‘Golden Bachelorette': Meet the 24 men chosen for Joan Vassos’ season
When Joan Vassos made her debut as the first "Golden Bachelorette" on Sept. 18, she had two dozen men ready to woo her, including Mark Anderson, the father of “The Bachelor” Season 28 winner Kelsey Anderson.
Viewers first met 61-year-old Vassos, a widowed mom of four who works as a school administrator, when she was a contestant on "The Golden Bachelor." Though she caught the eye of the show's star, Gerry Turner, early on, Vassos was forced to exit the show to support her daughter who was struggling with postpartum depression.
Now, Vassos is looking for love again, this time as the first star of ABC's new female-fronted spin-off of “Golden Bachelor.”
ABC announced a full list of all 24 of Vassos' suitors on Aug. 13. The men, who range in age from 57 to 69, include an ER doctor, a firefighter, a salon owner and several retirees. They also include many proud fathers and grandfathers.
As the premiere episode aired, people online shared their favorites, including Jack, Charles L. and Mark.
Vassos was smitten with Keith and gave him the first impression rose.
“When you got out...you just made me feel safe,” she told him. “You have this calm voice and you’re just like this big teddy bear, kind of guy. It just felt, like, good to me, it felt easy.”
The two shared a kiss, with Vassos saying in the confessional, “Keith makes me feel safe.”
Unfortunately, she did have to send some men home the first night.
The six men that went home the first night were Bill, David, Ken, Pablo, RJ and Thomas.
Read on to get to know the 24 men who were chosen to compete for Vassos' heart on "The Golden Bachelorette," using information from their official bios.
Bill, 68
Occupation: Retired videographer
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Hobbies/interests: Spending time with family, playing guitar, engaging in public speaking and listening to The Beatles.
Fun facts: The dad of two is watching his way through the list of every movie that ever won an Academy Award for best picture winner. Also, he's a self-proclaimed hopeless romantic who says, “I am Latin; romance is in my blood!”
Bob, 66
Occupation: Chiropractor
Hometown: Marina Del Rey, California
Hobbies/interests: Surfing, swimming in the ocean, watching Pixar movies and eating dark chocolate and going on walks with his dog, Clarence.
Fun facts: Hates fast food.
Charles K., 62
Occupation: Portfolio manager
Hometown: Palos Verdes, California
Hobbies/interests: Spending time with family including his five kids, kayaking, playing basketball, dancing, exercising and exploring the outdoors
Fun facts: Charles K. takes style and fashion seriously and wants to prove to the world that men above 60 “still have game, charm and swag!”
Charles L., 66
Occupation: Retired financial analyst
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Hobbies/interests: Charles L. loves to fish and grew up making his own fishing nets.
Fun facts: Grew up in rural China and moved to the United States with only $20 in his pocket. If he could see any musical act in concert it would be Britney Spears.
Chock, 60
Occupation: Insurance executive
Hometown: Wichita, Kansas
Hobbies/interests: Sending time with his kids, exercising and rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs. He also loves shopping and "can't resist a good sale."
Fun facts: Self-proclaimed grill master. Once went nighttime shark diving in Australia.
Christopher, 64
Occupation: Contractor who owns his own construction company
Hometown: West Babylon, New York
Hobbies/interests: Exercising, cooking healthy meals and bowling with his grandkids.
Fun facts: His birthday is on Christmas Eve and he loves Earth, Wind & Fire.
Dan, 64
Occupation: Private investor
Hometown: Naples, Florida
Hobbies/interests Picnicking at the beach and reading historical biographies.
Fun facts: Loves to sing, just not in public.
David, 68
Occupation: Rancher
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Hobbies/interests: Running marathons and spontaneously booking flights to new destinations.
Fun facts: David says his hero is his 91-year-old mother.
Gary, 65
Occupation: Retired finance executive
Hometown: Palm Desert, California
Hobbies/interests: Gary loves the retired life in Palm Desert, where he enjoys taking spin classes, golfing and watching “The View.” Also loves the spa, disco music and "rides hard" for the USC Trojans.
Fun facts: Gary says he is the godson of Tina Turner and is also very musically gifted, with a "beautiful" singing voice and "killer dance moves."
Gil, 60
Occupation: Educator
Hometown: Mission Viejo, California
Hobbies/interests Going to comedy clubs with his friends and indulging in a relaxing foot massage. Also loves road-tripping, especially with his family.
Fun facts: Gil describes himself as a "skilled juggler."
