The Golden Bachelorette season 1 will be premiering this fall, and with Joan Vassos as the lead, I’m nervous about how much pressure she’s going to be under while trying to fall in love. After appearing on The Golden Bachelor season 1 with Gerry Turner, Joan is heading out on a journey to find love of her own. Although she was interested in Gerry, the widower and mother of four wasn’t necessarily prepared for the search for love on reality TV. Her time on The Golden Bachelor ended early, but viewers were still interested in learning more about the contestant.
While the rest of the season continued on after Joan left the Bachelor mansion, her presence was felt throughout the season by viewers who were wondering if she was the one who got away for Gerry. During Women Tell All, she talked about the difficult decision to leave the show and even mentioned that she could have some unfinished business with Gerry. After Joan was named the first Golden Bachelorette, it became clear that she was ready to go off on her own to look for love. Now, with her journey getting started, I’m worried about what possibly lies ahead.
Joan Left The Golden Bachelor Early
She Had To Tend To Her Family
Joan’s time on The Golden Bachelor was supposed to help her usher in her second act, allowing her to see if she had any feelings for Gerry and connect with someone she could spend her life with. Happy to be putting herself first, it appeared early on that Gerry and Joan did have a good rapport and could build a connection of their own, but Joan realized within the first few days of the experience that she may need to leave earlier than expected. While Joan was hopeful that she’d be able to stick around, things changed quickly for her.
Just a few weeks into the experience, Joan had to leave The Golden Bachelor behind unexpectedly. She shared with Gerry that she was sad to have to leave, but her family was her number one priority, and she had to go home to help where she was needed. A family man himself, Gerry understood, though he was sad to see her go. Joan later shared that her daughter had given birth unexpectedly early while she was on the show, and while she knew she wanted to keep getting to know Gerry, she had to make a tough call and leave.
Joan Was A Surprising Choice For The Golden Bachelorette
She Wasn’t Well Known On The Show
Although Joan was an early contender for The Golden Bachelor,I was surprised to see her named The Golden Bachelorette. After Gerry and Theresa Nist appeared to find love in the inaugural season of the series, the hype surrounding who would become the first Golden Bachelorette was all Bachelor Nation could talk about. While there were some strong contenders for who would lead the first season of The Golden Bachelorette, including Golden Bachelor stars Kathy Swarts and Leslie Fhima as well as soap opera legend Susan Lucci, the decision was ultimately announced. Joan was set to lead The Golden Bachelorette.
While I was interested in seeing who the choice for Golden Bachelorette would be, I was surprised when Joan was called up. For the most part, I felt Joan’s time on The Golden Bachelor was sweet but short and forgettable. She was interesting during her time on the series, but the focus wasn’t actively on her for the majority of the season, which made it odd that she was the show’s grand reveal. Joan being selected as The Golden Bachelorette makes sense, but was a far cry from some of the predictions being made at the time she was selected.
Joan May Not Be Prepared For The Pressures Of Being The Lead
She Hasn’t Experienced Much Of The Production Side
After spending just a few short weeks on The Golden Bachelor, Joan left to tend to her family at home, but it was clear that she understood it was a big deal she was leaving the show. While she did have her own experience on The Golden Bachelor, Joan’s time as the lead of The Golden Bachelorette will be entirely different than her time as a contestant. The pressure that will be on her to choose from the pool of men hoping to win her affection will surely feel extreme after only a few short weeks in the Bachelor Mansion.
Although Joan has likely been prepped on what to expect, has talked to former leads from across the Bachelor franchise, and has probably even consulted Gerry himself, I’m worried about how she’ll deal with the pressures. Having to make tough decisions, quickly, and trust that they were the right choices won’t be easy. Though I’m sure Joan is capable of making decisions for herself about the life she’s hoping to build with someone, I do wonder if the fact that she’s only had a bit of experience with the franchise will make her time as The Golden Bachelorette more difficult.
Joan’s Time As The Golden Bachelorette May Be More Difficult After Gerry’s Scandals
The Pressure Will Be High
After the Golden wedding special, documenting Gerry’s wedding to Theresa after The Golden Bachelor finale saw the pair get engaged, it was shocking to find out that the couple would be splitting up only months later. While Gerry had faced his fair share of scandals before the finale, when it was revealed that he’d been lying about not dating before coming on the series, what he had to live through after announcing his divorce was far worse. The months after Gerry and Theresa’s separation have been tough on The Golden Bachelor star, and may have impacted Joan’s experience, as well.
While Joan will likely not have Gerry on her season as a contestant, the fact that she’s going to have to deal with men who are somewhat like Gerry is difficult enough. Despite having a decent relationship with him during his season of the series, Joan has been aware of everything going on with Gerry, and the scandals that have followed him have been tough to explain. Though Joan deserves a fair chance of being The Golden Bachelorette on her own, she can’t expect to go through the process without dealing with the many issues that Gerry created for her.
