In the Bachelor franchise, leads know they must stay tight-lipped about their final pick — but sometimes, a hint or two slips through. The Golden Bachelorette’s Joan Vassos recently had fans buzzing after her October 23 appearance on The Viall Files podcast, where she shared just a little too much about her remaining contestants, possibly hinting at her winner.
Joan wrapped her season back in July, with the final rose ceremony in Tahiti. While she’s worked hard to keep the outcome under wraps, some sharp-eared fans think they’ve pieced together her choice. Her podcast interview touched on two key men in her final four — Guy Gansert and Chock Chapple. By the time the episode aired, Joan was still officially dating Jordan Heller and Pascal Ibgui, but her comments about Guy and Chock seemed telling.
During the interview, Joan discussed a protective order filed against Guy by his ex-wife in 2021. In her reflections, Joan used past tense verbs, hinting that Guy may no longer be in the picture. “I would have never had any indication that there was any kind of past that he had,” Joan explained. “He was so kind to me… Maybe he made a mistake.” Her remarks suggest she’s already moved on, leaving only one possible match: Chock.
As for her impressions of Chock, Joan’s words were filled with admiration and excitement. She recalled their initial meeting, where he brought her “Chock-o-Noodle soup” — a playful gesture she adored. “I realized he went and figured out who I was and what was important to me,” she said, adding that he even knew the names of her four children. Joan took this as a meaningful sign of his interest and thoughtfulness, saying, “I thought, ‘Wow, he really is interested.’”
Chock, too, has expressed his strong feelings for Joan throughout the season, particularly during their time in the Fantasy Suites. In an October 29 episode, he seemed confident about their connection: “I felt that we were the right couple from Day 1.” After a night spent together, he called the experience a “beautiful night” and wrote in his journal that it was “everything I expected and more.” Though Joan’s Fantasy Suite rules likely meant no physical intimacy, their time together appears to have solidified their bond.
While Joan and the show’s producers haven’t confirmed her final choice, fans are eagerly watching for any more clues in the remaining episodes. And with Chock’s unwavering dedication and Joan’s warm words about him, the odds seem high that he may be her final pick. Only time — or maybe another hint — will tell.
