Since The Bachelor premiered in 2002, followed by The Bachelorette In 2003, the franchise established itself as a cornerstone of reality television. For more than two decades, fans of the franchise have been making weekly appointments to watch their favorite Bachelor Nation shows. But the franchise was hardly age-restricted until The Golden Bachelor debuted in September 2023.
The series’ huge success proved that there was an audience for people looking for love later in life. The Golden Bachelorette was a logical step.
With Joan Vassos as the first Golden Bachelorette, the show seems to show that age is just a number and that a second chance at romance is always possible. And if it’s anything like his Golden predecessor, it will definitely be a success.
“I want the world to know that now that I’m on the show, it’s not just about finding a boyfriend,” Vassos, a Maryland private school administrator, mother of four and grandmother of three, said in a promotion for the season. “It’s really about everyone my age who doesn’t have someone special in their life [knowing] that it is not too late.”
This is what you need to know in advance The Golden Bachelorette premiere:
When does the season premiere?
Where did we first meet Joan Vassos?
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Vassos competed in the inaugural season of The Golden Bachelor and quickly became a frontrunner for Gerry Turner’s affections. After a romantic date with the season’s leading lady, the 61-year-old Olney, Maryland, native decided in the show’s third week to be with her daughter, who had recently given birth and was struggling with postpartum depression.
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Vassos told The Wrap that she considered returning to the Bachelor house “four or five days” after her initial departure. She ultimately did not return due to her daughter’s deteriorating condition.
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“I went [on The Golden Bachelor] because I had been a widow for two years at that point,” Vassos said in a promo for her upcoming season. “There was a part of me that felt like maybe I was being selfish to be looking for a second love at this age. But after I was on The Golden BachelorI saw all these amazing women that I loved and respected, and they weren’t ashamed of it.”
Who are the worshipers of Vassos?
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On August 13, ABC gave viewers a first look at the 24 men competing for Vassos’ final rose in the first season of The Golden BacheloretteThe participants, who range in age from 57 to 69, include a chiropractor, a contractor, a cattle farmer and an emergency room doctor.
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One of her suitors is Mark Anderson, a 57-year-old Army veteran from Leesville, Louisiana. Bachelor Nation knows Anderson as the father of Kelsey Anderson, the latest recipient of the rose and fiancé of Season 28 Bachelor Joey Graziadei.
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Vassos told Decider that she initially had doubts about whether the men would get along, but found that they connected on a deeper level: “They talked about dating and they talked about their families. They talked about being single dads and being dads to girls. And they were so vulnerable and so incredibly supportive of each other, like they’d known each other their whole lives.”
What can we expect from Vassos’ season?
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Vassos told Extra that she set her own ground rules when it came time for the overnight dates (aka the Fantasy Suites). “I didn’t want to have a physical relationship with more than one person, so I took that off the table. [We] “I’ve done Fantasy Suites, but it was all about an emotional connection and learning about each other off-camera, but I didn’t do the physical part,” she said, adding, “You don’t have to sleep with the person!”
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Vassos told People that an engagement wasn’t her ultimate goal. “My goal was to leave in a committed relationship. I wanted someone that I could see a future with and we could see what it was like in the real world outside of Bachelor bubble. I didn’t want to go through all this and be in the same place as when I came to the mansion,” she explained.
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Vassos has made it clear that she has no plans to relocate for love. “I would never want to leave my family,” she told People.
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“I’m very particular about a man who is a gentleman,” Vassos said in another promo for the show. “Someone with a big heart. Someone who is generous and also someone who is humble.”
The Golden Bachelorette premieres September 18 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and streams the following day on Hulu.
