Minnesotan Leslie Fhima entered "The Golden Bachelor" wearing a gray wig and feebly pushing a walker.
Minnesotan Leslie Fhima rejects senior stereotypes on 'Golden Bachelor' premiere
The 64-year-old fitness instructor showed off Minneapolis landmarks during the first episode of the new realty TV series.
September 29, 2023 at 12:04PM
"Do you need help?" the reality show's star Gerry Turner said.
"Do I look like I need help?" she replied, pitching the walker, stripping off the nightgown and revealing a short, strapless dress.
Fhima, a 64-year-old fitness instructor and dancer, impressed Turner, an Indiana widower, on the first night of the highly anticipated new ABC-TV series Thursday. She and the other 21 women competing for his heart danced and sang, kissed and swore, rejecting outdated notions of women in their 60s and 70s.
"We're all breaking the stereotypical view of what a senior acts like or looks like," Fhima told the camera.
During an introduction filmed in Minneapolis, Fhima showed off some of the city's beauty, paddle boarding with her pup on Lake of the Isles. She played with her three grandkids. She mentioned being "married twice for 7 years" but never having a lifelong partner. (Read our article about Fhima the "glama" here.)
"My life is really full," she said.
At the episode's end, Turner gave her — and 15 other women — a rose.
Fhima looked at Turner, teary-eyed. "Gerry, you are amazing," she said. "That's the consensus: You are amazing. You made us feel really special and we're really happy you're here."
Lefse-wrapped Swedish wontons, a soothing bowl of rice porridge and a gravy-laden commercial filled our week with comfort and warmth.
