Fans of The Golden Bachelor have been waiting for months to learn who will be the first-ever Golden Bachelorette. Now, we finally have an answer: Joan Vassos, 61, will be looking for love.
On May 14, ABC announced that the fan favorite would be the lead via a hot teaser trailer. In the clip, Joan struts away in a gorgeous golden sequined gown while holding a golden rose. Finally, she faces the camera and says, “I’m Joan, and I’m your first Golden Bachelorette.” Va va voom!
“The secret is out!” Joan wrote on her Instagram Story of the announcement. “I’m honored to be #TheGoldenBachelorette.”
Worth noting: The Golden Bachelorette will have 90-minute episodes, per Us Weekly. That means we get even more Joan this fall.
During Gerry Turner’s inaugural season of The Golden Bachelor, Joan became an instant frontrunner for the lead spot after a family emergency caused her to leave early. And while plenty of people have pushed for Joan to be the first Golden Bachelorette, she also wasn’t the obvious choice (more on that in a moment).
So, who is Joan Vassos and what does Gerry think of her as The Golden Bachelorette? Here’s what we know.
She’s a 61-year-old school administrator from Maryland.
At just 61 years old, Joan is younger than many of her Golden co-stars. She hasn’t retired yet and still works as a school administrator.
Joan is currently employed in Alumni Relations and Annual Giving at Landon School, a private boys’ school, in Bethesda, MD, according to her LinkedIn.
She’s a proud mom of four.
Joan is mom to four kids: Nicholas, Erica, Luke, and Allison. She’s dropped pics of her two grandsons on Instagram, too.
“Joan describes herself as a loving mother and a hard worker who would love to find someone with whom to enjoy life,” her Golden Bachelor bio reads. “She’s happiest when she’s at the beach with her family and is looking for a family man with whom to blend her life.”
Joan was previously married for 32 years. Her husband John Vassos died of pancreatic cancer in January 2021.
“It’s been three years…Some days it seems like it just happened and I can’t catch my breath, still feeling the shock of it,” Joan reflected in an emotional Instagram post earlier this year. “Other days it feels like he’s been gone a lifetime.”
She left during Week 3 of The Golden Bachelor.
As you might remember, Joan’s early exit from The Golden Bachelor was a big deal. She and Gerry had a great one-on-one date, right before she shared that she needed to leave the show.
Her daughter had given birth just 15 days prior and was struggling, she told him. “As much as I don’t want to leave, I have to be a parent,” she explained. “I’ve got to go home to my kids.”
“My daughter just had a baby and it wasn’t a normal, everyday delivery at all. Things go wrong. And even if everything went right, you need your mom,” she added in a confessional. “My family will always be first. Once you become a mom, you’re always a mom even when your kids are older. Nothing is more important.”
Gerry was pretty devastated—and so were Bachelor Nation fans.
People thought the Golden Bachelorette would be Leslie.
The cast of The Golden Bachelor has been called one of the best in the franchise, giving producers a lot of options when it came to choosing a Golden Bachelorette. In fact, many fans thought the new show’s lead would be Leslie Fhima, the fun-loving runner-up from Gerry’s season who was devastated when she wasn’t selected as his wife.
But Leslie previously told Bachelor Nation that finding love isn’t really a priority for her right now. “I haven’t really had that many people ask me out or try to set me up. I thought it would be a little bit more abundant, but that’s OK,” she said.
“I’ve been really busy. I’ve been traveling, teaching more, working at a music venue, and being with my kids,” she continued. “So dating has fallen on the back burner. I am not really seeking dating out either, so it’s not really a priority for me at the moment. I do want to find somebody, though.”
Gerry thinks Joan will be “phenomenal” in her role.
Gerry shared a message of congratulations to Joan, and it was really sweet. “Dear Joan, Congratulations on being named the first ever Golden Bachelorette. You will be phenomenal as the new representative of a generation,” he wrote on Instagram. “From one golden to another…relax, breathe and enjoy.”
Joan wrote the nicest reply in the comments. “What a beautiful message from my fellow golden,” she said. “You have taught me so much about being open and vulnerable and how looking for love at this age can be dignified and fun. Thank you my friend for setting the stage for the rest of us Goldens…and I’m open to advice!!! XO.”
