70s Couple Met on Dating Variety Show Divorced After 3 Months... Why?

Popular Reality Show 'Golden Bachelor' Marriage
Divorce Announced After 3 Months... Residence Seems to Have Major Impact

A couple in their 70s who met on a popular variety show targeting the elderly and got married have divorced after just three months.

On the 12th (local time), the US ABC network reported that Jerry Turner (72) and Teresa Nist (70), who met and married on its popular program "The Golden Bachelor," appeared on "Good Morning America" to announce their divorce.

The Bachelor is a matchmaking reality TV show featuring a single man in his 20s or 30s who dates multiple women sequentially and ultimately chooses one partner. It has aired a total of 28 seasons since 2002, and attracted attention by casting a man in his 70s as the lead for the first time in the series through The Golden Bachelor.

Turner, cast as the series lead, was very popular as an attractive elderly man with a handsome face, tanned skin, and a robust physique. Many viewers sympathized with his story of having had a happy marriage for 43 years before sadly losing his wife in 2017.

Jerry Turner (right) and Theresa Nist, who got married through 'Golden Bachelor'
[Image source: Screenshot from 'Golden Bachelor' Instagram]

Turner and Nist first met when filming began in August last year. To win the love of Turner, a widower, 22 women aged 60 to 75 competed, and Turner ultimately became a couple with Nist and proposed. Their wedding was broadcast live on January 4 this year through ABC’s special program "The Golden Wedding."

The main reason they decided to separate appears to be their places of residence. Turner lives in Indiana, and Nist in New Jersey, so their long-established living bases far apart likely influenced their decision.

In an interview on the broadcast that day, Turner said, “What influenced me the most during our conversations was how devoted we both are to our respective families,” adding, “We both feel that living apart for our own happiness is the best choice.” He continued, “I still love Nist, but now it’s time to end our marriage.”

Nist said, “Many people said they gained great hope from our love,” and added, “We hope no one loses that kind of hope.”