Being open and vulnerable was very uncomfortable. It took time, but that’s what you have to be when you’re looking for love,” says Joan Vassos. Generally good romantic advice, but for Vassos, America’s leading single senior citizen, it was essential to her journey in the world. The Golden BacheloretteThe very first star of the new franchise feels “a lot of pressure. Being an OG is kind of epic. I hope I did it right.”

The 61-year-old widowed mother, grandmother and former school administrator left behind the first part of The Golden Bachelor in 2023 to help give birth to her daughter, just as Vassos and the guy with the roses, Gerry Turner, were hitting it off.

“Seeing Joan’s journey with Gerry cut short because of her commitments inspired us to give her that second chance,” says Bennett Graebner, executive producer, along with Claire Freeland. Joan’s decision to leave, Freeland says, shows how much “she cares about others. I’ve never seen anyone so polite, so kind, so generous with their time and such a listener.”

Vassos did a lot of research a month before recording began for the sister franchise. She was still good friends with Gerry and asked him for advice. She says: “He said you should be open, give everyone a chance and find out what is important to them. There isn’t much room for small talk.”

Bachelor Nation’s newest fascination is sympathetic to Gerry’s shocking divorce from Theresa Nist after three months of marriage. “They were in love. At some point they realized it wasn’t right for them. The best thing they could do at that point was break up and live their lives.”

On the scandalous revelation that widower Gerry had a secret – he was living with a girlfriend after losing his wife – Freeland says: “We are very careful on the show before anyone comes on. So, touch wood, I don’t think we have any of those problems (in this series).”

Match game

After several interviews with the casting team, 24 men were shortlisted. Among them was a Beatlemaniac emergency room doctor, a shipping consultant who once considered becoming a bodybuilder, and a Texas rancher who gave up dating for 16 years to raise his children.

Vassos is looking for someone who values ​​family as much as she does, and she’s determined not to leave her home state of Maryland, where they all live. To keep her homesickness at bay while filming, her daughters Allie and Erica (Vassos also has two sons, Nicholas and Luke) gave her a digital photo frame. “I would come home tired from filming every night. My little frame would send me the grandkids on the Fourth of July or at the pool. It was the best.”

Disney / Gilles Mingasson

The vivacious matriarch also has a clear idea of ​​what she wants from love in her golden years: “To be spontaneous and go on a trip, but also to have that person you feel comfortable with just sitting at home watching Netflix or drinking a glass of wine on the patio.” And as for marriage? “If I found the right person, I would be willing to get married again,” she says.

And she had no shortage of potential Mr. Rights. “There were a lot of guys I found very interesting,” says Vassos about the season. Among them: Army veteran Mark Anderson (the youngest at 57), who became a Bachelor Nation favorite after his appearance in season 28 of The Bachelorwhen his daughter Kelsey Anderson won the heart of Joey Graziadei. “Aside from the fact that Mark was really sweet and handsome, we had a lot of common values,” says Vassos.

They also shared the pain of losing their spouses. Vassos’ husband, John, died three and a half years before recording began. During the show, she says, “I felt strangely almost unfaithful. I was encouraged to face things and process them in a short period of time. It was healing.”

High-speed connection

The healing took place over a series of dates, including a reenactment of a 1980s prom. (You’ll see old prom photos of Vassos and the men.) Other highlights: Disneyland, a private jet to Las Vegas and a fundraiser called “Bare It All for Cancer,” where the men stripped like Chippendales dancers.

Dating in front of the camera wasn’t easy. “You’re dating in front of the whole world,” says Vassos. “I was afraid I wouldn’t connect and there would be awkward moments. At some point you forget about the cameras.”

Disney / Gilles Mingasson

When it came to making the first move, “I definitely wanted to let the guy do it,” Vassos says. “Public displays of affection – I had to get over being uncomfortable with that. But you have to find out if there’s a spark. It took me a couple of weeks to throw caution to the wind. Sorry, kids! I’m going to kiss some people.”

The hope, of course, was to find more. “I had a lot of sleepless nights. I went over conversations again. I had to make sure I analyzed properly whether I could imagine a life with each man.” And? “I feel like the ending was exactly how it should have been.”

The Golden BacheloretteWednesday, September 18, 8/7c, ABC