Today's Happy Hour is a nonstop celebration with Bachelor Nation's newest couple, Gerry and Theresa! Hot off the incredible season finale of “The Golden Bachelor,” the happy couple chats with Joe and Serena about the differences in finding love the second time around, how Theresa dealt with Gerry's other connection and why they don’t want to wait any longer to officially become husband and wife!
Plus, they reveal where they are going to be living, and Gerry discusses his emotional goodbye with Leslie.
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Hey, everyone, welcome back to the Bachelor Happy Hour. We are live and ready to go because we are here. Well I'm Joe and I'm sorry, and we are here with the lovely Golden Bachelor, the first Golden Bachelor couple ever, Gary and Teresa. Welcome the Happy Hour.
Welcome, Thank you so much, Thank you very much.
How does it feel you guys are finally out and together?
If you glowing?
So, you're glowing amazing.
The relief is overwhelming. You not have to hold in a secret of this size for another minute is fantastic.
I have to tell you. I didn't even tell my sisters, and they've been dying this entire time, and it was going back and forth between oh, no, you were kind of sad when you came back, So I think it's a now. Oh but then I think you got all these clothes. I think it's a yes. I think it's a now Teresa telling me and I wouldn't tell them.
So did you tell your daughter?
Oh?
Yeah, my daughter and my son in law and the three boys knew and they kept the secret this entire time, and my son and his wife.
But it's going to be so exciting, It's must be so exciting now that they know, and not only them, but all of the viewers, everyone watching. I remember that was like the best feeling when our finale was done. It's like just a weight off your shoulders.
Yeah, exactly, Yeah, that's the way I felt. I know that it's like a whole new chapter. You don't have to hide, you don't have to couch. Everything you say it's out there so you can enjoy yourself.
Get ready, you're out in the open.
Now.
Let's just jump right into this. Let's get into what the people want to hear. We'll go right to the engagement. Teresa, I feel like I learned so much about you during this engagement, just the way you handled what you thought was going to be a letdown. Because Gary that one.
And we knew, like as the audience, we knew that it was Teresa, you were going to propose it. Even for a second I was like, oh no, oh no, poor Teresa.
But it was I said, oh my god, somebody come and take me away, like take me out of here, like this is so embarrassing, Just get me out of here.
This is bad.
And yeah, but Teresa, you were so great because the minute he was like and I feel like, it's just kind of a It just shows how compatible you guys are, and like how much your sense of humor lines up. Because she the minute she realized it was a joke and Gary was like, no, you're the one I can't live without, she was like, oh my gosh, like that's so great.
That was really good, so good it was. It made for a moment, really did it made it more exciting?
Yeah? Forgetting And so, I mean you probably know this, but I missed the line. I wasn't even supposed to say it exactly the way I did. The way I said it had much stronger impact than what I was supposed to say. So I had to quickly, you know, change the course of things by saying the line that it She's the one I couldn't live without.
You called an audible.
That's like halfway back to the car.
He's like, no, wait, now he's walking away.
It's looking backwards there, Gary.
You you did refer a lot to that line during the whole season the find the woman you can't live without? Do you want to explain to us what that truly means to you?
Sure you know that line came from Tristan. Yes, it gave me that as a piece of advice, and and so the more I thought about it, the more I processed, I realized, Yeah, that's exactly the guy post I need to use going forward in this journey. It's like, there are a lot of beautiful women there. They were all elegant and well and you and I loved them all, but I knew there was only one woman there that I just couldn't live without, and that's the person I had to find and lo and behold, that's the one.
Yeah, and what is it about Teresa that made you go wow, Like, I can't live without this woman?
These qualities.
So when I went into the journey, there were several things that I really looked for, I really needed to have in a partner. One of them was the ability to make me call you know, I can get carried away and excited, and Teresa right away on that first date, you know, with a touch on the shoulder and soft conversation, she made me calm. Another one of the important qualities was somebody who could match my strong personality. And she certainly can match my strong personality. So it makes us on even footing we're equal partners and everything. And then there's the sense of humor, which is huge, but one quality that I've kind I have come to realize a little bit later in conversations that I thought was really important. It was high on my list was the person that will make me a better person, a better man, And she does that. So all of those boxes were checked, and I just knew it was easy at that point to know who my person was.
