LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Former “The Golden Bachelor” star Gerry Turner is sharing an update on life after being diagnosed with a rare, incurable form of cancer.
Turner, 73, announced last year that he had been diagnosed with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, a form of bone marrow cancer.
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Earlier this week, he appeared on an episode of the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast, where he shared that being diagnosed with cancer has led him to embrace more of life.
“I mean this sincerely, from the time I got this diagnosis, it’s a privilege to live like you’re dying,” Turner said. “I don’t turn down anything. I feel like I’m more open to emotions. I’m more open to experiences.”
Turner added that he doesn’t turn down any experiences anymore.
“It makes life exciting because you kind of in the back of your head feel like you’ve got a lot of living to do and you don’t know how long you have to do it, so don’t turn down anything. And so, in a way, it’s really a good thing,” he said.
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The reality TV star told fans that he’s feeling “great” and won’t have to undergo treatment until he starts experiencing symptoms, which he says hasn’t happened.
“I go frequently for blood tests,” the retired restaurateur said. “I’m on, like, a six-month schedule now, and I feel optimistic because the doctor has said, ‘Well, when you turn 75, we’re going to have to go three-month increments.’ So it’s telling me that at least he expects me to live another couple of years to get to that. But the bottom line is I feel really good.”
Turner starred as the lead on “The Golden Bachelor,” which aired on Channel 2 in 2023. He got engaged to Theresa Nist while filming the show.
The couple subsequently married live on television in January 2024, but divorced three months later.
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