Jesse Palmer Details What He Loves Most About Hosting ‘The Golden Bachelor’ (Exclusive)

The Golden Bachelor is the new series in The Bachelor franchise and has been a big hit for ABC, hitting 9 million viewers from streaming for the series premiere, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The show focuses on Gerry Turner, a 72-year-old widower and retired restauranter looking for love. Jesse Palmer is the host of The Golden Bachelor, and PopCulture.com spoke to Palmer about what he loves most about hosting the show. 

“It’s been a lot of fun because it has been so different. This is obviously a very different dynamic with Gerry and these women,” Palmer told PopCulture. “I’ve loved the fact that they have tremendous energy. They have so much life experience. Normally in this role, I’m the one who’s giving people advice on dating, on love and relationships. There’s nothing I can say to Gerry or these women. They’ve lived so much life. They’ve loved, they’ve lost. I think they’re applying all of those experiences to the show. And for me, it’s like I’m just along for the ride. Every time I talk to Gerry or these women, I’m on the edge of my seat and I’m taking notes on things that I can apply to my own relationship with my wife, Emily. So this has really been an incredible experience for me.”‘

Two episodes of The Golden Bachelor have aired with the third premiering on Thursday. There are 12 women remaining and their ages range from 60 to 75. Palmer has been impressed with how the women have handled themselves throughout the competition.

When talking about the first night, Palmer said, “I really wasn’t sure how long that night was going to go. That’s the longest night in television, normally when we do The Bachelor or The Bachelorette. It starts at 7:00 PM and goes all the way around the clock till eight in the morning. I thought we’d be having naps, taking breaks throughout the course of the night.

“Man, those women came out of the limo and they were ready to go. They just owned it. They had so much confidence. They were so great. Meeting Gerry, saying everything they had to say. Everybody went into the mansion, had an amazing time. There was a dance party. There were no naps. I mean, they were ready to keep going past 8:00 a.m. I don’t know how they did it, but their confidence and their energy to me, I think was probably the most surprising thing, especially at the very beginning.”

Palmer also said that Turner has handled the duties of being The Golden Bachelor well since it can be a little challenging. “I think he’s been great. I think the most important thing Gerry’s been doing is just being himself and he’s going with it, right?” Palmer said. “He’s having fun with it. He’s stepping out of his comfort zone. And I think a lot of times the women sort of look to Gerry to sort of set the tone. And I think Gerry up to this point has done a really, really good job of that. I know people are having fun, but they’re also making the most use of their time.”