Nicole Garrett lifts lid on grim dating pool on the Gold Coast as a woman in her 50s

Everyone is obsessed with the romantic lives of the over-50s, but the Gold Coast’s own Bridget Jones says dating in that demographic isn’t always entertaining. TAKE OUR POLL

It’s the hottest trend in dating.

From Netflix series The Later Daters, to Nine’s soon-to-debut The Golden Bachelor, and even the latest Bridget Jones movie, everyone is obsessed with the romantic lives of the over-50s.

Unfortunately, it seems the reality of dating in that demographic isn’t so entertaining … especially on the Gold Coast.

But Nicole Garrett is here to reassure older singles in the city that they are not alone. Or rather, not alone in being alone, even on this Valentine’s weekend.

As 55-year-old Renee Zellweger attended the premiere of the new Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy film in Sydney, the 50-something Nicole turned heads at Robina Town Centre, which partnered with Universal for the launch of the film, as the city’s own Bridget Jones, a true romantic who came to this city chasing her own happy ending.

Just like Bridget, she found love before experiencing both divorce and the death of a partner, and is now trying to navigate this next stage in life.

Back in the 1990s, Nicole was a high-flying finance executive in California, who met an Aussie man in Mexico and followed him to his home on the Gold Coast.

Nicole Garrett is the Gold Coast's own Bridget Jones. In her 50s with kids, she lost the love of her life in a horrible accident a few years ago and has been trying, mostly unsuccessfully, to navigate dating life on the Gold Coast. Nicole is hoping Valentines Day will bring a change of luck, and love. Picture Glenn Hampson

Once here, she found a job in media, even working at the Gold Coast Bulletin for three years, before returning to finance and marrying her local boy.

The pair had two children but by the 2010s, Nicole realised this romance was a short story rather than an epic tale and they divorced, amicably.

She found love again but then lost it when her partner tragically died from a traumatic brain injury suffered while surfing on the Gold Coast.

Alone again, and with her two children out of school and independent, she has been searching for a connection.

Blonde, tan and slim, with blue eyes and still a twang in her accent, financially independent with a great career, it’s tough to figure out why Nicole keeps kissing frogs.

“Even though the Gold Coast demographic skews lower these days, you would think there would still be plenty of eligible, older bachelors … but it’s hard to find them,” she said.

“The kids have kind of taken over every decent bar and restaurant here. It would be great to have a space that was at least for the over-35s,” she said.

“Where do we go that’s not full of influencers? The RSL? The bowls club? I’ve thought about joining a run club, I love being active. I have a dog and I’m walking on the beach twice a day so you would think with all our population and tourists you’d have a meet-cute somewhere, sometime but it hasn’t happened yet.

“Unfortunately, I feel like the guys on the Coast are a little spoiled for a choice. There are so many single ladies from the late 40s on up, they are intelligent, financially well-off, but they just can’t find a good match. You know, I have a great career, great relationship with my kids, no baggage or issues with my ex but no luck.

“The Gold Coast is not always the easiest place to really get to know someone because we have such a visual aesthetic … all the girls have on their active wear uniform, their hair and make-up done.

“I’ve always kept my appearance to a certain level because I feel like when you stop looking after yourself you’ve sort of given up. But it’s not a huge focus, I haven’t had massive amounts of work done, that’s not my thing.

“The irony is, though, that it seems like a lot of older guys have really kind of let themselves go.”

Nicole said she has also experimented with the world of online dating, with mixed results. And her personal experience is borne out by dating data not just from Australia, but around the world.

According to a Pew Centre for Research study, older women have it worse than most – reporting more negative online-dating experiences compared with men of all ages and younger women.

“I’ve tried Tinder, Hinger, I think I’ve tried every dating site,” she said.

“Maybe I’m picky, but I’ve tried to be open. I’d date a younger man – it makes sense because men don’t live as long so your timelines might match up better.

“I’d also date an older man, they’re more likely to have their life together.

“I’ve always wanted to date someone who has kids so they understand that your always a parent, but maybe I need to be more open to that.

“But there are just so many disasters. I met one guy and he seemed decent but then it turned out he was still living with his wife, so his ‘ex’ maybe wasn’t quite an ex.

“Sometimes I just wonder whether all the good ones are gone? But then I think, well I’m still single and I think I’d be considered a ‘catch’ so surely there’s hope.”

While age might be nothing but a number, Nicole said the numbers game mattered when it came to finding a partner later in life.

She said there were simply less available men, but more red flags.

“I like to believe in giving in but never giving up,” she said.

“But sometimes, like Carrie in Sex and the City, I wonder whether I already had my big love?

“I had a big enough love that I moved countries and left my family. And then I had this great love who passed away.

“It feels like there should still be a lot of options in my generation, but it’s gone from plenty of fish in the sea to sort of this small, tepid puddle.

“I also think the idea of love changes as you age. When you’re in your 20s you can believe in someone with nothing but hopes and dreams, that’s romantic and exciting.

“But in your 50s, that’s a red flag. You don’t have to support me, but you need to be able to at least support yourself.”

Nicole Garrett. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Despite her struggles with love in the city, Nicole said she remained hopeful and, above all, happy.

She said once her children were grown she considered returning to the US, but then would lose her other love … this city.

“I still have a big family in California that I’m close with, but my mother died not so long ago and she was my main motivation to go back,” she said.

“Then you’ve also got the US to Aussie dollar exchange that basically halves whatever you have here, plus the divided politics over there and the guns and violence.

“Besides how many people dream of living in a city like this and a life like this? I have my own home, I have a great career, great friends and great kids.

“I would love to share my life with someone special, but I’d rather be on my own and on my own terms than in a bad marriage. Or even a marriage that isn’t bad but isn’t good, either.

“I’m okay with my decisions.”

But there is one more choice that Nicole is now considering.

“With all the attention on older dating, maybe I should do MAFS or something like the Golden Bachelor? I’ve done this (story), so why not keep putting myself out there.

“Love is worth it.”

Originally published as Nicole Garrett lifts lid on grim dating pool on the Gold Coast as a woman in her 50s