Who Is Golden Bachelor’s Nancy Hulkower? Meet Joan Vassos’ Good Friend Amid Fantasy Suites

Nancy Hulkower didn’t end up with Gerry Turner after season 1 of The Golden Bachelor, but she’s remained a beloved member of Bachelor Nation.

After her exit from the show, Nancy returned home with a new goal and outlook.

“It reignited the feeling that you have to put yourself out there. Dating sites are the way people meet each other, but I haven’t had success … I have to keep trying,” Nancy told Alexandria Stylebook in November 2023. “[The Golden Bachelor] made me understand that I do want to have a boyfriend and I need to keep looking.”

What Happened to Nancy Hulkower During ‘The Golden Bachelor’ Season 1?

Nancy was a part of the first group date of the season. The women got to play dress up and wear wedding dresses, but once Nancy put on her gown, she was reminded of her marriage to her late husband. Gerry noticed that Nancy was distant during the date, so he pulled her aside to make sure everything was OK, especially between them. The two connected as widows and Gerry shared a similar moment he had when he was unexpectedly reminded of his late wife, Toni.

The mother of three almost made it to week 5, but self-eliminated after suffering an injury while playing pickleball. However, she and Gerry were also on the same page that he had stronger connections with other women in the house.

“You’re a lot more passionate with other people. I think you’ve, in a way, narrowed it down. But maybe I’m not in that group,” Nancy told Gerry in their final moments together, to which he replied, “Um, I’m really not going to dispute that.”

Nonetheless, Nancy and Gerry remained on good terms after her exit.

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“Gerry also lost his wife six years ago, I lost my husband 12 years ago. We both have children too. Many of the women in this group have also lost people close to them,” Nancy told BachelorNation.com in October 2023. “When you sit with people who have gone through something similar, you have that connection automatically. I think that’s why we’re all so supportive of each other. It brings us together because we want to be there for each other.”

How Did Nancy Hulkower’s Late Husband Die?

Nancy and her late husband fell in love after being set up on a blind date. The couple welcomed three children – Annie, Brooklyn and Griffin – during their marriage, which was tragically cut short after he died from colon cancer in 2008.

“My goal was just to get the kids through school,” Nancy told Alexandria Stylebook of her children, who were teens when their dad died. “My friends in Alexandria were incredible, and I still have most of them in my life. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

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As of 2023, Nancy’s daughter Annie worked as a freelance copywriter, her son Griffin was in grad school studying psychology and Maggie was a college student.

Why Is Nancy Hulkower on ‘The Golden Bachelorette’ Season 1?

Nancy made lifelong friendships with her fellow Golden Bachelor contestants, including The Golden Bachelorette’s Joan Vassos.

The Indiana native will appear during Joan’s fantasy suite episode in Tahiti to be the person that Joan can debrief about her connections with. Nancy gushed about the oncamera reunion via Instagram on October 30, 2024, alongside a photo of her and Joan holding hands and talking on a yacht.

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“Guess who’s talking to Joan in Tahiti tonight? Watch #TheGoldenBachelorette Wednesdays on ABC Stream on Hulu,” Nancy captioned the post.