ET was on the set of 'The Golden Bachelor's highly-anticipated pickleball date.
Gerry Turner has his eye on a few special ladies. ET joined The Golden Bachelor's leading man for his pickleball group date, which aired on Thursday night's episode, and he revealed the three women who are holding his interest at this point in his journey for love.
"I think Ellen would be the first that I should mention. She has high energy, as you saw today. She knew what the prize was, and she wanted to win," he said of the retired teacher, who won the tournament with her partner, Kathy.
Then there's Leslie, the fitness instructor who wasn't on the group date as she landed the week's one-on-one. "Leslie is hilarious," Gerry said. "She doesn't have as much of a filter as some of the other women. She enjoys life."
Faith also has Gerry's attention, as he told ET, "Faith got the First Impression Rose and then literally walked around the back of the mansion and met me there to play her guitar and sing a song, so there's a lot of talent there and there's a good connection."
ET spoke to Faith, a high school teacher, who said that her experience so far has been "indescribable."
"It's been crazy. It's been traumatic. It's been an experience of a lifetime in so many ways. I've had these 'a ha' moments... I've learned some things about myself," she said. "We've begun to have a little drama in the show. It's been really hard to be away from friends and family and my kids, my grandkids. I have a horse and two dogs, so it's hard. It's hard to see the guy that you're interested in not only date other women, but he's getting a little more intimate with them."
As for how she feels about Gerry, Faith said, "Gerry has this really wonderful demeanor and presence, so he's very calming, very caring, genuine. It feels like he's truthful with everyone, and charismatic and fun too. I think the world of him."
Gerry was joined on his group date by Trista Sutter, the first-ever star of The Bachelorette, and she certainly noticed his connection with two of the women.
"I don't know the ins and outs of the other dates, but if I had to guess it would be between Theresa and Ellen," he said. "I just sense when he looks at them that there's something behind their relationship that I don't know about yet... There's just something between Theresa and Gerry and Ellen and Gerry that I can't put my finger on yet, but I think there's chemistry there."
Bachelor Joey Graziadei was also on hand for the pickleball-themed date, and he told ET that it "was awesome" to be a part of The Golden Bachelor.
"He's a great guy that was really enjoying and embracing the experience. I can tell he was having the time of his life, so it was fun to be a part of that in some way," Joey said. "It was cool to do it in a kind of way that I feel comfortable, with teaching pickleball and everything. I teach tennis, and pickleball has now become part of that because it's just too big of a craze. It was nice to be able to help in some way, but do it in a comfortable way too... Everyone's excited about The Golden Bachelor as they should be."
Also vying for Gerry's heart were Kathy and April. Though they both went home at the rose ceremony that followed the group date, they told ET that they had an unforgettable experience.
"It is so fun. I've only played pickleball probably four times in my life, and so to play pickleball in front of Bachelor Nation with Gerry, and Jesse Palmer, and everybody watching was so much fun," Kathy said. "I had a great time. I walked away sharing the first-ever pickleball championship of The Golden Bachelor, so what could be better than that?"
"I am pleasantly shocked, honored, fulfilled already on so many different levels. This has been a healing experience for me, a bonding experience for me, to be on the first Golden Bachelor," April added. "I think we are raising the glass ceiling for women our age... I don't want anyone to have any regrets. That's my message, that we are still very, very worthwhile. We have things to offer people. Women of any age have much, much, much more than we are given credit for as women over 60."
As for how the women fared playing pickleball, Gerry praised, "It's pretty amazing, because they were putting out effort in a situation that that was uncomfortable to them. They hadn't played the game much for the most part. There's only one or two exceptions. When you put yourself out there like that, it's very close to one of the real things that I want to see in someone, and that is the ability to laugh at yourself. I think we manifested that through pickleball today. It was endearing."
The Golden Bachelor airs Thursdays on ABC. Follow along Gerry Turner's journey for love with ET's coverage of the show.
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