The Golden Bachelorette: Joan Vassos to Star in Inaugural Season

Dave Nemetz
·1 min read
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Golden Bachelor contestant Joan Vassos will be the one handing out roses this time: She has been revealed as the star of ABC’s The Golden Bachelorette. The news was announced Tuesday during Disney’s annual upfront presentation to advertisers.

The Golden Bachelorette, a female-led spinoff of last year’s surprise hit The Golden Bachelor, will air Wednesdays at 8/7c this fall on ABC and will find Joan — a 61-year-old grandmother and school administrator from Rockville, Maryland — handing out roses to a group of men 60 years old and up in hopes of finding a second chance at romance.

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Bachelor Nation members will remember that Joan was one of the contestants vying for the heart of 71-year-old widow Gerry Turner last fall on The Golden Bachelor. She quickly emerged as a frontrunner, with her and Gerry bonding over the losses of their longtime spouses, but she abruptly left the show midway through the season to be by her daughter’s side through a medical issue. Her exit left Gerry in tears, and fans hoped this wasn’t the last we’d see of Joan.

The Golden Bachelorette was first announced in February and will follow “one radiant woman’s second chance at love in her golden years,” according to the official description. It follows The Golden Bachelor, which saw Gerry hand his final rose to Theresa Nist, with the two getting married in a televised special in January. Unfortunately, Gerry and Theresa split up in April after just three months of marriage.

Does the casting of Joan make you more likely to watch The Golden Bachelorette? Let us know in the comments.

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