The inaugural season of The Golden Bachelorette started with a bang, and it already promises to be more entertaining than The Golden Bachelor ever was. That's not to suggest that 72-year-old Gerry Turner's season of the Bachelor spin-off wasn't great, because it surely was, but 61-year-old Joan is a more compelling lead than Gerry. Joan and Gerry actually have some serious history, as Joan made her television debut as one of the 22 women chosen to date the retired widower during his season of the unscripted dating show. It was the first time a television show had centered on the love lives of the elderly, and the concept found purchase with an aging audience hungry for stories about people like them.
After only a few weeks of dating Gerry, Joan had a family emergency and chose to leave The Golden Bachelor early, but she really left an impression, and was ultimately chosen to lead The Golden Bachelorette season 1. From the moment The Bachelor premiered, the show was a meteoric success, and it was clear that there would be a female-led version of the show. Though several of Gerry's exes were seen as fan favorites, like 65-year-old dance instructor Leslie Fhima or 61-year-old motorcycle enthusiast Faith Martin, the role went to Joan, a private school administrator from Maryland. Read on for 8 reasons why The Golden Bachelorette season 1 is already more entertaining than The Golden Bachelor season 1.
8Joan's Men Are The Sweetest
They Get Along So Well
The premiere episode of The Golden Bachelorette season 1 featured the men forming uniquely strong bonds almost immediately. After Joan greeted the 24 older single men who would compete for her affections, the cast enjoyed the season's first cocktail party. It was clear very quickly that, as much as the men liked Joan, they liked each other just as much, if not more. Various men commented on how impressed they were by the other men, and the night turned into a real love fest among the men.
While the women from The Golden Bachelor seemed friendly enough, there was plenty of conflict between them throughout the season. By contrast, the men of The Golden Bachelorette season 1 seem to like and admire each other, which should make for an interesting season. Although it'll make for less drama between the contestants, it'll allow for more drama between Joan and the men.
7Joan Isn't Rushing Into A Connection
There Won't Be Another Golden Wedding
Influenced by Gerry and Theresa's failed marriage after The Golden Bachelor, Joan has tried to dramatically adjust expectations for The Golden Bachelorette season 1. In a May interview, Joan told CNN that her season would not end with her rushing into marriage like Gerry and Theresa did. Though this means fans can forget about another Golden Bachelor wedding special, it also means they won't have to endure another disappointing divorce.
Unlike most Bachelor leads, Joan only kissed one man on night one of The Golden Bachelorette.
Joan, a widowed mother of four, also explained that while two of her children are excited about the opportunity, the other two don't want to have to see their mother making out with multiple men on TV. While Gerry kissed a lot of women on night one of his season, Joan only kissed one man on her first night. The lucky man was 68-year-old Keith Gordon, a confident girl dad from California.
6Joan Is There For Love Not Drama
She's Been Through This Before
Appearing in Gerry's season of The Golden Bachelor was a great experience for Joan, and it'll put her in a better position to lead The Golden Bachelorette season 1. It can't be easy for a person to transition from living a private life to being a public figure. It's undoubtedly a shock to the system, so the fact that Joan has already been through it gives her a real leg up. Joan probably needed time to adjust when she made her television debut during Gerry's season, but having gone through it, this time will be much less of a shock.
Since Joan has gone through this before, she has an idea of what she can expect, and of what it takes to be a good Bachelor lead.
Joan is a smart and sensitive woman, so she'll be able to learn from her experience and put it to work for her. She can take the knowledge gleaned from her first television appearance into her new venture. It's not exactly the same, because this time she's on the other side of the rose, but knowing what to expect will give Joan a whole new level of empathy for the men she's dating.
5Joan Seems More Genuine Than Gerry
She's A Very Real Person
Gerry didn't notice the quiet, soft-spoken Joan until she set herself apart from the other women of The Golden Bachelor season 1 during a group date. The date included a talent show element, and each woman was expected to put together an act to then perform for Gerry and the audience. The woman with the best performance would get to go to dinner with Gerry. Joan wanted time alone with Gerry, but she was nervous because she felt like she didn't really have any talent.
