Jack Lencioni, a standout contestant on The Golden Bachelorette, was ready to take a chance on love in front of millions. But while he was excited about the opportunity, his family wasn’t exactly on board.
“My ex-wife and my two daughters were not happy at all when I first started doing it,” Jack, 68, admitted on the September 24 episode of the “Viall Files” podcast. He shared that his ex-wife was particularly worried about how he would come across, noting her fear that he might “say something stupid”—a reputation Jack humorously acknowledged. However, he emphasized that he would never say anything disrespectful about his “wonderful” ex-wife. “Just not the woman for me,” he added.
Despite their initial doubts, Jack revealed that his family’s stance has softened since watching the show. “Right now, all three of them are happy with it,” he said, expressing relief over their change of heart.
Jack made his first impression on The Golden Bachelorette when he sang Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” as he exited the limo. His performance, paired with his cooking skills during the cocktail party, captured Joan Vassos’ attention. Still, Joan ultimately gave her first impression rose to Keith Gordon, 62. Keith’s choice of a station wagon for the show brought back childhood memories for Joan, who connected with his upbringing, recalling her own family road trips to Florida.
Joan, 61, shared with Us Weekly that she could have easily given out multiple roses that night but felt an instant bond with Keith. “I remember sitting on the hood of that car and just having this really easy conversation,” Joan said. “And even when we were getting the cue that it was time for him to move on, I remember him saying, ‘Oh, let’s just get outta here. Let’s just grab a bottle of wine and some cheese and a blanket and go to the beach.’ And I was like, ‘God, that’s exactly what I’d like to be doing right now.’”
While Joan has remained tight-lipped about the outcome of her season, she told Us Weekly that the experience left her with a deep sense of fulfillment. “The journey ended exactly like it should. I feel like I found a lot of love and there’s all different kinds of love,” Joan said. “Every one of these men are gonna be in my life forever. We shared really, really intimate things about our lives and we are bonded. So I think I found a lot of love actually this season.”
