Emotions will be running high during the finale of The Golden Bachelor as Gerry Turner is forced to choose between Leslie Fhima and Theresa Nist.
“You’re seeing the end of his journey unfold in Costa Rica. And then of course we’ll have both women [and] Gerry there. We’ll all be watching it back for the first time together live,” Jesse Palmer told Us Weekly during an exclusive interview on Monday, November 20. “The Women Tell All was kind of a twofer. It was sort of like a Women Tell All and an After the Final Rose.”
Jesse, 45, was referring to Gerry’s tear-filled reunion with second runner-up Faith Martin.
“I mean, if that was any indicator of what this is going to be, I think this will be the most emotional AFR that the franchise has ever seen,” the host continued. “I really believe it.”
In the promo for the Thursday, November 30, finale, Gerry, 72, can be heard telling Jesse that he hasn’t been this upset since his wife, Toni, died.
“It was just a moment where I think Gerry just needed someone to talk to, and he needed to vent and talk about his feelings,” Jesse said. “And for me, the only advice in those situations is just trying to reassure him that it’s all going to be worth it and that there’s an amazing woman that he gets to spend the rest of his life with on the other side of all of that. But that was about as intense, as real and as raw as it gets. And it was probably the most raw moment that I think I’ve been a part of since hosting the franchise.”
It’s tough to predict who Gerry will give his final rose to as he’s told both Leslie, 64, and Theresa, 70, that he loves them.
“Gerry’s a guy that wears his heart on his sleeve. … He’s very present in those moments, and I think Gerry can be a little bit impulsive at times,” Jesse told Us of Gerry giving both women reassurance during the overnight dates. “But he’s the guy that knows what he wants, and I think he was feeling a lot of things and experiencing a lot of things throughout this season for the very first time. And I think navigating this part of the journey was something that I don’t think he or anybody can really prepare for when you find yourself in these moments.”
Jesse noted that Gerry’s contestants are “a group of incredible women,” and the lead’s feelings for them are real.
“He fell in love with multiple women all at the same time in different ways,” the former Bachelor said. “Throughout the course of the season, [the goodbyes are] easily the most difficult part. And I think it usually is for most leads, but I think people are really going to see an emotional goodbye come the finale that they just haven’t seen yet. It’s pretty intense.”
Before Gerry decides whether he wants to propose, Leslie and Theresa will meet his daughters, who he loves “more than anything in the world,” per Jesse.
“It’s kind of an interesting dynamic. Normally, it’s a Bachelor [or] Bachelorette meeting his parents and giving him advice. But Gerry has daughters who are adults and have their own families,” Jesse said. “He respects their opinions, they know him better than anyone. And I know he leans on them for advice and support throughout the whole thing. But it was very important for him obviously to have them meet the two women and give their feedback. And I know Gerry was very appreciative of it.”
When it comes to the future of the franchise, Jesse told Us that he’s in the same spot as Bachelor Nation. “I’m sort of on the edge of my seat just like everybody else is waiting to find out if [The Golden Bachelorette] is something that’s going to happen,” he told Us. “I really hope it is.”
He added that there’s “not just one” standout for a senior female lead. “For me, what I think makes it really unique is I think there’s many women in Gerry’s season that I think would be outstanding Golden Bachelorettes,” he said. “I think so many of them are deserving and would be fantastic. I’d love to just see a bunch of guys in their 70s sitting around the mansion trying to fix everything. Yeah, I think it would be amazing.”
The Golden Bachelor finale and After the Final Rose airs on Thursday, November 30, at 8 p.m. ET.
