Who is ABC’s first-ever ‘Golden Bachelorette’? Meet 61-year-old grandma Joan Vassos from Maryland

Move over, Gerry Turner!

ABC has officially found its first-ever “Golden Bachelorette.” Joan Vassos from Rockland, Maryland, will star in the inaugural season after her time on Turner’s “The Golden Bachelor” was cut short.

Vassos, 61, left Turner’s season early in the third week to care for her daughter who had recently given birth.

Vassos is a mother of four, grandmother of two and a school administrator. Her late husband John, whom she was married to for 32 years, died in January 2021 from pancreatic cancer.

“He was the husband that always made me feel safe and cherished,” she wrote via Instagram in January. “He was the parent that was always the fun one because that’s all he knew how to do … lucky kids because fun in his book was generally epic. I could go on for hours.”

In her spare time, the new lead loves spending time with her dog, cooking and listening to Elton John.

In February, the network confirmed plans to cast for “one radiant woman’s second chance at love in her golden years.”

“Now, as she steps into the golden spotlight and begins her journey to seek love once more, Vassos envisions a future filled with shared moments by the beach and cherished time with family,” a press release read on Tuesday.

Turner, 72, previously led “The Golden Bachelor,” which premiered in September 2023. He and contestant Theresa Nist married in an ABC-televised ceremony on Jan. 4. On April 12, they announced their divorce after three months of marriage during a “Good Morning America” interview.

Turner went on to officially file for divorce from Nist on the same day their sit-down aired.

Nist explained that they looked at homes in South Carolina and considered New Jersey to settle down, but nothing came of their initial plans.

“Theresa and I have had a number of heart-to-heart conversations … and looked closely to our living situations,” Turner stated at the time. “We just feel like it’s best for the happiness of each of us to live apart. I still love this person. There’s no doubt in my mind.”

Turner reacted to Vassos’ casting shortly after it was announced.

“Dear Joan, congratulations on being named the first ever Golden Bachelorette,” he shared via Instagram on Tuesday. “You will be phenomenal as the new representative of a generation. From one golden to another … relax, breathe and enjoy.”

He captioned the post: “And, ABC makes History, once again!!!”

“The Golden Bachelorette” will run for an hour and a half on Wednesdays this fall, up from “The Golden Bachelor’s” one-hour episodes last year. It will air at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and stream next day on Hulu.