Here’s who viewers want to see as the lead.
Even before The Golden Bachelor came to a close and Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist rode off into the sunset together — and by that we mean, got married on live television during The Golden Wedding — fans of the series have been wondering if there will be a Golden Bachelorette. It seemed like a no-brainer, given that The Golden Bachelor was a smash hit that achieved a three-year high in ratings for the franchise, but for months, ABC stayed mum about the possibility of a female-focused spin-off. Thankfully, the wait is over and we finally have answers about the future of The Golden Bachelorette. Read on for what we know.
Will there be a Golden Bachelorette?
Yes! On Feb. 9 at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour, it was confirmed that The Golden Bachelorette is in the works. According to a press release from ABC, “this all-new iteration of the hit series will highlight one radiant woman’s second chance at love in her golden years.”
Who probably won’t be the next Golden Bachelorette
ABC hasn’t announced who the new Golden Bachelorette will be, but on March 19, fans got a clue as to who it might not be. That’s because Warner Bros. Unscripted Television and iHeartMedia announced that two of our Golden Bachelor fan favorites, Susan Noles and Kathy Swarts, are going to be hosting a new podcast called Bachelor Happy Hour: Golden Hour. The podcast will air beginning on Thursday, March 28 and will provide listeners with “some real wisdom about relationships, heartbreak and even sex,” according to a press release.
Susan and Kathy expressed their enthusiasm for the new project in a joint statement: “We’re so excited and can’t wait for our Bachelor Nation fans to join us on our new podcast,” they said. “We will be sharing some of OUR life lessons with some humor and asking listeners to dish on what’s going on in their lives. Nothing surprises us!”
To be clear, there’s been no official word one way or the other, but given this news, it seems unlikely that either Susan or Kathy would be the Golden Bachelorette — it would be unusual, to say the least, for a lead to have a Bachelor podcast while they are currently helming a Bachelor spin-off. Many Bachelor contestants and leads have gone on to do podcasts, but not until after their time in the Bachelor mansion had come to an end. We imagine there would be all kinds of spoiler risks otherwise. Then again, The Golden Bachelor was all about breaking the mold, so you never know!
That said, if you’re bummed because you want to see Susan and Kathy on TV, don’t fret! They’ve been making regular appearances on the current season of The Bachelor. For instance, they helped Bachelor Joey Graziadei judge a group date competition at the beginning of the season, and Susan returned during the fantasy suites to offer some of her signature words of wisdom.
Who should be the Golden Bachelorette 2024
While the cast details will be revealed later, fans have wasted no time speculating who they think should be the lead. A while back, we teamed up with our friends at AARP to get viewers’ predictions on who they want to be the Golden Bachelorette, and the responses have been eye-opening! Here are some of the frontrunners based on your picks and our own expert predictions:
Leslie
Leslie was Gerry’s runner-up, and her emotional monologue about feeling let down every time she’s not chosen by a suitor really pulled at viewers’ heartstrings. It would make for a great arc to see Leslie be the one doing the choosing for once. It’s not uncommon for the runner-up to become the next lead: Trista Rehn, Becca Kufrin, and Jojo Fletcher are just some former contestants who fell just short of the final rose, only to become the Bachelorette later. And we’re not the only ones who think Leslie would be great at the gig: 12.7 percent of respondents from our survey wanted to see her take her pick between 20-plus eligible men.
Susan
The wedding officiant from Aston, Penn. didn’t get as much time with Gerry as some of the other women, but that didn’t stop her from making a lasting impression on viewers: 15.2 percent of those who cast a vote want her as the Golden Bachelorette, and we can totally see this. Would Susan officiate her own wedding at the end of it? That’s probably a conflict of interest, but she did a fantastic job emceeing Gerry and Theresa’s wedding. Maybe the Turners would return the favor?
Faith
Faith’s elimination at the end of the hometown dates caught many fans — and Faith herself — by surprise. Throughout the show, we saw her wow Gerry with her guitar playing, we watched their sizzling physical connection unfold on our screens, and we witnessed Faith open up and get vulnerable for the first time in many years. Viewers connected with her, and a whopping 17.4 percent of you think the Benton City, Washington-based high school teacher should be the face of a Bachelorette spin-off.
Joan
The 60-year-old private school administrator ended up having to send herself home fairly early in the competition because of a family emergency, but could she be back on our screens? Yes, if the 19.3 percent of survey respondents who want to see her as the Golden Bachelorette get their way. It would be pretty unprecedented for someone who left the competition so early to get the lead spot, but Joan definitely has the poise to carry the show.
Ellen
Pulling in 20 percent of the vote, a slim majority of you want to see Ellen, the retired health teacher, as the Golden Bachelorette. And it makes sense, given that Ellen made it to the final four, and her elimination came as a shock to some viewers. We’ve seen her open up on camera, we’ve seen her dominate at pickleball, and there’s no doubt she has the personality to keep viewers entertained week after week. Katie Couric Media and AARP agree that she’d make a great choice.
When will the first season of The Golden Bachelorette premiere?
It’s set to premiere this fall, though we don’t have an exact date yet, and according to the release, more details will be announced later.
