The Golden Bachelor has already lost a handful of women to self-elimination before the first season ends.
First, we said goodbye to Marina, who didn’t tell Gerry face-to-face that she was headed home to deal with a family matter.
Instead, she told him via video chat after she was already gone.
Then we lost Joan Vassos, whose daughter had just given birth and needed her, in a teary farewell after having an amazing date night with Gerry.
Nancy also self-eliminated after a pickleball injury and a realization that she wasn’t going to be one of Gerry’s top picks and likely wouldn’t get a rose anyway.
Now, we’re learning that one of Gerry Turner’s favorites almost walked away from the show, too.
Leslie Fhima admits she almost quit
One thing that sets The Golden Bachelor apart from the original is that the cast comes with a bit of baggage.
By that, we mean they have families, children, and grandchildren that come first, and in their time of need, these women are doing the right thing and returning home.
That’s what happened with Marina and Joan — and it nearly happened with Leslie.
While chatting with E! News about her Golden Bachelor journey, Leslie admitted that she nearly walked, telling them first, “There’s lots of sparks.”
She said about Gerry, “I’m cuckoo crazy about him, and we definitely have chemistry. I’m in it to win it.”
So what happened that almost had her quitting the show? She revealed that after Joan left, she made her own call home to check on things.
“I called my son, and he needed me,” she told the outlet before sharing that he asked her not to leave the mansion, instead begging her to “please stay” so that she could find her happiness.
“With our age comes life,” Leslie explained. “And just because your kids are bigger doesn’t mean they don’t have problems. So we’re a mother first, and if my son had said, ‘I need you now,’ I would have left. Because that’s who I am.”
The pressure is on as Gery Turner gets closer to finding his person
Leslie Fhima was just one of six women who walked away from the latest episode with a rose, bringing her even closer to winning it all — including Gerry’s heart.
According to a sneak peek for the next episode of The Golden Bachelor, the pressure is on now as Gerry is making strong connections with many of the women.
With most of the “mean girls” out of the house, we expect to see more of Gerry connecting with each of the ladies competing to win his heart.
The Golden Bachelor airs on Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC.
I am rooting for Leslie. She is a “mensch”, not a troublemaker, not a gossip. They both wear hearing aids and she is genuine…
Notice he seems to favor dark haired girls?