Wow, that's beautiful, Teresa. Not to make you go second to that wonderful answer. But what is it about Gary that you feel like you can't live thou?
Oh?
So Gary is not only so warm hearted and kind and sensed and good, he's a man of integrity and he really stands up for what he believes in. He doesn't back down. He's a really strong man. And so even though you know, I think I would say that, Okay, maybe I could live without a man, but I want this man. I really want this man. So yeah, and that we do complement each other so well. When we were going into the when I was asked whether or not I wanted to go into the fantasy suite, I jumped at that chance because I really wanted it was hard, it's difficult to really be yourself in front of the cameras, and I really wanted that alone time to talk and to find out, you know, a deeper level. And that's what happened, I mean honestly. And I went in there thinking I'm going to tell them the pros and cons between me and Leslie. I don't help that way.
And that was Oh we never got.
To that, well, first of all, because first but then we started we started talking and it got deeper and deeper, and we started, you know, really talking on a very deep level, and we realized how much we hadn't common and we got more and more excited by the second. Like I knew it the entire time that I was on the show, but it just sealed it and confirmed did for me when we were in the fantasy suits, and it really was about that conversation, that deep conversation. It was. It was you know, you probably felt it like it was such a relief to not being in front of the cameras and to really just be yourself. It was great.
I think that you guys, yes, we definitely had the same feeling. Well I had the same feeling. I can't speak for you, but I can totally understand what you mean. Teresa being like, I'm going to go in there and make sure like he knows I'm the girl for him. Like I'm going to go in there and be like, Hey, Joe, I'm your wife, I'm the girl you've been looking for. I just want to make sure with the cameras are that you're aware of that too. Yeah, but not even needing to push that in any way, because the chemistry and the connection is just there and you just the night just kind of flows, if that makes sense.
Yeah, that's what happened.
I will say though, as a viewer night of the Fantasy Suites, the dinner beforehand was the first time that Gary, I believe you learned that Teresa is a business woman and it's still working, and that seemed like it was something that really intrigued you and seemed like some of you were really attracted to. Is that right?
So, Joe's sort of but not exactly. I knew that she was still working, and I knew generally what she did in that conversation. What was revealed to me was that she was a logical thinker and that she was analytical about her approach. And so the next step from that is I could have this person with me being a good problem solver when things get tough. And granted that's a bit of a leap from conclusion to conclusion, but that was how my mind went, is that I understand how she thinks, and this is a person I would want to be in my corner if things get tough.
Yeah, And we found more and more that we really do think alike and you know, want the same things out of life. And basically, yeah.
I think that makes total sense because you both the word partner a lot. I know, Gary, you said in the beginning, you know you're looking for your partner, your person you're equal, and if you kind of think the same and you approach things the same and there's that compatibility, I can see how you'd be like, wow, like this is really gonna work because we can lean on each other.
Yeah. I know too many couples where the man will sort of take charge when it comes to decision making or problem solving, and that's great if it works for those couples. I didn't really want that. I wanted to be a fifty to fifty with someone where both strong personalities will both stand up for what we believe. But that even makes it better because I think you learn from each other when there's back and forth. And I'm really thrilled that part of our relationship.
Is that what you were looking for as well, Teresa, when you went into this process, someone that you could be fifty to fifty with.
Yeah, absolutely, I did. Yeah, to be on the same equal footing line. Uh, And you know, and intellect and desire and drive and passion and what he wanted out of life. And I will tell you this, from the very beginning of this journey, I only ever wanted him to find the best possible person. I wasn't really even though I looked at I wasn't trying to push my agenda on this. I really, I really coleheartedly. I'm an extremely open minded person, and I really wanted him to explore it with every single person. And because like, are you sure, yeah?
Otherwise be sure?
Right?
Yeah?
