Joan Vassos is paving the way as the first lead for “The Golden Bachelorette” as she looks for love again.
Heading into the episode airing on October 22, Vassos has narrowed her field of suitors down to her final four. She will do hometown dates with them next, and then she will face the Fantasy Suite dates.
Ahead of the typical overnight Fantasy Suite dates, Vassos revealed how she’s approaching these differently than what most leads do.
“I did Fantasy Suites but I did it my way,” she shared. For her, that meant emotional intimacy was the priority, and she even requested production remove beds from the suites.
Joan Vassos’ Kids Were ‘Wary’ of Seeing Their Mom’s Intimate Moments on Television
Vassos opened up about her approach to “The Golden Bachelorette” overnight dates during the September 18 episode of “Live With Kelly and Mark”
She explained that her kids were “very wary of me kissing people on TV, they think it’s disgusting to see me kiss.”
“I kind of get that cuz…I didn’t want to see my parents kiss and they were married,” Vassos quipped. She added, “Also, [her kids] were terrified about fantasy suites, so both of those things were really scary.
Ultimately, Vassos handled the Fantasy Suite dates her own way. “I said, ‘I don’t feel comfortable having a physical relationship with more than one person, so that’s off the table,'” she recalled saying in discussions with producers.
Vassos added, “I do see we need to have conversations off-camera, those are important conversations to have. So this is more about being intimate in a different way, but not physically. So [the kids] were safe [from that].”
Vassos Requested Beds Be Removed From Her Fantasy Suites
Vassos added more information when she appeared on the September 20 episode of “The View.”
She reiterated, “For me, I would never have a physical relationship with more than one person. Just not a thing I would do.”
“I said I want to do Fantasy Suites, but I don’t want to have a bed in there and I’m taking that off the table,” Vassos revealed.
Vassos explained that for her, the time in the Fantasy Suites was about “emotional intimacy,” not “a physical relationship.”
She noted, “The men were all actually very respectful about that and kind of liked the idea, thought it was a good idea.
“I’m not judging anybody else the way they did it. Just for me, that was the right way to do it,” Vassos noted.
‘The Golden Bachelorette’ Fans Shared Their Thoughts
Members of “The Bachelor” subreddit shared their thoughts on Vassos’ decision to take physical intimacy off the table during her Fantasy Suite dates.
“I respect her decision and I’m glad she’s doing it her way but I couldn’t imagine getting engaged to someone you haven’t been intimate with,” one Redditor admitted.
“LOVE HER. This is the way. Such a CLASS ACT,” another Reddit user wrote.
“Reason #1 million why the golden bach series is better than the reg bachelor,” someone else noted.
“This is honestly a great idea good for Joan,” read a different Reddit user’s comment.
A separate comment read, “I like it when a lead does fantasy suites in a way that will best serve them and doesn’t feel pressure to do it any one way. Good for her!”
Stacy Carey has been a freelance writer focusing on reality television and celebrity news for more than a decade. She is a Heavy contributor for The Bachelor, Hallmark and Dancing With the Stars. More about Stacy Carey
