The Golden Bachelorette debut is just around the corner. Undeniably, star Joan Vassos is making it her mission to accomplish a lot with her inaugural season of The Golden Bachelor spinoff. is eager to restore Bachelor Nation’s “Energy, Sex Drive and Vitality” with her season.
Stepping Up To The Challenge
Undoubtedly, Joan Vassos had a rough start with her attempt to win over Gerry Turner in The Golden Bachelor. However, with the announcement of becoming the first-ever Golden Bachelorette, Joan has embraced her role with open arms. Sadly, after the finale of Bachelor Nation’s Bachelorette with Jenn Tran, there is concern for the franchise. Furthermore, they are facing backlash since the first ever Golden Bachelor‘s wedding kicked off the year but was unfortunately over in just three months. Undeniably, this is a tough time to enter the Bachelor world with the chaos in 2024. But not everything has gone awry, Bachelor, Joey Graziadei, and his fiance, Kelsey Anderson are still going strong. Even so, Joan Vassos is up for the challenge to restore the brand’s “Energy, Sex Drive and Vitality.”
Joan Vassos Brings A Fresh Feeling
While Joan Vassos is boldly taking on the challenge of positive vibes for Bachelor Nation, she still has some nerves. As she prepared for the filming of the show she said as she approached Jesse Palmer, “I’m having all the feels.” Then, she adds, “I never in a million years imagined I would be back here.” Since she was on The Golden Bachelor about a year ago, it seems like deja vu. However, her attempt at love was cut short by a family emergency. Now, she is taking center stage as the one twenty-four men will be wooing. Her suitors range from 57 to 69 years old. Luckily, by passing up Gerry, she gets her pick from a U.S. Navy captain, a retired U.N. agency director, a rancher, an emergency room doctor, and even Kelsey Anderson’s fan-favorite dad.
Since The Golden Bachelor was a big hit, Bachelor Nation is hoping to get a good or better turnout for the new spinoff. But challenges with how Jenn Tran’s treatment as the first Asian-American Bachelorette are being perceived as negative, leaves a shakey question if the show will get the desired ratings. But Joan Vassos is prepared to bring a beautiful light to the franchise.
Joan Vassos Wants To Restore Show ‘Energy, Sex Drive And Vitality’
Although The Golden Bachelorette, Joan Vassos is no stranger to turmoil, she is ready to show that aging can be graceful. Sadly, she lost her husband John to cancer after being married for 32 years. Discussing the pain during a video interview, she said, “I felt like I was living on an island.” Furthermore, she tells fans, “I felt so alone, I thought people would set me up with guys, but that didn’t happen. It’s hard out there. The world is made up of couples. But we all deserve love.” But she is leaping to find love in a non-traditional way.
“I feel so lucky I was chosen to do this,” she adds. “I’ve learned a lot about myself and how finding love in this world works.” And she knows John is proud to see her taking a new chance. She says, “My late husband, John, would love this.” Additionally, she says, “He was a big fan of reality TV. I’m sure he’s watching us now, saying, ‘That’s my wife down there!’” According to Y! Entertainment, her goal is to ensure the audience sees, “that older people still have plenty of energy, sexual drive and physical vitality.”
Continuing, Joan Vassos says, “I don’t want this to be about me. I want this to be about a message of hope.” Unmistakably, the school administrator says, “I love hearing stories from people who watched The Golden Bachelor and said it gave them a new sense of hope. At our age, people expect us to take a back seat and become support for a new generation, children and grandkids. I felt guilty because I want something more than that.”
Bachelor Nation Responds
Furthermore, the network is supporting Joan Vassos in her endeavors. The Bachelor executive producers and showrunners, Bennett Graebner and Claire Freeland, replied to questions over worries about ratings after Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s divorce. They replied, “We’re always disappointed when one of our couples doesn’t work out. However, the Bachelor franchise is no different than life outside the confines of the TV screen: sometimes marriages last forever, sometimes they don’t.” However, they applaud Joan for her energy in embracing the role. They continue, “We were fortunate that so many of the women from Gerry’s inaugural season were worthy of being the first Golden Bachelorette.” Further writing, “We could have made a fantastic season with any one of them. However, we kept coming back to Joan. … She deserved a second chance.”
Joan Vassos Acknowledges Gerry And Theresa’s Journey
Additionally, Joan Vassos also acknowledges that Gerry and Theresa’s journey shouldn’t be discounted. “I do know that their love was very real,” Joan said. “You did see the disappointment in how it ended. I just feel in my heart we should give them understanding and grace. That wasn’t easy for them to split.” She doesn’t expect a man to move for her. She says, “I just want to leave this journey with a significant other, someone I may or may not be engaged to. But we can pursue our relationship outside the Bachelor bubble.” As she prepared, she said, “I wanted to see what was effective and what wasn’t,” she said. “I got advice from Gerry and other Bachelorettes. This was going to be the most important journey of my life, so I wanted to be really prepared.”
Catch Joan’s season on ABC, on September 18, 2024.
What do you think about Joan Vassos’ challenges of being the first Golden Bachelorette? Are you planning to tune in? Drop your comments below.
Bonnie Kaiser-Gambill is a graduate from Oklahoma State University. Her freelance writing primarily focuses on streaming series, reality TV, and celebrity news. During her free time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, baking, and traveling as often as possible.