Gregg, 64
Occupation: Retired university vice president
Hometown: Longboat Key, Florida
Hobbies/interests: Gregg enjoys spending time with his three daughters, and they love watching Bachelor Nation shows as a family. He has a dog FlipFlop.
Fun facts: Gregg wears flip-flops 90% of the time, loves root beer floats and recently traveled to Rwanda to hike with gorillas.
Guy, 66
Occupation: Emergency room doctor
Hometown: Reno, Nevada
Hobbies/interests: Guy loves spending time with his four kids and grandchild and "wants to prove to the world that older men still have a zest for life."
Fun facts: Guy is planning to hike Mount Kilimanjaro this fall. He dreams about the Dallas Cowboys winning a Super Bowl and is a self-described Beatlemaniac.
Jack, 68
Occupation: Caterer
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Hobbies/interests: Jack is a retired chef and restaurant owner who enjoys spending time in the kitchen. He's a father and grandfather who loves traveling and making people laugh.
Fun facts: Jack’s favorite treat is a cigar, twice a month. He's also a proud racquetball champion.
Jonathan, 61
Occupation: Shipping consultant
Hometown: Oakland, Iowa
Hobbies/interests: Going to museums, attending live theater, and spending time with his three pets — a dog, a cat, and a floppy-eared rabbit.
Fun facts: Jonathan toyed with the idea of being a bodybuilder. He loves amusement park funnel cake.
Jordan, 61
Occupation: Sales manager
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Hobbies/interests: Walking his dog, Mickey, along the lake, eating deep-dish pizza from Lou Malnati’s and playing ping-pong.
Fun facts: Jordan won two “Mr. Legs” contests in college.
Keith, 62
Occupation: Sales director
Hometown: San Jose, California
Hobbies/interests: A self-described "girl dad," Keith, who is 6-foot-5, says he is the "king of cornhole." His guilty pleasure is Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
Fun facts: Keith's life goal is to play a round of golf at Augusta National.
Ken, 60
Occupation: Property management treasurer
Hometown: Peabody, Massachusetts
Hobbies/interests: Running marathons, playing tennis and cycling. He's a fan of “Ted Lasso” and Boston sports teams.
Fun facts: Ken describes himself as "a Miley Cyrus stan." His greatest dream is to throw out the first pitch at Fenway Park.
Kim, 69
Occupation: Retired Navy captain
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Hobbies/interests: Spending time on his sailboat.
Fun facts: Kim describes himself as an "excellent whistler." He would love to learn how to play the piano.
Mark, 57
Occupation: Army veteran
Hometown: Leesville, Louisiana
Hobbies/interests: Mark frequently travels to visit his five kids, one of whom you might recognize from "The Bachelor." He loved watching “The Golden Bachelor” because it made him realize he’s "not alone in his grief."
Fun facts: Mark is the dad of Season 28 "Bachelor" winner Kelsey Anderson, which makes him Joey Graziadei’s future father-in-law.
Michael, 65
Occupation: Retired banking CEO
Hometown: Denver, North Carolina
Hobbies/interests: He enjoys reading, watching movies and exploring Chicago’s botanical gardens.
Fun facts: Michael says he went to Lollapalooza three times … all in his 50s! He describes himself as a "Swiftie."
Pablo, 63
Occupation: UN agency director
Hometown: Cambridge, Maryland
Hobbies/interests: When he isn’t volunteering as an EMT, Pablo, who is originally from Buenos Aires, enjoys visiting his kids and grandkids in California and New York, running ultramarathons, and watching rugby.
Fun facts: Pablo has a degree in geographical engineering. Also has has a "tough time" controlling himself around ice cream.
Pascal, 69
Occupation: Salon owner
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Hobbies/interests: Going to the theater, trying new restaurants and going to concerts.
Fun facts: Pascal loves taking his grandson to the aquarium. In another life, he would have loved to be a fashion designer.
RJ, 66
Occupation: Financial advisor
Hometown: Irvine, California
Hobbies/interests: RJ, who is also 6-foot-5, plays poker and golf and enjoys good food with good friends. His "guilty pleasures" are warm chocolate chip cookies and long walks on the beach.
Fun facts: RJ’s favorite Christmas movie is “Die Hard.” He has been to 47 of the United States and enjoys spy novels.
Thomas, 62
Occupation: FDNY Chief
Hometown: New York, New York
Hobbies/interests: Enjoys playing ukulele, eating ice cream and listening to Elton John while walking around Central Park.
Fun facts: Thomas knows how to ride a unicycle and used to own a crêperie in Rhode Island.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
