Courtesy of The Golden Bachelor, ABC
Leslie Fhima, The Golden Bachelor
Look, we know reality TV loves a Minnesotan. Just look at born-and-raised Twin Cities darlings like Becca Kufrin and Michelle Young, who both competed on The Bachelor before handing out roses as Bachelorettes themselves within the last few years. Heck, even former Minnesota dude John Buresh hit the screen on the latest season of The Bachelorette.
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that ABC cast Minneapolitan Leslie Fhima (you know that last name—she’s local megachef David Fhima’s ex and star maître d’ Eli Fhima’s mom) as one of the first-ever contestants to star in the channel’s new quest-for-love reality show, The Golden Bachelor.
Yes, golden, as in golden years, as in those ladies vying for leading man Gerry Turner’s heart aren’t all 23-year-olds actually vying for Instagram sponsorships. (Wait, are we jaded?) In fact, they could be those gals’ mothers. Turner himself is 71 years old—and all his suitors (suitees?) range from 60 to 75 years old. Will Turner, a widower, dad of two, and grandpa to two, find his second great love on the screen? And will it, fingers crossed, be with our hometown gal?
Leslie Fhima, 1983 Mpls.St.Paul Cover
Leslie Fhima, May 1983 Mpls.St.Paul cover
Leslie Fhima, for her part, is a clear frontrunner in our books. And we’ve been fans for years—peep her 1983 Mpls.St.Paul cover! She donned a Jane Fonda–esque getup for a story about local fitness and weight loss research, back when she taught aerobics and other group fitness classes at Leslie’s Shape Shop in the basement of Dayton’s, setting the standard for local group fitness for years to come. “I get bored with the same music over and over,” she told us then. “The music is from LA, the exercises are from LA; in LA ‘hot’ is in—sweaty, sexy hot.”
The longtime instructor is also a former pro figure skater, marathon runner (she’s finished 10), and cool-as-heck mom and “glama” to three kids and three grandkids. When asked in a promo video why she’s ready for love now, she laughs and says, “I’ve been ready for a long time.” We’re rooting for you, Leslie!
And if you believe online chatter, Turner just might agree with us. Click for spoilers!
Watch The Golden Bachelor on ABC and Hulu weekly on Thursdays starting September 28.