One after another, her fellow contestants each put on a show, and when it was Joan's turn, she shyly read a poem that connected with Gerry.
To her surprise, Joan was crowned the winner of the talent show, and she did it while being her authentic self. She didn't have to pretend to be someone she wasn't. Her quiet reading of a poem may not have been the most entertaining performance of the talent show, but it was the most authentic. Though Gerry was fun to watch, Joan will bring her thoughtful authenticity to The Golden Bachelorette.
4Joan Is A Better Lead Than Gerry Overall
She Could Save The Show
The credibility of The Golden Bachelor brand was damaged by Gerry and Theresa's short-lived marriage, and Joan has a chance to save the reputation of the unscripted series. It's not just the fact that Gerry and Theresa didn't last, it's the fact that they rushed into the ill-advised marriage, only to then rush out of it only three short months later.
In hindsight, rushing into marriage before getting to know each other better was a mistake, but Gerry and Theresa got carried away by the massive success of the show and the sky-high expectations. Joan appeared to be more grounded than Gerry and less impulsive, which would lead to more thoughtful behavior. Based on the way Joan left the show early to care for her daughter, it's easy to see that she has her priorities straight.
3Joan's Season Already Has A Major Scandal
Restraining Order Revealed
Joan's season just premiered and there's already a massive scandal involving one of the contestants. Gil Ramirez, a 60-year-old educator from Mission Viejo, California, received one of Joan's roses during the premiere of The Golden Bachelorette season 1. It was recently reported by People that Gil's ex-girlfriend filed a restraining order against him about three months ago.
She accused him of stalking her, and it's shocking that ABC's producers didn't know about it.
The woman claimed he made unwanted contact with her and her family, and said that he would show up to places he knew she'd be to confront her. The reason producers didn't know about the restraining order is that he passed their background check before the restraining order was filed. In other words, Gil's ex requested and was granted a restraining order in the short window between the background check and the start of production.
2Joan Isn't Interested In Fame
She's Here For Love
Gerry enjoyed the fame he achieved by being The Golden Bachelor, and he reveled in it all season long. He often posted to social media about various awards and accolades, like nominations for Emmy and Critics' Choice awards. Gerry even got to hang out with celebrities, like when he went to dinner with Golden Bachelor super fan Kylie Jenner.
On the other hand, Joan seems completely uninterested in the trappings of fame.
Joan exited Gerry's season of The Golden Bachelor to be with her daughter, who had just had a baby and was struggling with post-partum depression. Though Joan liked Gerry, and they had just had an incredible date and connection overall, she put her family first and walked away from the show. This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Joan isn't doing the show for fame, but to find true love.
1Joan Is Ready To Love Again
She's Been Alone For A Long Time
Long before being cast as The Golden Bachelorette,Joan was a lonely widower who lost her beloved husband, John Nicholas Vassos, to pancreatic cancer in 2021, after 32 years of marriage. During the premiere episode of her season, Joan talked about the fact that she wasn't ready for John's death, which she was obviously devastated by. Joan had been single since her late husband's passing, but when she heard about The Golden Bachelor, she decided she wanted to try again. Things didn't work out with Gerry, but now Joan has a second shot at finding love.
Like Joan, Gerry was also a widower.
The retired restaurateur was married to his late wife, Toni Turner, for 43 years before she passed away in 2017 due to a bacterial infection. Though Gerry had claimed to be single since his wife died, it was later revealed that he had started dating immediately after her death, and had even been in a long-term relationship with a live-in girlfriend. Add this to the many reasons that The Golden Bachelorette season 1 will be an improvement over The Golden Bachelor season 1.
|
The Golden Bachelor |
Gerry Turner |
73 |
Retired Restaurateur |
Widowed & Divorced |
|
The Golden Bachelorette |
Joan Vassos |
61 |
Private school administrator |
Widowed |
