What You Need to Know About Joan Vassos, the First Ever 'Golden Bachelorette'

Fans were stunned when beautiful blonde Joan Vassos was named the first Golden Bachelorette.

Although Joan shared an emotional arc as one of Gerry Turner’s contestants on the first Golden Bachelor last fall, she self-eliminated early and was a dark horse pick for the female-led version of the senior show.

Bachelor Nation had been rooting for Gerry’s second place finisher Leslie Fhima to get the call. In January, third place charmer Faith Martin announced that she would not be The Golden Bachelorette.

But some fans had pulled for funny and outgoing Ellen Goltzer, Kathy Swarts and Susan Noles among Gerry’s other ladies.

However, producers decided private school administrator Joan had the right stuff to be the inaugural female senior star following Gerry’s ratings bonanza as The Golden Bachelor. (Although his broken marriage to Theresa Nist after just three months did take a bit of sheen off the show.)

Summing up fan sentiment, one Reddit user commented after Joan’s gig was announced at Disney’s Upfront presentation in May, “I just feel I don't know [much] about Joan since she went home so early. I hope she turns the Golden [show] around and makes up for Gerry's trainwreck of a season.”

What do we know so far about Joan and The Golden Bachelorette? Read on to find out more!

How old is Joan Vassos?

The accomplished blonde is 61. She was born on January 11, 1963.

When will The Golden Bachelorette air?

The ABC show will premiere Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. ET and air weekly on Wednesdays from 8-10. Producers must have heard fans who complained that hour-long episodes of Gerry's Golden Bachelor season didn't give fans enough time to get to know the cast. Golden Bachelorette episodes will be two hours. Episodes will be available next day on Hulu.

When will The Golden Bachelorette begin filming?

Bachelor spoiler writer Reality Steve has reported The Golden Bachelorette starts filming in June.

Where is Joan Vassos from?

Joan hails from Rockland, Maryland.

Where did Joan go to school?

She attended the University of Maryland.

What does Joan do for a living?

Joan has worked in alumni relations at Bethesda, Maryland’s Landon School. It also seems she has a creative streak as she’s been an interior designer.

How many children does Joan have?

Joan is a mother of four—Nicholas, Erica, Luke and Allison—and grandmother of two.

Who was Joan Vassos’ husband?

John Nicholas Vassos, who owned and operated BCE Corporation and CapX Solutions, was married to Joan for 32 years before losing his fight against pancreatic cancer at age 59 on Jan. 18, 2021.

An obituary stated, “John embraced life with vigor and never did anything halfway. If you were his friend, he loved you forever and would do anything for you. He was known for his epic generosity and it is impossible to count the number of people and organizations he supported.”

Joan wrote about her late husband's death anniversary on Instagram, "Some days it seems like it just happened and I can't catch my breath, still feeling the shock of it. Other days it feels like he's been gone a lifetime, those days are worse because I'm afraid the memories are fading.

“I think that’s what scares me the most. I always knew that the hole he left in the universe when he passed away could never be filled, but I didn’t realize that maybe people might just stop noticing it was there.”

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Why did Joan leave The Golden Bachelor prematurely?

The smart senior seemed to be developing a strong connection with Gerry, 72, when she abruptly left the show.

As Parade.com recapped The Golden Bachelor last year, Joan had explained to Gerry how hard it was to leave her family because her daughter had just had a baby in a difficult C-section birth.

On week 3, Joan received a disturbing call from her daughter, and decided she needed to leave the show to support her.

"My family will always be first," she told the cameras. "Once you become a mom, you're always a mom, even when your kids are older. Nothing is more important."

How did Gerry respond to Joan departing?

Joan tearfully told Gerry about the situation, “I think that I need to go home and be a mom."

Gerry said he understood.

"I can't tell you how disappointed I am," he said. "But there's a moral compass that we both share. And sometimes the right thing to do is the hardest."

What did Joan tell Parade about her daughter?

Backstage at the WTA taping, Joan elaborated about her abrupt Golden Bachelor end, “I had to leave because my daughter was sick. My daughter had postpartum depression and she tried to get herself help and I think she realized it when I was already gone [to do the show]. The mental health was hard for her to navigate. It’s particularly hard for a person who’s experiencing a mental health issue to get through that red tape and she reached out to me. She’s like, ‘I need you. I can’t do this.’“

Joan told Parade of the happy aftermath, “She just needed meds and therapy. She’s perfect. Three weeks after I was home, all good. But I had to find her care.”

What does Joan Vassos do for fun?

The beauty’s Golden Bachelor bio said she loves juicy burgers, listening to Elton John songs, visiting historical museums, dancing after a few glasses of wine and enjoying the beach with her family.

Who did Joan befriend on The Golden Bachelor?

Joan was beloved by all the other ladies, and got particularly close to Leslie as they had been roommates while competing for Gerry’s heart, she told Parade.com at The Golden Bachelor “Women Tell All” taping. “I want something great to happen for her,” she said at the time. Little did Joan know then that it would be she, and not first runner up Leslie, starring on the first Golden Bachelorette.

How does Joan Vassos stay looking young?

The school administrator has plugged Roc skin care eye cream on her Instagram account.

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How did Joan sum up having to bail on Gerry?

“It broke my heart,” Joan told Parade. “We had just had this great date [on The Golden Bachelor] and it was really hard leaving because I felt like our journey had just begun.”

Joan will soon begin her own journey of dating 24 men to find the love of her life!

Gerry told her on Instagram, “Dear Joan, congratulations on being named the first ever Golden Bachelorette. You will be phenomenal as the new representative of a generation. From one golden to another … relax, breathe and enjoy.”