Gerry Shocked 'Golden Bachelor' Fans With His Final Choice (SPOILERS)

The Gist:

• Gerry Turner proposes to Theresa Nist in the Season 1 finale of The Golden Bachelor.
• He picks her because she's the person he just can't live without.
• Gerry and Theresa will tie the knot on Jan. 4, 2024, in a televised live ceremony on ABC.

In a jaw-dropping plot twist, Gerry Turner — the not-so-nice leading man of The Golden Bachelor — flips the script on love. Just when it seems like fitness instructor Leslie Fhima has the key to his heart, the 70-something widower throws viewers for a loop by choosing financial services professional Theresa Nist instead.

Practically every person in the United States, even your spouse who pretends to despise the show but binge-watches it in secret, had their money on Gerry and Leslie getting engaged. So, what in the world made him pick Theresa? Keep scrolling to uncover all the juicy details!

Let's cut to the chase: Gerry picks Theresa because he's madly in love with her. When Theresa meets Gerry's family, he gushes about the Jersey girl to his daughters, telling them, "I really like being around her, I'm not going to lie."

Later, at the end of Gerry's final date with Leslie, he tells her that although it's been a "difficult" journey, he's made up his mind. Gerry tells Leslie, "I have fallen in love with Theresa. And that's the direction I'm going to take."

Despite making his intentions clear, Gerry grows fearful on the last day of filming. He tells Theresa he woke up with "mixed feelings," adding, "And I got to the point with the questions I had asked myself about how did I get here? And is she the right girl?" Eventually, he comes to his senses and tells Theresa she's the person he can't live without.

Gerry drops down on one knee and pops that oh-so-important question: "Will you marry me?" Theresa immediately accepts, and Gerry slides the handcrafted princess-cut engagement ring onto her ring finger. Gerry then offers her his final rose, a golden one that will never die.

During the "After the Final Rose" special, host Jesse Palmer asks Gerry and Theresa what exactly changed for them in the Fantasy Suite. Gerry explains that Theresa knows "how to maintain and nurture a relationship because of her and [her late husband] Billy, they had a successful 43 years of marriage."

Theresa jokingly adds, "I knocked his boots off … no, with my kisses!"

After getting engaged during the Golden Bachelor finale, Gerry and Theresa spilled all the deets to People, giving fans the inside scoop on their epic love story. Gerry couldn't help but share that he dropped the bombshell about his marriage proposal plans to Theresa in the Fantasy Suite.

"Part of our conversation in the Fantasy Suites [was] the first time really that I seriously told her that I loved her," Gerry told the outlet. "It was almost an announcement of excitement. I said it three times in a row, 'Theresa, I love you. I love you, I love you. ... I'm going to ask you to marry me. I don't know if you're going to say yes, but I'm going to ask you.'"

He added, "So for me, when I got to the final episode and the engagement was about to happen, I was very confident that she was my person, 100 percent confident."

Theresa explained to People that she was so enthusiastic to accept the Fantasy Suite card because she "really wanted to go in and delve deeper. And that's what we did. It was the first time I really showed my true personality to him. He did know, but not as in-depth."

Looking back on that magical moment, Theresa said "it just clicked" for her and Gerry. They realized they were on the same page — and that's why they're now on the fast track to the wedding aisle!

Mark your calendars for Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024, as Gerry and Theresa exchange "I dos" during The Golden Wedding, a live special on ABC that's guaranteed to stir up more emotions than your go-to rom-com.

"After lifetimes of love and loss and a whirlwind journey on The Golden Bachelor, Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist will walk down the aisle to begin their next chapter; happily ever after," the sweet wedding invitation reads.