that we feel a partnership... I felt it before in my life, and it's a very important factor."
Through it all, Gerry knows he has all of Bachelor Nation cheering him on, which has made the experience "pretty amazing" thus far.
"To feel the sensitivity and the affection from everyone was probably one of my biggest surprises," he said. "I mean, everyone cares, everyone's committed to this, so it's a big responsibility."
The Golden Bachelor will premiere this fall on ABC.
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