Right?
So so Teresa, you weren't were you not nervous at all during the overnights when he was with the other with Leslie.
That's a good question because I didn't know he had been with Leslie. So I said, oh, you still have to go out on a date with Leslie now, And the overnights he said, no, better it happened. I said, oh my god, I said, what did you do? He said, oh, we just repelled off a cliff. I said, repelled off.
A cliff and.
Wow, that's really and I was, yeah, so we talked about that. So, yes, was I nervous? Yeah? I know, Actually I don't know. That's not me because really, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be.
Is that how you were.
Kind of throughout the journey and then down into the end, then you know, it sounds like you are an oplind person. You wanted him to explore, but obviously you're in love with this man. How was that, you know, having your feelings grow stronger and stronger and all the way down to know, walking down to what could have been a proposal or a breakup, How was that for you?
Yeah? That was that was difficult. It really it's hard. You know that this is a process, You know that this is the journey, that there are other women, and so yes, I wanted him to explore everything, and that was hard to have those feelings to go on that first date. For me to think that first date was so great, I knew that I had to step back and I had to allow him to finish the entire journey. And I think Gary said to me, he said, you know, I was so excited after our first date, but he kept saying to himself, don't get stuck on this first date. You have to explore it with other people, like, maybe this isn't right. Maybe you're just excited about the first date. Maybe that's all it is. And then yeah, but I don't know if you've seen it on the show, but I was truly truly happy when Ellen got her date and when Leslie got her date, and Faith did and like, yes, cheering them on.
I don't know why it was a nuts.
Wait did that throw you off at all?
Though? Gary?
Were you like, did that throw you off at all? Her willingness to lean into this process and let you lean into it, did any part of you go, oh, maybe she's just got that into me. You know, she's so excited for me to be dating all these women.
Yeah, I have to say, you're hitting on him, very good point. I can't say it threw me off, but I was overwhelmed at her level of unselfishness. And that's it was really legit because at the first time or two I thought, she's kind of faking this, This isn't really her. But then when I saw it play over and over again, I go, oh my god, this woman is completely unselfish and open minded, and you know what it does, It compels me to protect her heart even more so that I can't let something happen to someone who's as innocent as as she is about this.
Yeah, I feel like that makes sense because she in return was giving so much care and thought to your heart as well.
She wasn't absolutely was the go ahead, Teresa.
No, I was going to say so. Gary didn't get to see how I was for the other dates until he sought it back, so he wouldn't know how how I was feeling about it. He really didn't know, because really I kind of you know, there are so many times that we're together you don't see so to really, you know, further relationship that you're not seeing.
But anyway, yeah, right, no, that makes sense.
It's always a different journey watching it back, and you know there's hard part swatch, but then there's really nice parts to watch of your partner as well. How is it walking down then that last day because we knew obviously, you know, Leslie was gone. It was just you and we knew he was going to propose, but you didn't know. How was that feeling?
Oh my gosh.
I was looking at the weather and was thinking in the morning and him saying, okay, well, did Leslie just go because now the sun is out? Or now am I going first and she going second? I had no idea, however, and I was yeah. I didn't find out untill later, right after it was all over. I didn't know. I never knew.
You didn't find out until later that Leslie never made right.
I never I did not know that that was. Yeah. I kept that that kept that away from me. I still in my mind, I thought it was both of us.
Wow, I didn't know if you.
Had, say, like, what percentage you thought, yes, he's going to propose, and what percentage you were like, Oh, I'm not sure, what would you say?
Oh? I thought it. I was like one hundred percent sure, actually actually like ninety nine nine percent. So when it seemed like it wasn't, I went he changed his mind. Oh my god, he changed his mind. Oh my god, please you know. And that's when I started flinking away.
And oh, that was just a really magic moment.
Teresa, you said you said Billy and Gary you said Tony would both like each other? Or am I explaining this correctly?
Yeah?
Yeah? What is it about Trisy? You go first? What is it about Gary? Do you think Billy really?
