Maybe Gerry Turner Rejecting Faith Martin For Theresa Nist is a Decision He Will Regret in Years to Come

The Golden Bachelor‘s Gerry Turner picked Theresa Nist out of the three finalists, which included Leslie Fhima and Faith Martin. Turner sent home Martin first out of the three, who had a hunch about the decision but was still a little heartbroken. Turner and Nist’s marriage didn’t last long, as they decided to end things just after three months.

Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist in The Golden Bachelor | Credits: ABC

Looking back, Turner may regret choosing Nist over Martin, who had a lot of things to offer that the 72-year-old bachelor needed in his retirement life. While the women in the show went on to win the hearts of people, Turner took a hit to his reputation after the show.

Gerry Turner May Have Picked Wrong As Faith Martin Appeared To Be The One For Him

Faith Martin in The Golden Bachelor | Credits: ABC

Radio host and musician Faith Martin made an instant impression on The Golden Bachelor fans when she entered the mansion on a motorcycle. Martin earned a First Impression rose from Gerry Turner and went on to become a clear fan-favorite. The former high school teacher was widowed in 2021 after being married for 21 years.

Martin’s mission in the Bachelor mansion was clear. She wanted Turner to take the ride of his life with her, which included all sorts of adventures. She made it to the final three and was the second runner-up on the show. During an interview with PEOPLE, she shared that she had a hunch that Turner wouldn’t be picking her.

She shared that she had a terrible feeling after her hometown date with Turner, sensing it might be the last time she would see him. Martin was right, as Turner decided to move forward with Theresa Nist and Leslie Fhima. She shared on the show, as well as in the interview, that she believed their contrasting lifestyles and the different states played a role in their breakup. She shared with PEOPLE:

The other part of it is, I love to camp and hike and backpack and be on my horses. I’d never played pickleball before. I mean, there’s a million reasons that he might’ve gone, ‘Ah. This isn’t really a great fit,’ even though we had a strong connection. As hard as it is for me to take, I feel like it was the best decision that he put me out when he did.

However, Turner’s final choice Nist didn’t work out well as they went their separate ways after the show. The ex-couple shared during their appearance on Good Morning America that they closely assessed their situation and came to the mutual conclusion to dissolve their marriage. During their earlier appearance on the Dear Shandy Podcast, Turner revealed one issue that may have proved to be the dealbreaker in their marriage.

Turner was not happy with Nist’s career and retirement plans, having retired from his thriving career years ago. He shared, “I wanted fun, adventure. I wanted to go and do. So that is the crux of it, right now, is – when does that start?” Interestingly, Martin wanted the same out of her relationship with Turner, which the Golden Bachelor may have overlooked.

Faith Martin admitted to having “lingering feelings” for Turner, sharing that she “truly love(s) the guy”. She even shared that she wanted to be in Turner’s life somehow in an appropriately non-romantic way. Martin has since advanced her musical career with her fame from the show.

Gerry Turner’s Reputation Took A Hit After Golden Bachelor

Gerry Turner in The Golden Bachelor | Credits: ABC

Way before the divorce announcement with Theresa Nist, Gerry Turner was exposed for some of the claims he made while on the show. A report from The Hollywood Reporter painted a not-so-golden picture of him. He shared on the show that he found dating hard after losing his wife, Toni, in 2017. It turns out that he allegedly was in a relationship after the passing of his wife.

The anonymous ex-girlfriend shared that they started a relationship only months into his widowerhood. The report also revealed romantic texts between the two, making his claims on the show a bit exaggerated. Fans called him a master manipulator after this revelation.

The franchise faced a PR disaster after the Nist-Turner separation. The show was nevertheless a major hit for ABC, with the viewership of the finale episode hitting 6.1 million (via Variety). In February 2024, the network announced The Golden Bachelorette, a spin-off from The Bachelorette franchise (via Deadline).

The Golden Bachelorette began streaming on Hulu on September 18, 2024.