Since Night 1 of her Golden Bachelor experience, contestant Ellen Goltzer has consistently stolen the show.
Though the 71-year-old retired teacher from Delray Beach, Florida didn’t snag the first impression rose, she certainly left the most memorable, meaningful impression of the premiere by exiting the limo and screaming “ROBERTA, WE MADE IT!” — a message to her longtime Bachelor-loving BFF who encouraged her to apply for the show. Ellen proceeded to share that Roberta was battling cancer, and after the episode concluded, ABC aired a touching tribute card for Roberta, who passed away in 2023 after filming. The card included a photo of Roberta and Ellen alongside the words, “This season is dedicated in loving memory to Roberta Zaktzer.”
During Ellen’s early one-on-one time with Gerry Turner, the 72-year-old show lead assured Ellen she had his attention and their connection has only deepened since. So who is Ellen Goltzer? And how long does she stick around this season? Here’s everything we know.
Per Ellen’s official ABC bio, “This retired teacher’s smile lights up a room, and she wears her heart on her sleeve. Ellen is compassionate, intelligent, and has a great sense of humor. She’s extremely close with her two sons and loves playing pickleball, golf and card games with them.”
“In her free time, Ellen enjoys watching television, reading the newspaper, and playing bocce ball with her girlfriends,” the bio continues. “She hopes to remain healthy and active for her entire life, and hopes to grow old with the man of her dreams.” And in case you couldn’t tell already, this woman knows how to have some fun!
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During the group date in Episode 2, Gerry also learned that Ellen has a Masters Degree in Health Education. She was one of the women who wore a wedding dress to pose for the romance novel cover shoot photos with Gerry, and after the date, Gerry gifted her — and only her! — a framed photo of them from the day. Ellen sobbed to the camera and said she hadn’t felt that special in “a very long time.” And from the looks of Episode 3, it seems Ellen and Gerry have a memorable one-on-one date complete with a fashion show and hot air balloon ride.
If you want to stay up-to-date with Ellen outside The Golden Bachelor, follow her on Instagram at @ellengoltzer, where she had 807 followers ahead of Episode 3. And if you’re curious how long she’s on the show, keep reading.
Want to avoid major Golden Bachelor spoilers? This is your chance to stop reading. But if you’re curious to know how long Ellen Goltzer might stick around, we’ve got a Reality Steve rumor below.
Per an update from August 30, Reality Steve claims he knows Gerry Turner’s Top 3 contestants, and sadly for Ellen stans, she’s not one of the women. As always, Reality Steve rumors are only rumors until proven otherwise. So we’ll have to tune in to new episodes Thursdays from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET on ABC or watch next-day on Hulu to find out. In the meantime, be sure to read our interview with Gerry Turner for more Golden Bachelor tidbits.