The Golden Bachelorette’s Joan Vassos confessed that her kids can’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable at the thought of their mother kissing on TV.
Have you ever imagined your mom dating on national TV and getting all lovey-dovey with a bunch of suitors? For Joan Vassos, the trailblazing Golden Bachelorette, this new chapter is certainly teaching her a thing or two about romance—and parental eye-rolls. She is stepping into the dating scene in ABC’s The Golden Bachelorette with all the enthusiasm of a kid in a candy store.
But for her children, the situation might become a bit awkward. Vassos earlier opened up about the not-so-glamorous reality of her newfound fame. She confessed that while her children are generally supportive of her journey, they do find her kissing men on TV a bit uncomfortable.
Joan Vassos: Ready to Find Love with a Sense of Humor (& Kids) on The Golden Bachelorette
Ah, love in the time of reality TV! As Shakespeare might say, “The course of true love never did run smooth”, especially when it involves roses, reality cameras, and a cast of hopeful romantics.
But here’s a thought: What if love’s latest chapter were penned not in the angst of youth but in the seasoned wisdom of golden years? Enter Joan Vassos, a mother ready to dip her toes into the dating pool after some serious soul-searching.
So Vassos was scrolling through her TV one fateful evening when she stumbled upon a casting call for The Golden Bachelorette. She told CNN:
I would love to say one of my kids did it and they thought it’d be perfect, but I did it on my own.
But she also acknowledged that when she shared the news with her kids, the reactions were mixed:
My first and third children are very into this. They think it’s really fun and like, what a cool experience for mom.
Meanwhile, her daughter and son were less than thrilled, cringing at the thought of their mom possibly locking lips on national television. They quipped:
Don’t kiss a guy on TV. This is gonna be really embarrassing. My friends are watching.
But don’t let her kids’ skepticism fool you; Vassos’ heart is in the right place, and her love for her family is as deep as a bottomless pit. This is evident from her decision to leave Gerry Turner’s inaugural season of The Golden Bachelor after just three weeks to support her daughter.
Gerry Turner’s Journey of Romance & Family Dynamics on The Golden Bachelor
Before The Golden Bachelor kicked off, Gerry Turner made a promise to his daughters and granddaughters: “I promised my daughters and granddaughters that I would not kiss anyone on night one. And I failed,” he confessed to the NY Post. And just to clarify, he chuckled:
As I recall, I think I only failed once.
But hey, no regrets here! His philosophy seems to be more about embracing the moment than worrying about the rules. After some reflection, he shared:
In the beginning, shortly after the season ended… I felt like I had a few regrets. But now that there’s been a little time for me to sort through the facts and my feelings… quite honestly, I don’t think I would go back and change a thing.
As for that first kiss? “No regrets on that at all,” he mused, adding:
By the time the second and third nights rolled around, I feel like I kissed about every woman there.
While Turner embraced the romance and even the awkwardness of his daughters’ reactions (see ET), Joan Vassos faces a different reality.
As a widow herself, Vassos understands the complexities of dating at her age, but unlike Turner, her kids are more involved in her decisions, making every romantic gesture feel like a spectacle. Sure, dating in your golden years can feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack, especially when your kids are right there, cringing at every on-screen kiss.
