Joan Vassos, 61, is making history as the first-ever lead of “The Golden Bachelorette,” which premieres on ABC on Sept. 18.
She quickly became a fan-favorite when she competed for Gerry Turner’s heart on “The Golden Bachelor” last year. However, her quest for love ended prematurely when she exited the show only three weeks into filming to focus on her daughter, who had just given birth.
Vassos said she was “so excited” to have the opportunity to look for love on “The Golden Bachelorette” when her casting was announced in May and has since revealed what exactly she desires in a man.
Read on to learn more about Vassos and what type of person could steal her heart on “The Golden Bachelorette.”
She is a mother of four and grandmother of three
Vassos, who is from Rockville, Md., welcomed four children with her late husband, John Vassos: Allison, Nicholas, Erica and Luke.
The reality star has proven time and time again that being a mother is her top priority.
After self-eliminating from “The Golden Bachelor,” she posted on her Instagram Story to thank fans for their concern and said it was a “privilege to be a mom to four amazing kids.”
She told TV Insider in September 2024 that her daughters sweetly gifted her a digital picture frame before filming for her season commenced so she could see updated photos of her family, which also includes three grandchildren, according to her ABC profile.
“I would come home every night from filming tired. My little frame would be sending me the grandbabies on the Fourth of July or at the swimming pool. It was the greatest,” she recalled.
She was married for 32 years
Joan was married for 32 years until her husband, John, died in January 2021 from pancreatic cancer.
In a touching Instagram post from January 2024, she described John as someone who “always” made her feel “safe and cherished.”
During a September 2024 chat with People, Joan said she never fully mourned the loss of her husband because she was “in charge of being strong.”
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She also said she felt “really guilty” for having feelings for Turner while they were taping his “Golden Bachelor” season.
“I almost felt like I was cheating on John, which is crazy because he’s passed away,” she said.
However, she confirmed John gave her his blessing to fall in love again before he died.
She ended her relationship with Turner for her daughter
Joan’s daughter gave birth to her first child 15 days before she left to film “The Golden Bachelor.”
When the mom of four learned her daughter was struggling with postpartum depression following the difficult birth, she knew she needed to be by her side.
“My family will always be first,” she told Turner as she broke the news to him that she would be departing the show. “Once you become a mom, you’re always a mom even when your kids are older. Nothing is more important.”
However, she didn’t plan on staying away for long and wanted to continue pursuing a relationship with the bachelor after they connected deeply over losing their spouses.
“I got home, and my plan was to give [my daughter] some care — I needed to get her some mental health care,” she told TheWrap in November 2023.
“I was going to come back, maybe four or five days after I left,” she continued. “And then my daughter wasn’t good again.”
“We just hadn’t made it far enough — I hadn’t gotten her a doctor yet; I had calls in but it just couldn’t unfold quick enough.”
She is a school administrator
Joan began a job in alumni relations at the Landon School in her home state of Maryland in 2021, per her LinkedIn.
Before that, she worked as an interior designer and a special projects consultant.
Joan is a college graduate, earning her bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Maryland in 1985.
She is looking for a gentleman
Joan wants a true gentleman, which includes someone who will help with yard work and grocery shopping.
“I grew up with a father that was the ultimate gentleman,” she told the Wall Street Journal in September 2024.
“He never let my mom carry the heavy groceries in. He always hopped up when somebody walked in the room. He always opened doors.”
She also said her biggest turnoff is men who are rude to waitstaff, as she was a waitress in college.
She and Turner are still pals
Joan revealed in June 2024 that she and Turner are “very, very good friend[s]” after having such an instant connection on his season of “The Golden Bachelor.”
“He did this so well,” she gushed to People about his time as the first Golden Bachelor.
“He kind of created the road map that we have now. There’s no rulebook, and he kind of wrote it a little bit.”
He also praised him as being “very open and vulnerable.”
She got advice from Bachelor Nation members ahead of filming
Joan revealed Turner shared helpful advice before she started filming “The Golden Bachelorette.”
“He said, ‘Don’t invest in somebody too early,'” she remembered while speaking to Business Insider in September 2024.
He also told her to “let the story unfold with each and every person, date them like they’re the only person there.”
Plus, Jenn Tran imparted some of her wisdom to Joan via an interview with Page Six in September 2024.
Focusing on what it’s like to watch the season back, Tran advised Joan to lean on her family and friends and to stay off social media as much as possible.
