Get Ready for The Golden Bachelorette!
Get your remotes ready and your popcorn popping! The Golden Bachelorette premieres on ABC on September 18th at 8:00 p.m. ET.
“I still want to take a bite out of the apple. Sixty is the new forty.”
-Jordan, The Golden Bachelorette, Season 1
This is the highly-anticipated follow-up to the smash success of last year’s hit The Golden Bachelor. The historic Bachelor spinoff showcased 22 women over the age of 50 as they attempted to catch the eye of the eponymous star of the season, Gerry, a 72-year-old retired restaurateur and widower from Hudson, Indiana.
The Bachelor and its spinoffs have been called out for being superficial in the past.
Critics of the franchise point out its penchant for packing its casts full of young, conventionally attractive singles, many of whom spend a considerable amount of money to appear on the show. This perpetuates harmful beauty standards and promotes unrealistic expectations for singles in the dating pool.
The Golden arms of the Bachelor franchise hope to challenge many of these criticisms by making space in the Bachelor house for singles who are looking for love later in life—a demographic not typically captured by TV cameras.
The Golden Bachelorette will follow Joan Vassos, a 61-year-old Maryland school administrator, as 24 men vie for her affections. In the end, only one man will earn the chance to ask for Joan’s hand.
Viewers might remember Joan from her appearance on The Golden Bachelor. Her journey was cut short when she received a message that her family needed her at home. Joan’s daughter had given birth just a few weeks before The Golden Bachelor’s first season began filming.
Now, it appears Joan is getting another chance to find love in the Bachelor house.
Meet the Golden Bachelorette
Joan is a family-oriented woman who enjoys having her loved ones around her. “[She] would always say ‘Sunday is for family’”, her mother-in-law, Elaine, says in a recent clip.
When her husband of 32 years passed in early 2021 from pancreatic cancer, it was a huge blow to Joan and her family. Having one another to lean on in times of hardship such as this is incredibly important.
Joan isn’t looking for a new romance to replace her late husband. Life brings new adventures and with it new experiences. This is just the beginning of her next chapter. Like many who have lost a spouse, she’ll carry John’s memory with her as she looks forward to a new beginning.
“[She] would always say ‘Sunday is for family’”
-Elaine, Joan’s mother-in-law
The show’s inaugural season will follow Joan as she searches for love in the famous TV house. To help her on her way, Joan’s family gave her some first date questions to ask:
- What are your three top priorities in life?
- Do you like to travel?
- What’s your favorite dinosaur?
Although she’s ready to find her forever partner, she’s still getting used to the idea of doing it all in front of the cameras. “Oh, geez” she responded when asked how she felt about kissing another man on television.
Wisely, Joan plans to kiss “a fair amount of guys” during her run as the Golden Bachelorette. As she says, “you don’t want to be with somebody that you don’t like to kiss, so you have to try it out.”
“You don’t want to be with somebody that you don’t like to kiss, so you have to try it out.”
-Joan, The Golden Bachelorette
Luckily, her previous TV experience on The Golden Bachelor gave her a taste of finding love in the spotlight. Still, it’s a whole different ball game now that all eyes are on Joan.
The Men of The Golden Bachelorette
When asked what she’s looking for in a man, Joan admitted that she places a high value on gentlemanly behavior. She’s looking for “somebody with a big heart. Somebody who is generous, and also somebody who’s humble.”
Think these guys can measure up? Let’s take a closer look at the men of The Golden Bachelorette:
- Jack, 68: This Chicago caterer hopes his cooking skills will give him an advantage over his competition.
- Dan, 64: A private investor from Naples, FL.
- Charles L, 66: A retired financial analyst and Britney Spears fan from Philly.
- RJ, 66: This Irvine, CA financial adviser likes to watch Die Hard at Christmastime.
- Pascal, 69: A salon owner whose specialty is getting reservations to the best restaurants in Chicago.
- Jonathan, 61: This shipping consultant “toyed with the idea” of being a bodybuilder.
- Bill, 68: He’s a retired photographer from Portland, OR.
- Keith, 62: This guy loves Ben and Jerry’s, and he considers himself a girl dad
- Mark, 57: The youngest man in the Bachelor house, this Army vet isn’t scared of much—except ostriches.
- Gil, 60: He’s an educator and a lover of romance novels from sunny California.
- Jordan, 61: A sales manager who loves company and chatting with folks.
- Gary, 65: This retired finance exec is the godson of the legendary Tina Turner. He’s also recently gotten interested in pickleball.
- Christopher, 64: He’s a contractor and a Capricorn from New York state.
- Pablo, 63: An ice cream lover and retired UN Agency director from Cambridge, MD.
- Charles K, 62: He’s a portfolio manager who has spent time building homes in rural Nicaragua.
- Gregg, 64: This flip-flop enthusiast and retired university administrator has three daughters.
- Thomas, 62: He’s a former Rhode Island creperie owner and a current FDNY Chief.
- Kim, 69: He’s a retired Navy captain and excellent whistler from Seattle, WA.
- Ken, 60: This Massachusetts property management treasurer doesn’t believe people who say he’s a bad driver.
- Bob, 66: A chiropractor and avid surfer from Marina del Ray, CA.
- Guy, 66: This Reno, NV emergency room doc plans to hike Mount Kilimanjaro this Fall.
- Michael, 65: He’s a retired CEO who has been to Lollapalooza three times.
- David, 68: This Austin, TX rancher has a great relationship with his 91-year-old mom.
- Chock, 60: He’s a Wichita, KS insurance executive who loves a good deal.
Think any of these guys have what it takes to build a solid relationship with Joan, the first ever Golden Bachelorette? Tune in to find out.
Don’t miss the first episode of The Golden Bachelorette, premiering on ABC, or streaming on Hulu.
Sources:
The Golden Bachelorette premieres September 18 on ABC! Stream on Hulu. (youtube.com)
Meet The Men of The Golden Bachelorette (youtube.com)
Meet the ‘Golden Bachelorette’ cast who will date Joan Vassos (ew.com)
