Since The Bachelor Premiere in 2002, followed by The Bachelorette In 2003, the franchise established itself as a cornerstone of reality TV. For more than two decades, fans of the franchise have made weekly dates for their favorite Bachelor Nation shows. But the franchise was hardly age-appropriate until then The Golden Bachelor Debut in September 2023.

The overwhelming success of the series showed that there is an audience for people looking for love later in life. The Golden Bachelorette was a natural successor.

With Joan Vassos as the first Golden Bachelorette, the show wants to convey that age is just a number and a second chance at romance is always possible. And if there is something like his Golden predecessor it will surely be a hit.

“I want the world to know that the show isn’t just about finding a boyfriend,” Vassos, a Maryland private school administrator, mother of four and grandmother of three grandchildren, said in a promo for the season. “It’s really about anyone my age who doesn’t have a special someone in their life knowing that it’s not too late.”

What you should know in advance The Golden Bachelorette Premiere:

When is the season premiere?

Where did we first meet Joan Vassos?

• Vassos took part in the opening season of The Golden Bachelor and quickly became a favorite for Gerry Turner’s affection. After a romantic one-on-one date with the season’s leading lady, the 61-year-old from Olney, Maryland, left the show during the show’s third week to be with her daughter, who had recently given birth and was battling postpartum depression.

• Vassos told The Wrap that she considered returning to the Bachelor mansion “four or five days” after she first left. She ultimately did not return as her daughter’s condition worsened.

• “I went (to The Golden Bachelor) because I had already been widowed for two years at that point,” Vassos said in an advertisement for her upcoming season. “Part of me felt that maybe I was selfish at that age and was looking for a second love. But after I was with The Golden BachelorI saw all these wonderful women that I loved and respected, and they weren’t ashamed of it.”

Who are Vassos’ admirers?

• On August 13, ABC offered viewers their first look at the 24 men vying for Vassos’ final rose in the first season of. The Golden BacheloretteParticipants, aged 57 to 69, include a chiropractor, a construction contractor, a rancher and an emergency room physician.

• Her suitors include Mark Anderson, a 57-year-old Army veteran from Leesville, Louisiana. Bachelor Nation knows Anderson as the father of Kelsey Anderson, the final rose recipient and fiancé of Bachelor Joey Graziadei from Season 28.

• Vassos told Decider that she was initially skeptical that the men would get along, but then she realized they had a deeper connection: “They talked about dating and about their families. They talked about being single dads and about being dads to girls. And they were so vulnerable and so incredibly supportive of each other, like they’d known each other their whole lives.”

What can we expect from Vassos’ season?

• Vassos told Extra that she set her own ground rules for the overnight dates (also known as fantasy suites). “I didn’t want a physical relationship with more than one person, so I kind of took that off the table. (We) did fantasy suites, but it was about an emotional connection and learning things about each other off camera, but I didn’t do anything physical,” she said, adding, “You don’t have to sleep with the person!”

• Vassos told People that getting engaged wasn’t her ultimate goal. “My goal was to be in a committed relationship. I wanted to have someone I could see a future with, and we wanted to see how it worked in the real world outside of it. Bachelor bubble. I didn’t want to go through all that and be in the same place I was when I came into the villa,” she explained.

• Vassos has made it clear that she has no intention of moving for love. “I would never want to leave my family,” she told People.

• “I’m very picky about a gentleman,” Vassos said in another promo for the show. “Someone with a big heart. Someone who is generous but humble at the same time.”

The Golden Bachelorette It premieres on September 18th at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC and streams on Hulu the next day.