The Golden Bachelor alum Gerry Turner has debuted his new girlfriend to the world after teasing he's in a new relationship earlier this month.

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Less than a year after he finalized his divorce from his The Golden Bachelor winner Theresa Nist, Gerry has gone public with his new romance.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)

"I can't believe how many people in Charleston recognized us and wished us the best," Gerry captioned an Instagram carousel of photos showing The Golden Bachelor star visiting Charleston, SC with his new girlfriend Lana.

Lana, a blonde beauty with a bright smile, is a retired teacher in her 50s, TMZ reported.

Gerry told the website that he met Lana, a former part-owner of a video production company, via Facebook.

Lana apparently has a lot of mutual friends with Gerry and so she sent him a friend request.

Gerry admitted that while he ignored Lana's first message, her second message piqued his interest.

Gerry said Lana had mentioned how she's a family-oriented local girl who grew up in an Indiana town about 20 minutes away from Gerry, who loves living in his Indiana lake house.

Once Lana caught Gerry's eye, the two made plans to meet up for a date.

The Golden Bachelor alum revealed that the couple had their first date at a restaurant in March and they've been inseparable ever since.

Lana has since met Gerry's children as well as his friends from pickleball, and Gerry has already met Lana's father and daughters.

Gerry revealed earlier this month that he's "dating someone" new.

During an appearance on the April 15 episode of the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast, Gerry shared, "I think at this point it's going well, but I don't want to say too much and jinx it. And I'm trying to respectfully get to a point where there's an acceptable amount of time from my divorce."

Gerry, who starred on The Golden Bachelor after the death of his late wife Toni, proposed marriage to Theresa during The Golden Bachelor finale that aired in late 2023.

Gerry and Theresa quickly got married in January 2024 for a televised special on ABC.

Three months later, Gerry announced his split from Theresa and filed for divorce.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)  

The pair said at that time distance played a major role in their breakup because neither person wanted to move away from family. (Theresa was still working in finance in her native New Jersey while Gerry had retired).

"Maybe that's an old-fashioned thought. Maybe it doesn't matter as much as I think it does. But to be respectful [of Theresa and our divorce], I kind of want to slow roll this," Gerry explained.

"But I have told Theresa that I am dating someone, so it won't be shocking news to her."

Gerry declined to identify his new girlfriend by name at the time, but he did say that meeting her kids was a "fun" and "enjoyable encounter."

He also complimented the new woman in his life on being adventurous and well-traveled.

After all, Gerry was diagnosed with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, an incurable bone marrow cancer, last year.

Gerry said he therefore appreciates having a partner who is ready to live big and spontaneously.

"I feel great... [and] the person I'm dating will say, 'Do you want to go do?' And before she even gets out the rest of the sentence, I will say, 'Yes.' So I am in on everything, and it makes life exciting," Gerry gushed.

"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."

Gerry also boasted about how he felt a strong connection -- a true spark -- with his new girlfriend almost right away.

"I hate to say it -- because I know I'm going to get baseballs thrown at me -- but it was almost the first time I saw her. It was the look that she gave me," Gerry recalled on the podcast.

"It was like, all of a sudden, I was consumed by this look, and I had this actual physical feeling. And I pushed it off. I go, 'No, that was silly, that's ridiculous.' And with every encounter, that feeling has instantly come back with her look. And it's like, 'Damn, this is pretty awesome.'"

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)

When asked whether he got that feeling from any of the women on his The Golden Bachelor season, Gerry shared, "I think the closest to that was when [Faith Martin] played the guitar and sang to me on I think it was the first night. She got the First Impression Rose. That would be the closest to it."

Gerry admitted he's never really believed in love at first sight -- but now he feels like he's "experiencing that" for the first time.

For Theresa's part, she told People in December 2024 that she was receiving a lot of DMs from men on Instagram, mostly younger men.

Theresa revealed that she'd love to meet an intelligent and well-spoken man in the near future; however, she hadn't gone on any dates at that time.

"I have been asked, and I've said no," Theresa admitted.

"I don't know. I'm more clear on what I want, so I don't want to waste anyone's time. I definitely do want to be with someone. I do."

Theresa said she believes life "is so much better when you're with someone" but she's "not sure" if she'll ever get married again.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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