‘Golden Bachelor’ has Tri-Cities connection

KENNEWICK — Spoiler alert: When ABC’s “The Golden Bachelor” reality series starts airing this week, a Tri-Cities woman figures prominently in the competition for the heart of the Indiana widower.

Gerry Turner, 72, and the 22 contestants are pursuing a shot at late-life romance on the elder edition of the highly popular “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette.”

The TV competition centers on Turner, a retired restaurateur who reportedly loves pickleball and lives on a lake. He was married to his high school sweetheart for 43 years before she died six years ago.

The Tri-Cities connection: Faith Martin, 60, an educator, musician and radio personality who lives in Benton City, is one of the mature ladies in the running for a televised romance.

OK, here’s the spoiler: Before the first episode aired, the final three contestants were identified by Life & Style and Cosmopolitan magazines, both attributing their intel to an inside source known as “Reality Steve.”

Both publications reported that Martin made the final three, along with Leslie Fhima, 64, of Minneapolis and Theresa Nist, 69, of Shrewsbury, N.J.

Cosmopolitan later narrowed the list to two, noting that one contestant was eliminated during a “hometown” date episode, which saw Turner travel to visit the three finalists in their hometowns.