Oh? He love me so warm on it and kind and sincere and like a natural, down to earth, wonderful person, a good hearted person. That's what Billy would love that.
Yeah?
Yeah, And then what would Tony love about Teresa?
Tony had a big heart, she was big at volunteering. She put other people first. She would have been attracted to that quality with Teresa because she does put other peopleeople first. She's always thinking about how she can make someone else happy. She's always thinking about how to answer the comments that she sees on Instagram, and she'll stay up late and risk her own sleep time to make sure she doesn't hurt someone's feelings on Instagram.
Stop and your answer and all are everything?
Huh well, especially direct messages?
Yeah?
Pretty much?
Good luck because finale, you're gonna be up every night all night long.
If you keep that up, you're gonna get a lot of love your way.
I'm wondering now, Okay, so big announcement. Last night, you guys announced a date you are getting married. Let's talk about that quick turn around now, Yeah, I mean that's quick.
Okay.
It took me a year to plane wedding.
Think you guys, what five weeks?
This is great old.
Yeah, think about it this way. You know, you can wait a year when you're twenty years old, and it might be three or four percent of your remaining life. When you're seventy a year could be ten percent or twenty percent. So we didn't want to put off what we really felt was right. So when the obstacle of geography was overcome that which was really something I thought would hold us back in timing. When that was overcome, we really didn't have any problems. I mean, I think we both realized how compatible we were. The feelings were there. Our families are incredibly, in such a short time, incredibly close to each other. They're talking all the time. They refer to each other as sisters.
Now giving me beautiful sisters more.
Yeah, it's like, there's no we could not find a good research to not move for work quickly?
Yeah, wait, catch me up to date. Where are you guys going to live? Did you have that plan.
Well, we're yes, it's going to be in South Carolina.
Oh, we just got married there where Inston?
Right?
So in the Charleston area, right.
Oh, we love Charleston. Wait is that where you guys are going?
Yeah?
Or outside and Mount Pleasant So and he's always had this thought, well for the last the last two years, and no one really knew that. So it was sort of like, oh, so are you going to go move to Indiana? I could say I'm not moving to but my you know, I have a son and a daughter. I lived four minutes from my daughter and my three grandson grandsons in Shrewsbury. But I have a son who lives in South Carolina, so it would be like an hour and forty five minutes from there. And we really plan on we want the family to vis it all the time. We're trying to find a home that everyone would love to come to, and we plan on visiting family all the time. And yeah, so we're going to have a very active life and family is so important to us.
Yeah.
Yeah, I love that. I love that as a moment of South Carolina. I love that too.
That's so exciting.
What a great way to start this new chapter of your life, so marriage soon, and we're currently looking for a home.
Correct, we haven't started looking at now we will because we can't be seen in public.
So there was a There was a pig your phone call right as the taping was ending, and it was a random sales call by a real estate person in South Carolina, in the Charleston area. And it was early in the morning, and I was a little groggy, hadn't had my first cup of coffee yet, and I'm listening to her and they go, do you realize I'm planning on moving to your area anyway? And her comment was, Oh my god, what a way to start a Monday morning. And so she's been sending listings several times a week ever since.
That was a lucky cold call.
Sign.
That has to be a sign.
Yeah, there is.
Okay, So are we too old for bachelor bachelorette parties?
No?
Okay, do we plan? Do we plan one of those trees? Are you planning a bachelorette party? Any girls from your season that you're close with that you're inviting?
Yes, planning a bachelorette party?
Where?
Oh where? I can't you know?
Really you can't tell us. Are you doing Vegas.
Ah No, I don't think so, because I got Vegas.
Those did Vegas, but we did different weeks.
Yeah, No, I know my pickleball friends brought it up this week if they could, you know, do some kind of a bachelor party, and I thought, you know, if we kind of if we wind it down by nine o'clock, we can go anywhere you want, but.
There somewhere with an active daytime.
But yeah, I like that.
Great.
What else? What else? Let's uh, let's touch a little bit on Gary the breakup with Leslie. We know that that was that was pretty tough, and we don't have to talk long about it because I know it's awkward. But how how do you feel now that that's all over with?
