Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s marriage might not have been a success, but their TV ratings? Let’s just say, it’s no surprise that ABC isn’t done with the Golden franchise yet. On May 14, Joan Vassos was announced as the inaugural Golden Bachelorette. Here’s what we know about the upcoming show, including our new leading lady.
Good-bye, Gerry
February 10, 2024: We are officially in a new era of The Bachelor. On Saturday, ABC announced that The Golden Bachelorette is headed our way this fall, continuing Gerry Turner’s legacy of finding love with Theresa Nist. While there are no details at the moment as to who the Bachelorette will be (hi, Leslie), thankfully, we have decades of data that leads us to believe it will be one of last season’s contestants— and so on for Golden seasons to come. In case you missed out, The Golden Bachelor followed Turner, 72, as he went on a quest on television for a second chance at love and eventually got married (also on television!) Will the Golden Bachelorette find the same type of love? Or will she skip two steps ahead and become a cast member of Traitors in 2025? Why not both, women can do it all!
Hello, Golden Girl
May 14, 2024: She’s ba-ack! During Disney’s 2024 upfront presentation to advertisers, 61-year-old Joan Vassos was announced as the inaugural Golden Bachelorette. In case you need a refresher, Joan appeared on The Golden Bachelor, earning a date after writing a poem about being afraid she’d barf on her shoes when she met Gerry Turner. But the school administrator from Rockland, Maryland ultimately chose to leave the season early to be with her daughter who was dealing with postpartum depression. Now, Joan will get another opportunity to find love (with episodes that have reportedly been bumped up to a 90-minute runtime). Which grandpas will be courting The Golden Bachelorette? Well, Gerry is single again, but that’s probably too messy … right?
This post has been updated.
