Sandra Mason is glad she decided to appear on The Golden Bachelor, even if it did mean missing her daughter’s wedding. ET’s Denny Directo spoke to the 75-year-old retired executive assistant after Gerry Turner eliminated her from the series, and she revealed why she has “zero” regrets about not attending her daughter’s nuptials.
“My son-in-law said to me, ‘Mom, the ceremony is eight minutes. The marriage is forever.’ He said, ‘Go. Go!’ My daughter, she said, ‘Mom, I found my guy, you go find yours,'” Sandra told ET. “They were both a little perturbed that I was even considering not going because of their wedding. They’d each been married before. She’s almost 51, he’s 53. Dad, granddad. They’re just great people. He’s a jewel.”
Sandra didn’t make the decision to go after her chance at love lightly, but rather after nearly three decades of being single.
“I have traditionally dated, I have double dated, blind dated, I’ve speed dated, I have online dated, and now I have TV dated… I saw the [casting] ad on Zach [Shallcross’] season,” she said. “… I watched the Bachelor franchise for years, so I then asked myself, ‘Well, why not?’ So I filled out the application. I actually called my daughter and she actually helped me wordsmith some of the answers.”
A few months after she submitted the application, Sandra got a phone call that set the journey in motion. Watching that journey back has been a mixed bag for Sandra.
“I watched the season and I smile and I cringe, and I smile and I cringe. It feels like, ‘Oh, that’s not a good shot of me. Oh, did I say that?'” she said. “All the should have, would have, could haves.”
Her family, meanwhile, is “all excited,” with Sandra noting, “They’re sending me articles where my name is listed. They’re just cheerleading.”
The experience was a great one for Sandra, even if she didn’t find love on the show.
“He didn’t choose me,” Sandra said of the retired restaurateur. “Obviously, his connections with my other sister wives was just a little deeper, stronger, more starry-eyed than my relationship with him. He followed his heart. Great guy. We got along… but it didn’t turn into love on his part.”
ABC/Craig Sjodin
Since coming off the show, Sandra hasn’t had time to date, though she’s “more motivated” about doing so now.
“I’m not gonna stop just because Gerry wasn’t the guy,” she said, before confirming that she’d “highly consider” starring on The Golden Bachelorette if asked.
For now, she’s focused on looking and feeling young, something she credits to three main lifestyle choices.
“The answer is not a popular answer. One of the things that I think has an impact on the longevity of my skin, I guess, is I don’t drink alcohol. That’s not a moral thing, it’s a taste thing. I tried. Everything I tasted is yuck. So why bother? I think in the long run that’s made a difference,” she said. “… I try to avoid the sun. The sun damage, it’s not your friend. I think the third thing is, outside of The Golden Bachelor, I never [wear] makeup, the foundation powder stuff. I think day after day, year after year, that stuff makes a difference.”
The Golden Bachelor airs Thursdays on ABC. Follow along Gerry Turner’s journey for love with ET’s coverage of the show.
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