The Golden Bachelorette runner-up Guy Gansert left Joan Vassos’ season brokenhearted when she chose to get engaged to Chock Chapple instead of him during her season finale, but he’s since been moving on with his life. Guy, a 66-year-old ER doctor from Reno, Nevada, fell in love with Joan, a 61-year-old private school administrator from Rockville, Maryland. However, she felt a stronger connection with Chock, a 60-year-old insurance executive from Wichita, Kansas.
Throughout The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Joan and Chock had a very strong connection. From their first one-on-one date in Disneyland, they seemed meant-to-be. Still, Guy put all of his focus on Joan, even when he saw how much she and Chock were drawn to each other during the bowling group date. He was even ready to propose to her. Although Guy left the show devastated by their breakup, he’s now picked up the pieces and moved on with his life. Here’s what Guy has been up to since the Golden Bachelorette finale.
Guy’s Journey On The Golden Bachelorette
Guy Fell In Love With Joan Vassos
Unlike Joan and Chock, Joan and Guy didn’t have an immediately strong connection. Their relationship was more of a slow burn. During their one-on-one date, in which they cooked lemon baked ziti together, Guy opened up to her about getting divorced after 34 years. Their relationship continued to progress, and Joan eventually gave him a hometown date. They traveled to Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where she met his siblings, Greer, Gary, and Greg; his sons, Glenn and Hank; his daughter, MacKenzie; his grandson, Idan; and his son-in-law.
During Guy’s hometown date, Joan told him that she’d been thinking about her husband of 32 years, John, who passed away due to pancreatic cancer in 2021. She explained that she had guilt that kept creeping in, and she’d have to let go of John a little bit in order to continue. Guy responded that he understood, and that she should take all the time that she needed. Guy told his family that he was ready to propose to Joan. He later told Joan that he was falling for her.
Guy then progressed to the overnight Fantasy Suite dates in Tahiti, where they had a lovely night connecting on an emotional level. However, before the final rose ceremony in Bora Bora, Joan broke up with Guy before he had the chance to meet her family, telling him that her heart belonged to someone else. Guy was blindsided and devastated, and he admitted to Joan that he’d fallen in love with her. Joan told him that she loved him, but in a different way.
Guy Has Been Spending A Lot Of Time With Family
Guy Learned So Much From The Show
After The Golden Bachelorette ended, Guy took to Instagram to reflect on his journey on the show. He shared a series of photographs from the show with a caption that summarized what he’d learned. Guy wrote, “The Live/Live Finale was heartbreaking to watch as I was convinced that I was ‘The Guy’ for Joan. Please know that I will be okay because even though I didn’t ‘win’, I really ‘WON’ because Joan allowed me to truly love again! I achieved the goals of my ‘Transformational Journey.'”
Guy then listed what he’d gained from The Golden Bachelorette, writing, “1. I learned to Love myself again 2. I learned that I could Truly Love again 3. I have a wonderful relationship with my kids 4. I am happier than I have been in years 5. My Faith has grown stronger.”
After The Golden Bachelorette, Guy has been spending a lot of time with his family, including his grandson. In an Instagram post, Guy gushed about the beautiful Thanksgiving that he spent with his daughter MacKenzie, son-in-law Mati, grandson Idan, son Glenn, and other extended family members and friends. It’s beautiful to see that Guy has such a wonderful relationship with his kids, who will surely help him to move on from having his heart broken.
Guy Seems To Be Single
Guy Isn’t Dating Anyone At The Moment
As of this writing, Guy doesn’t seem to be dating anyone. However, during the November 19, 2024 episode of the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, Guy shared that he really wanted to meet Golden Bachelor alum Nancy Hulkower at the “After the Final Rose” episode taping because he thought that she was a “sweetheart” when she was so supportive of Joan at the end of her season. Guy revealed that they’d exchanged messages a few times, but nothing of any substance.
Guy thought that if Nancy were really interested, then maybe she would’ve sought him out at the “After the Final Rose” episode taping, but he didn’t realize that she was there. Host Serena Pitt told Guy that Nancy went home early because she was sick.
On the January 3, 2025 episode of the Bachelor Happy Hour: Golden Hour podcast, Guy said that if there is a Golden version of Bachelor in Paradise, then he’d like to meet Nancy. Host Kathy Swarts said that she wanted to set Guy and Nancy up on a date. Guy also joked about dating Kathy and her co-host Susan Noles, who laughingly asked Guy out twice during the podcast.
On the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, Guy also shared that he has a celebrity crush on actress Diane Lane, on whom he’s had his eye since she starred in The Outsiders in 1983. He said that she was age-appropriate and not married anymore after her 2013 divorce from Josh Brolin. However, Guy stated that he didn’t know if she was dating.
In addition, in November 2024, the Daily Express U.S. reported that Guy appeared in a since-deleted Instagram post from fitness guru Harrah Brown, that hinted that they might be forming a connection. Harrah posted a photograph of herself and Guy that said, “a ‘golden’ connection.” She captioned the post, “Turns out, you don’t need a gold rose or reality TV to meet someone golden–just a chance encounter with the charming runner-up himself.”
In the comments section of the post, delighted fans gushed about how happy they’d be if it turned out that Guy found love after The Golden Bachelorette with Harrah. However, as of January 2025, Guy doesn’t appear to be dating Harrah or anyone else.
Could Guy Be The Next Golden Bachelor?
Guy Is Open To Returning To The Bachelor Franchise
After Guy’s journey as the runner-up on The Golden Bachelorette, it seemed as though the next logical step for him would be to become the next Golden Bachelor. However, he might not be chosen for the lead role because Guy has a controversial past, which came to light while the show was airing. In 2021, Guy’s ex-wife filed an application for a protection order against domestic violence in Nevada family court. However, three weeks later, she withdrew the application, so the order wasn’t granted. The dismissal notes indicated that Guy and his ex-wife reached a no-contact agreement.
On the other hand, Guy still has many fans who’d like to see him as the next lead of The Golden Bachelor. Not only did Guy steal hearts as one of Joan’s suitors, but he proved himself to be a great friend with a good heart to his fellow contestants as well.
Guy comforted Charles Ling when he finally explained to him that his wife most likely had blood in her mouth after her brain aneurysm because she bit her tongue, which was something that had haunted Charles for years. The relief and happiness that Guy gave to Charles was beautiful. In addition, Guy was the only man who participated in Kim Buike’s “Mansion Men” song, which showed that he was a great sport.
The good news for Guy’s fans is that he’s open to being the next Golden Bachelor lead. On the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, Guy said that he “wouldn’t mind doing one more” season, and he’d “absolutely” do it all again “in a heartbeat. Not a question.”
Although Guy was heartbroken when The Golden Bachelorette ended and Joan didn’t choose him, he’s moving on with his life. He’s ready to find love. Whether he does that out in the real world or as the next Golden Bachelor, Guy is wished all the best for his future.
