Everything is coming up roses for one lucky Golden Bachelor contestant.
In E! News' exclusive sneak peek at the show's upcoming Oct. 12 episode, Gerry Turner chooses Ellen out of the remaining 13 contestants as the one who will enjoy a "very special date night" that will include the works—including a dress fit for a magical evening with the help of fashion designer Michael Costello.
As for Ellen's reaction to the romantic one-on-one time? "I'm like freaking out," she says with a giddy laugh during a confessional. "He picked me!"
And while there were tons of head-turning options to choose from, Ellen and Michael landed on a sleeveless bright pink full-length gown, complete with a thigh-high split and notable bow on the hip. As Michael told Ellen, "This dress looks like it was made for you. This is the one."
The ensemble was just the cherry on top to an already unforgettable night for the Florida native. As the 71-year-old shared in a confessional ahead of the evening, "This is going to be an amazing fairytale."
And Gerry couldn't agree more, as proven by his heartwarming reaction to seeing his date.
"You look beautiful," he tells her as they embrace in a hug, adding in a confessional that she simply looked "stunning."
But for Gerry, whose journey to find love again comes six years after his wife of 43 years Toni passed away, there was one accessory that got his attention most of all.
"What completed her look," he shares, "was the big smile on her face."
Watch the entire date unfold when the Golden Bachelor airs on Thursday, Oct. 15 on ABC and on Hulu.
Until then, keep reading for a reminder of all the contestants from this season.
While the lead and contestants may be older, ABC teased that The Golden Bachelor—which was delayed for several years due to COVID-19 after it was announced in January 2020—will follow a similar format to the OG show.
"The women arriving at the mansion have a lifetime of experience, living through love, loss and laughter, hoping for a spark that ignites a future full of endless possibilities," the network's May 16 press release read. "In the end, will our Golden man turn the page to start a new chapter with the woman of his dreams?"
But host Jesse Palmer shared that the stakes will be different on The Golden Bachelor because of the "emotional maturity" and life experiences of the older cast.
"The way that they decipher problems, the way that they think about some of the situations that they're in—whenever they face adversity, it's pretty interesting," Jesse told E! News. "It's a very, very resilient group of people. That's probably been one of the more surprising things for me."
And while it will be—say it with us—dramatic, the spinoff will also be uplifting, according to Jesse.
"The vibe of the show up to this point has been very different from the other shows that I've been a part of in the last two years," he noted. "There's really this sort of overarching theme of hope on this show. If it doesn't work out between the lead and one of the women, it's not so much heartbreak but it's more, 'You know, I wasn't sure I could put myself out there again and give love another try. You and this experience have given me the courage to do that moving forward, and I believe I'm gonna find my person.' And it's beautiful."
The Golden Bachelor will debut Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. ET, with Bachelor in Paradise returning for a two-hour premiere starting at 9:01 p.m ET.
Sorry future Bachelor Joey Graziadei, but America is all about Gerry Turner, who was announced as the franchise's first senior citizen lead on July 17.
The Golden Bachelor will follow the 72-year-old Indiana resident as he embarks on his journey for a second chance at love six years after the death of his high school sweetheart and wife Toni. The retired restauranteur has two daughters, Angie and Jenny, and two granddaughters, Charlee and Payton, and, according to ABC, he enjoys getting outside on a four-wheeler, hosting barbecues and playing pickleball.
"He has just been so incredible," Jesse told E! News of Gerry. "He's so personable. He's so loving. He was the perfect person to do this. Just really sweet, just humble, appreciative, grateful for the opportunity, amazing family. When I first talked to Gerry, I talked to him with his daughters and his granddaughters, and you can just kinda see it."
There wasn't a dry eye in the house when Gerry and Toni's love story was shared during The Bachelorette: The Men Tell All special on Aug. 14.
"I married my high school sweetheart Toni in 1972," Gerry said in the clip. "We had 43 wonderful years together. We had two daughters, and I now have two wonderful granddaughters. We had a real typical but beautiful life—full of love, full of activity."
After Gerry and Toni retired, they purchased what he called their "dream house" in May 2017, but the couple's plans for the future were tragically cut short soon after.
"From June 6 on, it didn't go according to plan at all," Gerry recalled before tearing up. "She became ill, and her situation got worse over a couple of weeks. And so, we went to the emergency room, and she had a bacterial infection that infected her kidneys and infected her liver. And so, I took my wife to the emergency room on July 7. She passed away on July 15."
"I really want to find my person who can put me in my place when I need it and make me smile at it," Gerry said in a clip that aired during the Aug. 14 episode of The Bachelorette: The Men Tell All. "The person who can lay down beside you at night and not have to say anything and you feel it. That's love. That's what I want, and I know that person's out there."
Being active is also a plus for anyone interested in dating Gerry.
"I'd love it if I found a partner who was high-energy," he revealed during an interview with Good Morning America. "Someone that maybe plays pickleball, someone that maybe plays golf."
ABC unveiled the 22 contestants that will be embarking on the journey to win Gerry's heart on Aug. 30, and the line-up included a familiar face: Patty James, the mother of The Bachelor season 25 star Matt James. After Patty's casting was announced, Matt celebrated his mom's new gig on his Instagram Story by posting her official photo and writing, "i ccc uuu mama" with a heart emoji.
The women's ages range from 60-75 and their professions include pro-aging coach and midlife speaker, wedding officiant, therapist and fitness instructor.
Along with a lot of sequins, viewers can expect to see the women sporting self-esteem when they arrive at the Bachelor mansion to meet Gerry, according to Jesse.
"One of the things I've really enjoyed about this group of women? They are so much more confident getting out of the limo on night one—unlike anything I've ever seen," Jesse told E! News. "It's always the limo entrance arrival, the nerves stepping out, cameras, the mansion, all of it. Because they've lived life [and] they've had experiences, they are rock stars—and all throughout this season. On group dates, on one-on-one dates, traveling, they just shine."
But don't expect Gerry to call it an early evening.
"The night does not end at 10 p.m. like I thought it might—only because people were a little bit older, maybe they wouldn't be able to stay up as late," Jesse shared. "People know that first night at the mansion is the longest night in television—period. I mean, normally that goes from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m., and it is an all-nighter and they are rollin'. And I'll say this—having been on it now for a couple years—a lot of these young kids, they talk a lot of game but inevitably you see them on the couch passed out taking little naps here and there."
Not this year's stars though. "There were no naps taken on The Golden Bachelor," he added. "They partied hard, and they went from sundown to sunup."