The latest season of The Bachelorette saw Jenn Tran ultimately get her heart broken after choosing contestant Devin Strader, who ended his engagement with her in August. The finale shocked all of Bachelor Nation and Devin was quickly labeled as “The Most Hated Man In America.” Starring as the Bachelorette was a tumultuous journey for Jenn, but she has since bounced back from the breakup.
This fall, ABC is set to air The Golden Bachelorette starring Joan Vassos as the season’s lead. As the spinoff of The Golden Bachelor, fans watched as 72-year-old Gerry Turner’s happily ever after with Theresa Nist came to an end. While yet more Bachelor Nation leads fall short of finding love, fans are crossing their fingers that 61-year-old Joan finds true love on the reality TV show.
Who is Joan Vassos?
Joan Vassos will star as the first-ever Golden Bachelorette. However, fans will likely have remembered Joan from Gerry Turner’s The Golden Bachelor as one of the contestants vying for his affection.
As People noted, Joan was a front-runner for Gerry’s heart, but she had to abruptly leave the ABC show due to a family emergency back home. Joan believed it was only right to be home with her daughter, who had just welcomed a baby and was struggling with severe post-partum depression. In the episode in which Joan has a one-on-one date with Gerry, she tells him:
“I got a text this morning, and I think I need to go home and be a mom right now. So as much as I don’t want to leave—and I don’t want to leave this journey—I got to be a parent.”
Gerry was heartbroken to see Joan leave, even crying when she departed. However, Joan is now getting a second chance at finding love after being named The Golden Bachelorette.
Joan hails from Maryland and works as a private school administrator. Her husband of 32 years, John, with whom she shares four children, died from pancreatic cancer in 2021. In a first-look clip of The Golden Bachelorette, Joan is in the kitchen speaking to her mother, mother-in-law, and two children about being the first lead of the series. She jokingly tells the bunch that she’ll be kissing “a fair amount of guys on camera,” which shocks her family.
In a second scene, the entire family sits down for dinner and fans get to see Joan’s four children and two grandchildren. Her daughter, Allison, asks her mother what qualities she wants in a man, to which Joan replies, “I’m very picky about a man being a gentleman.”
“Somebody with a big heart , somebody who is generous and also somebody who’s humble.”
Joan then raises her glass for a toast, thanking her family for their support as she enters this new journey. She adds, “I’m not here to replace Dad, I just want our family to be whole again. So, let’s cheers: cheers to a great adventure!”
Who Are The Men Vying For Joan’s Heart?
The Golden Bachelorette will see 24 men on a quest to find love with Joan. Fans of Bachelor Nation might see one familiar face in the season, as Kelsey Anderson’s father, Mark, an army veteran, will also be one of these suitors. Kelsey was a contestant and eventually the winner of Joey Graziadei’s Season 28 of The Bachelor. Mark met Joey during hometown visits and will eventually be his father-in-law when the two wed.
The men in the first-ever Golden Bachelorette also include Bill, a retired videographer, who proclaimed in the official cast lineup, “I am Latin; romance is in my blood!” Bob, a chiropractor who is “an avid surfer,” Charles K., a profile manager with five children, who is “the life of the party,” and Gregg, a retired university vice president who “is eager to meet the woman who will match his level of devotion.”
The show also features Guy, an emergency room doctor, Pascal, a salon owner, Thomas, an FDNY Chief, Michael, a retired banking CEO, and Kim, a retired Navy Captain.
When And Where Does The Golden Bachelorette Air?
The Golden Bachelorette will also feature another familiar face as host Jesse Palmer will return for the first-ever season. In an Instagram post in July, he confirmed the news with his followers. “It’s been a busy summer…” #goldenbachelorette #bachelornation,” Jesse wrote alongside a photo with Joan. The photo also shows filming might take place at the familiar Bachelor Mansion in Agoura Hills. However, viewers will have to wait and see where Joan takes the men during her journey for love.
The first-ever season of The Golden Bachelorette will premiere on Wednesday, September 18, at 8 p.m. on ABC and episodes will also be available the next day on Hulu.