Joan Vassos is ready to embark on a new chapter. The 61-year-old grandmother and former school administrator from Rockland, Maryland will star as the first-ever senior Bachelorette when ABC’s Golden Bachelorette premiere son September 18th. Per the promo, Vassos is seeking love and companionship following the passing of her husband John in 2021 after 32 years of marriage.
Viewers get a glimpse of Vassos preparing for her journey with the support of her close-knit family in the show’s first promo. At a heartwarming family dinner, Vassos’ children and mother-in-law listen intently as she opens up about the experience. “I’m gonna probably kiss a fair amount of guys on camera. I’m sorry, guys!” she quips when asked about the physical aspects of the show, eliciting laughs and raised eyebrows from her family.
Vassos was originally a contestant on Gerry Turner’s season of Golden Bachelor before leaving early due to a family health issue. As a widow focused on her four children and grandchildren, Vassos aims to find a “gentleman” with “a big heart” who is “generous” and “humble.” Her family voiced wishing her every happiness in this new chapter, with son Nick declaring, “We want Mom to be happy.”
Though bittersweet as she moves forward without her late husband John, Vassos emphasized to her family, “I’m not here to replace Dad. I just want our family to be whole again.” As the first senior lead, Vassos hopes to set an example for those seeking love at any stage of life. Executive producer Jason Ehrlich believes Joan and Golden Bachelorette have “almost like doing it for the first time all over again” in potential to attract new fans to the romance genre.
