Gerry Turner is looking for someone with a heart of gold.
And as fans wait for The Golden Bachelor to premiere Sept. 28, Jesse Palmer is teasing what they can expect on night one from both the 72-year-old lead and the women vying for his heart. Spoiler alert: It sounds like things get off to a rosy start.
"One of the things I've really enjoyed about this group of women? They are so much more confident getting out of the limo on night one—unlike anything I've ever seen," Jesse told E! News in an exclusive interview. "It's always the limo entrance arrival, the nerves stepping out, cameras, the mansion, all of it. Because they've lived life [and] they've had experiences, they are rock stars—and all throughout this season. On group dates, on one-on-one dates, traveling, they just shine."
But don't expect Gerry to call it an early evening.
"The night does not end at 10 p.m. like I thought it might—only because people were a little bit older, maybe they wouldn't be able to stay up as late," Jesse shared. "People know that first night at the mansion is the longest night in television—period. I mean, normally that goes from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m., and it is an all-nighter and they are rollin'. And I'll say this—having been on it now for a couple years—a lot of these young kids, they talk a lot of game but inevitably you see them on the couch passed out taking little naps here and there."
Not this year's stars though. "There were no naps taken on The Golden Bachelor," he added. "They partied hard, and they went from sundown to sunup."
While viewers will have to tune in to see who gets Gerry's first impression rose, Jesse shared his first impression of the retired restaurateur from Indiana.
"Just really sweet, just humble, appreciative, grateful for the opportunity, amazing family," the host said. "When I first talked to Gerry, I talked to him with his daughters and his granddaughters, and you can just kinda see it."
The Golden Bachelor will follow Gerry's search for a second chance at love following the death of his high school sweetheart and wife Toni, who passed away in 2017.
"I cry almost every time I hear it," Jesse said about Gerry's story. "I just love hearing him talk about her because they just shared such a special love together, and they share a special love together that I want to have with my wife Emely one day."
And if you've already been moved by Gerry, just wait until you hear his speeches on the show.
"You know at the top of rose ceremonies when the Bachelor or the Bachelorette comes in the rose room, and they address the ladies or the men?" Jesse—who handed out the roses when he was the Bachelor back in 2004—asked. "No one's done it better than Gerry. He's the best I've ever seen at it. He is so much better than me when I was the Bachelor. It's not even close."
As he pulls double duty as host of The Golden Bachelor and season nine of Bachelor in Paradise, Jesse is also preparing for diaper duty and expecting his first child with wife Emely.
"I'm excited," the 44-year-old said. "I can't wait to make mistakes. I can't wait to learn from my mistakes. I can't wait to love my daughter and figure it out. I'm, of course, nervous whether or not I'm enough, if I know what to do, if I'm gonna be a good enough dad. But I know I'm just gonna love the heck out of this little baby and do it with my wife. And I think she's gonna help really center me and really help me focus on fatherhood and growing our family. I've been looking forward to this for such a long time. I wake up every morning, I feel so blessed and so lucky and I just can't wait."
Another thing he's eagerly anticipating? College football season. This year, Jesse is partnering with the collegiate licensing company CLC for its 19th annual College Colors Day on Sept. 1 as well as its Fan Out Loud campaign. The campaign encourages social media users to show off their school spirit through their team apparel and posts, and the former quarterback—who played for the University of Florida Gators before joining the NFL—sported his blue and orange gear on Instagram.
"This is really a great time of the season," Jesse told E! News while promoting the campaign, "and this is really a great event to be part of."