‘Golden Bachelorette’ Season 1 Is Coming! What We Know About the Gorgeous Lead, Premiere Date and More

It’s time to stop and smell the roses because the inaugural season of The Golden Bachelorette is underway! ABC announced the season’s stunning lead after Gerry Turner’s wild journey on The Golden Bachelor and fans want all the details about the upcoming season.

Who Is ‘The Golden Bachelorette’ ​Season 1 Lead?

Joan Vassos was named the first Golden Bachelorette during the ABC upfront on May 14, 2024.

The school administrator reacted to the news the following day via Instagram and shared her excitement heading into her new journey of love.

“The first Golden Bachelorette … I truly can’t believe it! I’m positively overwhelmed by the love and support you are all sending my way. Thank you @abc for picking me and @bachelornation for rooting for me!” she gushed in her caption. “As I embark on this journey, I hope to make you all proud, follow my heart, and have a lot of fun along the way. I’m honored to represent all of the golden ladies out there, turns out we aren’t invisible after all.”

ABC spoke highly of the Rockland, Maryland, resident in her official biography online.

“Joan is really something special. She has four kids and two grandkids and is looking for love again after losing her husband of 32 years to pancreatic cancer. Joan is proud of herself for starting a new career in this chapter of life and for how resilient she's been through many unexpected life changes,” the introduction reads. “When she's not working, Joan loves listening to Elton John, hanging with her dog, and cooking a delicious meal. Joan describes herself as a loving mother and a hard worker who would love to find someone with whom to enjoy life.”

What Happened to Joan Vassos on ‘The Golden Bachelor’?

Joan built a connection with Gerry as a contestant on The Golden Bachelor, but a family emergency back home gave her no choice but to self-eliminate. Upon her exit during the October 2023 episode, Joan shared that her daughter faced health complications after giving birth.

“A huge thank you to everyone expressing their concern for my family,” Joan wrote via Instagram after the episode aired. “It’s a privilege to be a mom to four amazing kids and a grandmother (they call me Jojo) to two beautiful grandchildren. But once a mom, always a mom and sometimes the timing doesn’t work out with finding love.”

Although their romantic relationship didn’t end in an engagement, Joan and Gerry remained on good terms. In fact, the retired restaurateur congratulated Joan on her new title.

“Dear Joan, Congratulations on being named the first-ever Golden Bachelorette. You will be phenomenal as the new representative of a generation,” he wrote via Instagram on May 14. “From one Golden to another … relax, breathe and enjoy. Gerry.”

When Does ‘The Golden Bachelorette’ Season 1 Premiere?

ABC has not yet announced the premiere of the Bachelor spinoff series. However, the network confirmed that it will be coming in "fall 2024."