The Golden Bachelorette star Joan Vassos has dished about her must-haves and dealbreakers when it comes to dating.
“I’ve thought about [what I want], and [finding The One] is going to be a hard job,” Joan told Entertainment Tonight recently, shortly before filming commenced on her The Golden Bachelorette season.
Joan noted there are “a few” characteristics her future husband must have that are “really important” to her.
“He’s obviously kind and a family man, and all of that kind of stuff,” Joan shared.
“But my father was the ultimate gentleman. He just opened doors, carried everything, you know, carried in groceries, and hopped up every time a woman walked in the room.”
Joan added how her dad was “very polite,” which is a quality her ideal partner will have as well.
“He never cussed and he was such a gentleman, and I am looking for a gentleman,” Joan said. “That is something that is so charming and endearing to me, and I’m also looking for somebody who has a little sense of adventure.”
The 61-year-old mother and grandmother from Rockland, MD, admitted she had “planned on” having all those adventures with her late husband, John Vassos, but he passed away from cancer at age 59 in 2021.
“When all of that kind of vanished, I really missed that thought and planning a future with somebody and doing new things… So I am ready for someone who has a little sense of adventure and is ready to have some fun,” Joan said.
Joan added, “You only get to do this once. You only get to live once!”
In terms of her dating dealbreakers, Joan shared that one particular “weird” one came to mind.
“I hate someone who’s rude to a service person — a waitress or the [cashier] at a grocery store. That really turns me off,” Joan said.
“It’s like, ‘I’m walking away from you right now. Goodbye… It’s very revealing! You need to be nice to everyone. Be kind. Be kind. It’s not that hard!”
Joan acknowledged it was going to be difficult to weed those guys out of her cast of bachelors because they weren’t going to be dating in the real world, but she said she intended on watching out for that as much as possible.
When asked to reveal her celebrity crushes, Joan immediately called out two “beautiful” actors: the “handsome” and “funny” Rob Lowe, whom she’s “loved” since age 21, as well as “the rugged and sexy” Kevin Costner.
Joan had quit The Golden Bachelor, which wrapped in November 2023 on ABC, a couple of weeks into filming last year to help her daughter recover from postpartum depression at home.
ABC then announced Joan as the first-ever The Golden Bachelorette star in May.
“I so thought that I was going to be that girl who left that nobody remembers. I truly believed that was going to be the outcome,” Joan told ET, reflecting back on her early The Golden Bachelor departure.
“I really was sad about that, honestly, because I loved being here. I think the process worked. I was sad when I had to leave, so having the opportunity to come back and [having] people actually remember me a little bit [is amazing].”
The Golden Bachelorette’s first-ever season will air on Wednesday nights at 8PM ET/PT this fall on ABC.
An exact premiere date for the series and Joan’s cast of bachelors have yet to be officially announced.
“Excited, nervous, and overpacked… but, mostly ready to get this golden journey started,” Joan captioned a video of herself packing earlier this month.
“Feeling all the feels as I pack up to start my next chapter at the Bachelor Mansion,” she continued.
“I’ve never been this vulnerable and grateful at the same time. I’m thankful to have the most supportive friends, family and viewers a golden girl could ask for.”
Joan said while she’s “not sure what this journey holds,” she’s ready for anything.
“If it’s anything like my suitcase, it’s sure to be FULL of surprises! Here I go…” Joan concluded.
Joan told CNN on May 14 that she was “open” to ending her season with an engagement, believing that “this process works” and has resulted in successful marriages.
Joan elaborated, “I probably won’t rush into a marriage right away — and not only because of what happened with Gerry and Theresa. I think it takes some time to really get to know somebody. Out in the wild, in the real world, you need to spend some time there.”
ABC previously teased that Joan will bring “grace and charm” to viewers’ television screens this fall.
“She is a remarkable woman whose life has been defined by her resilience, zest for adventure and strong family values. It was those family values that led to her heartbreaking decision to leave The Golden Bachelor,” ABC wrote in a press release for the show.
“Despite that and other challenges she’s faced along the way… [Joan] remains an embodiment of strength and grace as a devoted mother of four, grandmother of two, and school administrator, while finding solace in the music of Elton John, spending time with her dog, and cooking.”
On The Golden Bachelor: The Women Tell All late last year, Joan got emotional when watching her journey back on the show, and she told host Jesse Palmer how she felt really bad about disappointing and hurting Gerry.
“If circumstances had been different and you stayed, you think it might’ve worked out with Gerry?” Jesse asked the bachelorette.
“I think we had a good chance,” Joan replied.
“Gerry helped make me feel visible. He looked at me and he cared about what I was saying and he wanted to get to know me. Society makes us feel like we’ve had out chance, we’ve had our children, and now it’s time to support the next generation and kind of take a backseat. And Gerry opened my heart.”
Joan told The Wrap in November 2023 that, after leaving Gerry during Week 2 of The Golden Bachelor season, she briefly considered returning to the show and resuming filming once she helped her daughter because she felt like she had “unfinished business.”
However, Joan soon came to realize that her daughter’s mental health was still suffering after giving birth and she needed to stay by her side.
Even though Joan didn’t return to The Golden Bachelor, she admitted to Jesse on The Women Tell All that she “held out hope” Gerry would also quit the show and chase her down.
“I did think a couple times maybe I would come around the corner, coming home from work, and [Gerry] would be sitting on my front porch,” Joan confessed.
Joan said she sometimes caught herself thinking about what could have been with Gerry.
“I went from wanting to find somebody to craving it now. It was such a good feeling and I’m working hard to find it; I’m not giving up,” Joan shared.
Joan took to Instagram shortly after The Golden Bachelor episode featuring her exit aired on ABC, and she hinted that she’d like to continue her journey to find love on TV, writing, “Sometimes the timing doesn’t work out with finding love. I hope one day I will get the chance at love again.”
Gerry ended up selecting Theresa Nist as his The Golden Bachelor winner. The couple got engaged during the finale, which aired in November 2023, and then they wed in a live televised special on January 4 on ABC.
