Gerry Turner knelt and proposed to Theresa Nist on Thursday’s live season finale episode of “The Golden Bachelor” on ABC.
“You’re not the right person for me to live with, you’re the person I can’t live without,” said Gerry, 72, a widow and retired restaurateur from Hudson, Indiana. “Theresa, I love you 1,000 percent.” I will never stop believing that I choose you every day. Will you marry me?’
‘Yes!’ said Theresa, 70, a financial services professional from Shrewsbury, New Jersey.
“I love you,” said Gerry, who was recently the subject of an article that claimed he had a secret past that included a three-year relationship after his wife’s death and various blue-collar jobs.
When Theresa arrived to meet Gerry in a flowing, sparkling dress and diamond earrings, host Jesse Palmer, 45, accompanied her to the lush mountain in Costa Rica where he was waiting.
Gerry Turner knelt and proposed to Theresa Nist on Thursday’s live season finale episode of “The Golden Bachelor” on ABC.
Gerry smiled when he saw her. Theresa said she thought she would spend the rest of her life alone until she met him.
“I feel like life is not over for us and the best is yet to come,” Theresa said. “I think you are the most wonderful man in the world.” Now that I have found you, I never want to let you go. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.’
“You make me the happiest woman in the world,” Theresa said.
Gerry then presented Theresa with a golden rose.
‘We are engaged!’ Theresa and Gerry screamed.
When the show began, Gerry said that he had fallen in love with both women after staying with them at the Fantasy Suites.
“I came here on this trip hoping to find a second true love in my life, and how this week goes will determine who I propose to: Theresa or Leslie,” Gerry said. “On the one hand, when I’m with Leslie, we kind of lose ourselves in each other. It’s almost as if words become unnecessary. “We know what the other person is feeling.”
And then there was Theresa.
The 72-year-old retired widow from Indiana and Theresa, 64, beamed as they celebrated their engagement
Theresa clutched her golden rose as she kissed her new fiancé Gerry
“You’re not the right person for me to live with, you’re the person I can’t live without,” said Gerry, 72, a widow and retired restaurateur from Hudson, Indiana. “Theresa, I love you 1,000 percent.” I will never stop believing that I choose you every day. Will you marry me?’
“You make me the happiest woman in the world,” Theresa said
“Everything changed after our sleepover,” Gerry said.
Gerry then met with his family, his two daughters Jennifer and Angie and his grandchildren in Costa Rica to help him make his decision. He told them that he had already told both women that he was in love with them. He asked her to meet both women. The family first met with Theresa.
Jennifer and Angie pulled Theresa aside. Theresa told her about her first husband and how he was lost after kidney failure. Jennifer asked Theresa what she would do if Gerry ended up getting down on one knee.
“Yes, I’m here, absolutely,” Theresa said. “At this age, we both realize that we don’t know how much time we have and we want to make the most of every moment.”
Jennifer said in a confessional that she would be in favor of her father proposing to Theresa.
“I think that would actually be a great thing,” Jennifer said. “I would be really happy for him.”
Angie asked her father if the fantasy suite gave him more clarity and if he “tapped his boots.”
“We’re not talking about that,” Gerry said, smiling.
Gerry said Theresa opened up even more when they had the opportunity to spend time alone.
Gerry’s family Jenny, Angie, Charlee and Payton met with Theresa first
“The hugs were sweeter,” Gerry said. “The conversation was easier. So I think it’s really encouraging what you tell me about her and what you see.”
“I just want to remind you that I love you,” Gerry said to Theresa.
“I love you,” Theresa said.
Gerry and Theresa had one last date. Theresa hoped that in the end it would be her and Gerry. They held hands and told stories from their past. Theresa said she was worried because there was another woman there.
“I still want you to be happy,” Theresa said. “As hard as it may be for me, I wouldn’t want you to choose me if you didn’t want me 1,000 percent and overwhelmingly.”
“It will be 1,000 percent or nothing,” Gerry said.
“At the end of the day, one of us is going to get hurt,” Theresa said in a confessional. “At this point I don’t want to live a life without Gerry. This is extremely difficult. I might leave here completely broken-hearted.”
Gerry and Theresa had one last date before the rose ceremony
The next day, Gerry brought Leslie Fhima, 64, a fitness trainer from Golden Valley, Minnesota, to his family.
Leslie told them that she made Gerry laugh and that they always had fun together. Leslie told Gerry’s grandchildren Payton and Charlee that she was crazy about their grandfather. Payton began to cry when he saw how much love there was between Leslie and her grandfather.
“I loved her,” Payton said later. “We had a heart for Theresa and now?” Leslie for example, she’s great. I got so emotional and I think that spoke volumes to me.”
Leslie then spoke to Gerry’s daughters, who told her that she wanted to travel with Gerry and see the world. They asked her if she was ready to propose. Leslie told her that the thought of it scared her because she had never had anyone who wanted to give themselves to her completely.
“He’s the man of my dreams,” Leslie said, crying. “He really is.”
