The Golden Bachelor couple Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner announced their shocking divorce after just three months of marriage, and now Theresa should take the lead of her own season as the first-ever star of The Golden Bachelorette. Theresa, a 70-year-old financial services professional from Shrewsbury, New Jersey, and Gerry, a 72-year-old retired restaurateur from Hudson, Indiana, met, fell in love, and got engaged during The Golden Bachelor. During the “After the Final Rose” episode, they announced that they wanted to get married as soon as possible.

The Golden Bachelor continued with Theresa and Gerry’s Golden Wedding on January 4, 2024. During the spectacular live, televised event, their family members served as the bridal party, while their Bachelor Nation friends joined them to witness them get married. However, on April 12, 2024, just three months after the Golden Wedding, Gerry and Theresa announced that they were divorcing, saying that neither one of them wanted to move away from their families, so they couldn’t figure out where to live. After some time passes, Theresa should be cast as The Golden Bachelorette season 1 lead for many reasons.

1Theresa Is Still Open To Falling In Love

Theresa Isn’t Giving Up On Finding Her Person

When Gerry and Theresa announced their divorce on Good Morning America on April 12, they both said that they were still open to finding love. Theresa emphasized that she hoped that people wouldn’t give up on love because their marriage didn’t last. She said that they’d received a lot of love and support from Golden Bachelor viewers, and so many people told them that the show gave them so much hope. Theresa added that they wanted none of that to change for anybody.

Theresa isn’t giving up on finding her person, even after her marriage and divorce. This proves that she’s serious about finding a new life partner, which would make her the perfect Golden Bachelorette. Theresa hasn’t allowed her failed relationship with Gerry to discourage her from finding the true love that she wants and deserves. That kind of openness and hope is exactly what’s needed from the first-ever Golden Bachelorette lead.

2Theresa Deserves A Second Chance With Men Who Want What She Wants

Theresa & Gerry Couldn’t Decide Where To Live

Before their divorce, Theresa and Gerry tried to compromise about where they’d live. Theresa shared that they’d looked at houses in South Carolina and New Jersey, two states where her children reside, but they couldn’t come to an agreement. Neither one of them wanted to leave their families. This is completely understandable for two people in their 70s, who are probably very settled into their daily routines with their loved ones. However, it was the main cause of Gerry and Theresa’s divorce.

As the star of The Golden Bachelorette, Theresa would be able to find someone who wants the same things that she wants. The show should cast men who live close to her hometown, or men who are willing to relocate there for her. The Golden Bachelor was Gerry’s show, so perhaps he assumed that whomever he chose would move to his hometown. If Theresa were the lead of her own season, then she could expect the same from the man that she chose.

3Theresa Was Ready For Love On The Golden Bachelor

Theresa Opened Her Heart To Gerry

Unlike some of the other Golden Bachelor women who were hesitant to let themselves fall completely in love with Gerry so quickly, Theresa was all-in from the start. Gerry gave Theresa the first one-on-one date of the season, which took place at a diner. During the date, Gerry and Theresa bonded over the losses of their spouses. Gerry had lost his wife, Toni, six years earlier, while Theresa’s husband, Billy, had passed away almost nine years before.

Although Gerry and Theresa both went through these tragic losses, they told each other that they still had the hope that they’d find love in the future. They even danced with a flash mob to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which became the theme of their relationship. It was very apparent throughout their journey that Theresa was completely ready for love, especially when she told Gerry that she loved him. It was a big step for her, but she wanted to take it. Theresa deserves another chance to find love on The Golden Bachelorette.

4Theresa Is A Supportive Mate

Theresa Comforted Gerry During A Driving Mishap

Theresa proved herself to be a very supportive partner to Gerry on their first date. On the date, Gerry drove on the California freeway for the first time, and the headlights on the classic car he was driving weren’t working. He was very worried, but Theresa gently put her hand on his shoulder, and he was instantly calmed. When Gerry met Theresa’s family during her hometown date, he told them this story, emphasizing how much it meant to him.

Theresa was a wonderful support system for Gerry, and she would be the same for the men on her Golden Bachelorette season. She was able to be Gerry’s strength when he needed it most. Theresa is a strong woman, which is an important quality for the lead of a Bachelor franchise series. She would be able to take the lead and support the men through the sometimes difficult process of the show, and hopefully she’d receive the same from them.

Theresa Is A Devoted Partner

Theresa Really Cared About Gerry

Throughout TheGolden Bachelor, Theresa proved her devotion to Gerry. In fact, she was so enamored with him that she sometimes forgot that her fellow contestants, who were also her friends, were also competing for his heart. One infamous example of this was when Theresa was gushing about her relationship with Gerry to Kathy Swarts, who felt that Theresa was boasting about their connection. Kathy told Theresa to “Zip it,” which has now become one of the most popular Bachelor Nation catchphrases.

