The Golden Bachelor dedication explained: Who is Roberta Zaktzer?

The Golden Bachelor premiered this week, and it was just as amazing as I had hoped. The contestants were adorable, Gerry was perfect, and I loved the bonds that everyone had with one another right off the bat.

However, in all the cheer and joy, there were some sad stories, including one from contestant Ellen Goltzer. During her intro, she mentioned her best friend, Roberta Zaktzer, who had been struggling with cancer.

Ellen and her friend decided that Ellen would apply to the show as Roberta was a longtime franchise fan. Of course, she made it on the show eventually, and as she walked out of the limo, she raised her arms to the sky and said, “Roberta, we made it!”.

Ellen continued to talk about her friend throughout the episode, leading viewers to wonder, what happened to Roberta?

Who is Roberta Zaktzer and where is she now?

At the end of this week’s series premiere of The Golden Bachelor, there was a season dedication to Roberta Zaktzer. Viewers may have been asking who is that? Was that one of the contestants? But if you recall from the start of the episode, Roberta was the friend Ellen was talking about.

Sadly, the dedication revealed that Roberta passed away on September 7, 2023–about three weeks ago. It was right before her best friend would debut on The Golden Bachelor, and sadly, she never did get to see Ellen meet the potential love of her life.

It was a sad revelation at the end of the episode, and my heart felt heavy, realizing that Ellen’s friend did not make it. However, I know that Ellen will keep the love for her friend going, and will keep her memory alive through this journey on The Golden Bachelor.

We’re sending our love and condolences to Roberta’s family!

Our thoughts are with Roberta Zatkzer’s family during this difficult time.