Well, I feel awful that you know, it was a difficult situation. There was no way out of it that was graceful, and I think that was the worst of it is that every direction I turned trying to find the more graceful, the more gracious way out, it just wasn't there. So, as you saw, I was able to break protocol with what the Bachelor Bachelorette franchise is typically done, where two women go down, you know, one anticipating or one and getting an engagement and one get sent home. And I was able to not do that with Leslie and break the news to her the night before as she saw and it was horrible. I'm not gonna lie, There's no there's no way to dress it up. It was a horrible moment. I had such strong feelings for such admiration and respect, only to be the guy that had to send her home and deash your dreams.
And I want to add this that I was really good friends with Leslie in the house. I cooked her dinner, she taught me exercise routines, and we sat and talked a lot. We even one time cried together. So this isn't fun to you know, have to have that happen to any other human being. I didn't like that. And along those same lines, I was really good friends with Faith. So I would say that people I was the closest with in the house were Faith and Leslie. How you know, how does that happen?
But that's I feel like that's not uncommon, though, because you are the people that are really bonded from this journey because you've gone the furthest together, right, and you've been through so much, and I know that you know, Leslie did say she had nothing but really nice things to say about you, which is nice to see, like those friendships continue after everything. But Gary, Leslie did say, you know, she felt you were kind of pulling away or a little bit off on that last date, which we can kind of assume you know your heart was pulling you to Teresa in those moments. Was there a specific moment that you really knew like I need to end things with Leslie, this is this is not it for me.
So there were there were conversations in the fantasy suite that were very revealing to me, And quite honestly, because they're in the fantasy suite and are not in front of cameras and microphones, I feel like it's appropriate to keep them in the fantasy suite and leave that you know there. But but yeah, there were some things that we talked about.
And then you had a quick turnaround, obviously, from a really emotionally charged breakup with Leslie to then a proposal with Teresa the next day. How did you kind of transition out of that mindset into feeling excited for your future with Teresa, Because obviously there's.
Just so many emotions.
I'm sure going through your head.
There was, but you know, it's like with every step along the way, reminding myself that this is my journey and what my ultimate goal was, which was to find that one person that was right for me. And so yeah, I felt really bad through the course of the night because of Leslie, but quite honestly, I turned that corner only because of that face right there. I mean, it was in my head. I couldn't get it out, and I realized that I'd walked through hell if I had to to get to her, that the ultimate goal was right there and I wasn't going to walk away from it, and that put me in a much better headspace.
Yeah, that's amazing. Well look at you, Teresa, you you got him, You got He's good.
Don't say that he is.
You're both in love. It's a happy ending. That's what we love to see, you know.
Yeah, Yeah, and.
That was I want to ask you guys a question.
So this is the first season of The Golden Bachelor, right, so the first time we're ever seeing this. You're talking to you know, twenty something a thirty something year old who have found love on this show. You're both at your second time of finding love. What was different this time around that you were looking for versus when you were looking for your first love?
Does that make sense?
Makes a lot of sense. I mean, the first time you're looking for your first love, you're looking to start a family. You know, that's that's a way different dynamic that you're looking for not only a good husband, but a good father. And this time I think we're looking for equal partners, someone who will enjoy life with you and who feel it has the same philosophy about life as you do. So and it's also it's also about really knowing. I think that when I was on this journey, you know, you heard me say so many times, I love you. I kept telling him, And I did that because I think when you're old, I don't know, or maybe ever, if you feel something, you should say something. Because if I didn't give him that information, then he wouldn't have that to know that he had that option with me. So I knew that throughout this journey I had to be vulnerable and lay it all out on Shable, just the way he did with every woman. And he did. He really did, really give every woman his full attention.
Why did you do that, I think you had. I think you just have the perfect mindset for you, really do. And I think that that really helped your guys's connection because you were not scared to be vulnerable and put it all out there, and you did it pretty soon. And for someone like Gary who's dating twenty something women, that really helps you stand out of the crowd.