If Theresa were the star of her own Golden Bachelorette season, she wouldn’t have to worry about pouring her heart out about the man she loved. She also wouldn’t have to wonder what his relationships with the other women were like. Theresa could simply enjoy her time putting her energy into the relationship with the man she loved without having to consider other contestants’ feelings.

5Theresa Followed Through With Her Engagement

Theresa & Gerry Actually Got Married

Unlike most of the Bachelor Nation couples who got engaged on their seasons and then broke up shortly afterward before tying the knot, Theresa actually followed through and married Gerry. Although it eventually ended in divorce, the marriage proved that Theresa was willing to take a leap of faith and make the ultimate commitment to Gerry right away. This is an important quality for Bachelor franchise show leads to have because, otherwise, the show seems pointless.

Although Theresa most likely won’t want to jump into another engagement and marriage so soon after her divorce from Gerry, the fact that she went through with it in the first place proves that she believes in the process of the show. The Golden Bachelorette lead can’t be skeptical or cynical about the show because then her journey will most certainly end in heartache. Theresa has already been through it once, so she knows what to expect, and she hopefully will have learned from the experience.

6Theresa Is A Very Smart Woman

Theresa Taught Herself About The Stock Market & Made A Career Out Of It

At 70 years old, Theresa is still working. Theresa wanting to keep her job was a point of contention for Gerry, who said on the Dear Shandy podcast a few weeks before their divorce announcement that he’s been retired for a long time, and he wanted fun and adventure. Theresa said that it was a hurdle in their relationship. In a November 2023 Instagram post, Theresa detailed how she got her job. She explained that she developed a passion for the stock market at 46 years old. She went to the library and read every book she could find about the topic, and also started watching CNBC and listening to Bloomberg.

Theresa explained that she bought three stocks, which eventually led to her trading every day. She no longer daytrades, but she is still in the industry working with what she calls a great company in a position that she loves. Theresa’s intelligence and self-sufficiency is a very appealing quality. She deserves a partner who’ll recognize and appreciate this, and encourage and support her in her plans to continue her career late in life. It also shows that she wasn’t on the show to gain wealth or fame. This is so important for the Golden Bachelorette lead.

7Theresa Is Sexy & Knows How To Have Fun

Theresa Wasn’t Afraid To Let Her Hair Down

The Golden Bachelorette lead should be someone sexy and spirited who knows how to have fun. Theresa showed herself to have all of these qualities when she arrived at the Bachelor Mansion on premiere night, which also happened to be her 70th birthday. She caught Gerry’s attention by emerging from the limousine announcing that she was going to show him her birthday suit. When she opened her wrap, she revealed flesh-colored undergarments, and they both laughed.

Later, Gerry gave Theresa a cupcake for her birthday. He asked her if he took a bite of cupcake and had icing all over his mouth, would she help clean it up. She said yes, and asked him to do it. They then shared their first kiss. This encounter ignited a spark that only continued to burn stronger throughout the season. As The Golden Bachelorette, Theresa would bring her vibrant personality to center stage and captivate her suitors.

8Theresa Deserves To Be The Center Of Attention

Theresa Won’t Have To Compete For Love On The Golden Bachelorette

Although Theresa ended up marrying Gerry in the end, she had to go through the difficult process of knowing that she was competing with 21 other women for his heart from the beginning. Gerry also told runner-up Leslie Fhima that he loved her, and he even told her that he thought she was The One. Theresa deserves to be the center of attention of her own season, during which she’d be in control of the situation.

Gerry told both Leslie and Faith Martin that he loved them before he told Theresa. Although he might’ve been waiting for the right moment, she still had to go into the rose ceremony after her hometown date knowing that she’d told him that she loved him, and he didn’t say it back. Of course, he eventually did, and they even got married, but if Theresa were the star of her own Golden Bachelorette season, she’d never have to feel that way again.

9Theresa Is Full Of Life

Theresa Proves That 70 Is The New 40

One of the most beautiful aspects of The Golden Bachelor was how it showed that people in their senior years are still as vibrant as ever. Theresa doesn’t act like a stereotypical 70 year old. She’s still working, dating, and even got married again late in life. Theresa is an inspiring woman who is the perfect example of what it means to be a woman in her 70s in today’s world.

Theresa and Gerry might’ve broken up, but it hasn’t broken Theresa’s spirit. She still believes in love and hopes that others do too. Although it might be too soon for her to become the first-ever lead of The Golden Bachelorette, she should definitely be given the role in the future. She’s beautiful inside and out, along with being smart, fun, kind, and compassionate. Theresa deserves to find another great love in her life, and she would be perfect as the first-ever lead of The Golden Bachelorette.