Heavy/ABC Faith Martin and Gerry Turner.
The success of “The Golden Bachelor” has fans hoping to see a female-fronted version of the show.
“Bachelor” host Jesse Palmer told E! News that he has high hopes for “The Golden Bachelorette” to be added to ABC’s schedule, although he admitted he had no inside information on a spinoff. “But I know there are thousands of women across America deserving of that,” Palmer added.
One of those women is Faith Martin, the third-place finisher eliminated by Gerry Turner on “The Golden Bachelor.” Martin, 61, landed in third place on the ABC dating spinoff and left broken-hearted.
When asked to relay some advice to Martin should she become “The Golden Bachelorette,” Turner told People magazine she doesn’t need him to chime in. “I don’t think Faith needs any advice from me,” he said. “I really don’t. She’s got her act together. She knows what she wants. She knows what she can and can’t do. Yeah, she doesn’t need advice from me.”
Gerry Turner Revealed Why He Thinks ‘The Golden Bachelorette’ Should Happen
The premiere episode of “The Golden Bachelor” reached more than 11 million viewers, according to Variety. Given its massive success, Turner told People he’s “wholeheartedly in favor” of a female version of the senior dating show. “I have no say in it, just to be clear, but I think it would be exciting because it’s going to continue the theme that we’ve started of being hopeful and being visible at our age,” he said. “So hopefully it happens.”
Days after “The Golden Bachelor” premiered, ABC executive Rob Mills told Variety no plans for ‘The Golden Bachelorette” are in the works – yet.
“I would say probably very, very far in the back of our minds, we’re thinking of that,” he said. “But it really has been an all hands on deck 24/7 to make [‘The Golden Bachelor’] a really special eight weeks — even if it’s the only time we ever do it.”
Mills noted that when “The Bachelor” debuted in 2002, no one dreamed it would turn into the franchise that it’s become. “And I think that’s really what this will be,” he said of “The Golden Bachelor” and any potential spinoffs. “I think we’re open to anything, and I think one of the learnings we’ve found that pertains to the whole ‘Bachelor’ franchise is just go where the story is.”
Faith Martin Said She’d ‘Absolutely’ Be ‘The Golden Bachelorette’
Martin expressed interest in the lead role if “The Golden Bachelorette” does come to fruition. “My direct answer would be ‘absolutely,'” she told Parade in an interview. “I would do it because it’s been one of the best experiences of my life doing [The Golden Bachelor], and I would love for them to vet the people that I was interested in dating. Find them for me! Of course I would say yes.”
She also told People magazine that she believes in “the process” after falling in love with Turner on his season of the show. “I feel like I’ve seen it work and I lived it,” she said. “I know that in such a short time, you can have those kind of feelings, and I trust these producers.”
“They should continue to do it with this age group, because I think that gives people hope,” Martin added. “I think it’s really fun to watch, and I would definitely be into doing something like that.”
READ NEXT: Catherine Lowe Expresses Concern Over ‘The Golden Bachelorette’