Yeah, you are a very self assured, confident woman, and you were so vulnerable the whole time. It was very impressive and it was really love me to watch, and I'm glad you two found each other.
It was absolutely no insecurities and no jealousies from her, and that also stood out. You know, if you were a keen observer and you watched throughout, that was pretty unique for Teresa to display that.
Oh yeah, and it's hard. It's hard to do, really, it's so hard to do.
But yeah, that's how I felt.
Yeah, well, what are you guys most excited for now?
That everything?
Holiday seasons are coming up? Now, you guys can spend the holidays with each other's special to.
Have our families together, and yeah, it's been really Yeah, that's true. I would say the most important thing right now has been the holidays together, the wedding, oh my god.
Well and getting away a little bit from the glitz and glamour and the high profile of the Golden Bachelor, and being able to silently slip into normal life and do the common things. I mean, we haven't grocery shopped together, right, you know. It's like the little things like that that we kind of look forward to as being fun experiences.
Yeah.
It's so funny because before going on this show and doing this podcast, if you ask me what like the top three normal couple activities are, I would have never listed grocery shopping. But every couple that comes on here, the first thing they say, and we said it too, we said it too, is oh my gosh, we just can't wait to go grocery shopping to get.
But the thing is, I eat, really, oh my god, we eat. The biggest horror story for me was that first cupcake that went in my mouth. If you looked at some guy, it works out to me. She said, what are you gonna do? They ask you, sugar, I said, Joe just gonna eat it. So, you know, first night, putting a cupcake in his mouth and can you lick it off?
That's all I said no, and then I didn't know this. I wasn't aware of it. And then we go to Santa Monica Pear and there's the cotton candy and I'm practically shoving candy like I was. And then like the next day someone told me, you know, she doesn't eat sugar. I go at all, they go at all. So it's like, oh my god.
You're gonna have two separate grocery carts.
Store.
That's actually similar to us because when, yeah, when Serena came to Chicago after we did get in aged and we were like in hiding, she came to Chicago and I, I'm Italian and I always order like Italian food and pizza and Serena can't eat cheese and dairy, and she didn't want to tell me.
See, every once in a while, like if we go out to like a really good pizza spot, I'll have a piece of pizza, but.
Yeah, like I will. I don't eat a lot of dairy ever, And Joe.
Was ordering an ice cream and buying all this dairy I'm putting making it cheesy onmewds. And I didn't want to say anything for like the first four months because.
I would like, wake up to this, you know, really cheesy eggs. I'm like, oh, thanks so much.
And eventually I was like, Bade, this has to stop. I can't my body can't handle this cheese anymore.
No, you talk about what's the difference right when you're young and old with my husband. My husband, first, Billy, I wouldn't tell him that I didn't eat these things. I tried to hide it too, because I didn't want to seem so strange, like Okay, you should have eat this. But now I just feel like I'm going to influence him on food cart and he's going to balce me to go to Benn earlier because I could have been there.
You go, You can exchange healthy habits.
Okay, Before before we wrap for part one, I want to ask Teresa this question. What is it about Gary that you can't live without?
I can't live without his heart and his soul and his intellect and his passion and his drive. Yeah, it's the maybe the passion.
Passion.
Passion is really really so important for me and a man, you know, to have passion, you know, not just about life, but anything in particular, to get really excited about life and excited about things.
I see I see it in his side, to see the way he looks at you. I want to see carry like, take it easy. Wait, we're still we're still recording.
But now wait a minute, Serena, did you notice that all during that answer she held her hand like this with the wedding ring. She was explaining things, flashing the wedding. I think subliminally what she was really saying is, I can't live without Jerry's ability.
I can't live without Gary or the diamond on my finger equally, they're equally as important. But she can't live without sugar, just not Gary or the diamond.
There we go. It's a beautiful ring. It's a beautiful ring, Bachelination. There is still so much to talk about with Gary and Teresa, so make sure to come back next week for part two with Gary and Teresa. Thank you, guys, thank you.
You're great.