Nick Viall Hopes Golden Bachelorette Joan Vassos Will Be a ‘More Authentic Lead’ Than Gerry Turner

Former Bachelor Nick Viall is all-in on Joan Vasso’s upcoming season of The Golden Bachelorette.

“That’s a good choice,” Nick, 43, said during the Thursday, May 16, episode of his “The Viall Files” podcast. “Well, congratulations, Joan. May she be a more authentic lead than Gerry [Turner].”

Nick’s wife, Natalie Joy, chimed in to note that “wouldn’t be hard” to do after some fans felt details of Gerry’s relationship history and career were misrepresented. He denied the accusations.

During season 1 of The Golden Bachelor, Gerry, 72, proposed to Theresa Nist and they wed in January. They split after just three months of marriage.

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“I bet Joan would have signed a prenup, no problem,” Nick quipped. “It’s a great choice, I’m happy for her [and] I hope the show is able to find some high-quality men. I think that’s going to be their biggest challenge, but let’s hope.”

Joan appeared on Gerry’s season but left early to support her daughter who was struggling with postpartum depression after having a baby. Joan, who shared four children with her late husband of 32 years, is ready to become the first Golden Bachelorette but isn’t rushing into marriage again.

“If it ends up in engagement, I’m open to that,” she told CNN in an interview published on Tuesday, May 14. “I do believe this process works. I’ve seen it work for so many couples on The Bachelor, so I believe in the process. If it ends up in engagement, that’s great.”

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She continued, “I probably won’t rush into a marriage right away — and not only because of what happened with Gerry and Theresa. I think it takes some time to really get to know somebody. Out in the wild, in the real world, you need to spend some time there.”

If Joan met The One on her season — a cast of suitors has yet to be announced — she is also open to dating him off-camera before accepting a proposal. She won’t, however, choose said winner over her children.

“I’ll never leave my family,” Joan noted to CNN. “They are the most important people in the world to me obviously, and I would expect that to be the same for the person that I end up with because family is so important to me, that would have to be a key part of their personality.”

The Golden Bachelorette premieres on ABC in the fall.