Gerry told his daughters that he was stressed about his decision and wanted to make sure it was a woman “I can’t live without for the rest of my life.”
In a confessional, Gerry said things had become confusing and he didn’t know how to deal with it. Leslie felt that Gerry seemed a little off and that frightened her. On their last date, Leslie tried to focus on the positive.
“I could be engaged tomorrow, that would be great,” Leslie said to the camera.
Gerry apologized to her for not being himself, but said the stress was getting to him. Gerry raised his glass and toasted “us,” which put Leslie in a good mood.
“I love this guy,” Leslie said in a confessional. ‘He is great. I adore him and want to share a life with him.’
Leslie gave him a scrapbook of her memories. The book contained photos of them and their date card.
Theresa wore a white dress as she headed to the rose ceremony
“And then there are plenty of pages for more,” Leslie said.
Gerry told her that the gift left him speechless. The two kissed and hugged each other.
“I can’t imagine being without you now,” Leslie said. “I love you very, very much.”
“It’s such a special feeling,” Gerry said.
Gerry hugged her as she cried.
“Be happy,” Gerry said, looking at her.
“I want you to be happy too,” Leslie said.
“I think it’s time for me to go,” Gerry said.
Gerry hugged her at the door and cried.
“Is there something you want to tell me?” Leslie said.
Gerry shook his head.
“No, I just have a difficult decision to make,” Gerry said. “It’s harder than I ever thought possible.”
Gerry sat down on the stairs crying. Leslie in her room was also crying.
“I’m definitely not confident right now,” Leslie said. “I know why he had today off. I know exactly why.’
Gerry decided he needed to go back and talk to Leslie. Gerry told her he had made a decision about how he wanted to approach things.
“And I fell in love with Theresa,” Gerry said. “And that’s the direction I’m going to take.”
“Okay,” Leslie said. “So everything you told me the other night was a lie.”
“No, it wasn’t a lie,” Gerry said.
“Yes, it was,” said Leslie. “Everything you said the other night was a complete lie, Gerry.”
“No, because back then that was the truth,” Gerry said. ‘Things have changed. Things have evolved.’
Gerry told Leslie he was so sorry. Leslie cried and Gerry held her.
“That’s typical,” Leslie said. ‘That is my life. That’s how it always works.’
Gerry told her not to think like that.
“Gerry, it doesn’t matter, no offense, but I can think whatever the hell I want,” Leslie said, crying. “I’m heartbroken once again, but now I have to do it in front of the whole world to see once again how broken I am.” How no one chose me… the other night you made it sound like you had chose me. You said things to me that made me think that this would be it.’
Leslie said it baffled her that he could tell her he loved her and then change his mind 12 hours later. Leslie said the only good thing was that she didn’t have to put on the $60,000 dress with the diamond earrings, get on the platform and completely embarrass herself.
“And I thank you for that,” Leslie said.
“I’m sorry,” Gerry said.
“There’s nothing you can say or do that would make me feel better,” Leslie said.
“Okay, I’ll do it,” Gerry said.
“I’m tired of being out there,” Leslie said to the camera. ‘Time is running out.’
Gerry met with Jesse and told him he wasn’t feeling well.
“I took a really good person and broke his bloody heart,” Gerry said, crying. “I hate myself and I hate everything right now.” I think the only time in my life I felt worse was when my wife died. And that’s a goddamn second.’
“I’m sorry,” Jesse said.
“She’s a good person and I screwed her over,” Gerry said.
Leslie then accompanied Jesse on stage during the live show. The crowd cheered her. Jesse asked her how she felt after watching the show again.
Leslie then accompanied Jesse on stage during the live show
“I was devastated,” Leslie said.
Leslie said she fell in love with Gerry and it was hard. Leslie said after the sleepovers that she was 100 percent sure she was his girlfriend. Leslie said she felt overwhelmed and chose a dress and wrote her vows. Then Jesse pulled Gerry out and Leslie hugged him.
“I was completely myself with you,” Leslie said. “I wanted to give this to you until death do us part.”
Leslie said she truly fell in love with his integrity. Leslie said she would never tell what he said those nights, but his words gave her 100 percent certainty that “she was his girlfriend and we were getting engaged.”
Leslie said she was caught off guard and wasn’t sure how everything suddenly changed. Gerry said he was so sorry and didn’t want to hurt anyone. He said he was caught up in seconds thinking she was his person until he suddenly realized she wasn’t.
“It didn’t really go wrong, Leslie,” Gerry said. “It was just better with someone else.”
“It didn’t really go wrong, Leslie,” Gerry said. “It was just better with someone else”
“I don’t know if I accept your apology, but I understand it,” Leslie said.
“I had to find that one person I couldn’t live without, and I did,” Gerry said. “It was my journey and I had to see it through to the end.”
Jesse later revealed that the show would send Gerry and Theresa on a cruise.
Joey Graziadei, 28, the next star of “The Bachelor,” was in the studio audience and previewed the upcoming 28th season, which will premiere in January.