San Jose’s “Girl Dad” receives the rose as first impression on “Golden Bachelorette”
Keith Gordon, a 62-year-old self-described “girl dad” from San Jose, caught Joan Vassos’ attention on Wednesday at the season premiere of “The Golden Bachelorette” by arriving in an old station wagon and asking, “Do you like this great ride?”
The burly 6-foot-5 Gordon then offered to take Vassos on a date to the beach and brought a basket full of cheese, wine and crackers.
After Wednesday night’s episode of the ABC dating show, Vassos explained that she chose Gordon from among the 23 other candidates for the coveted “First Impression Rose” because his performance was so memorable. E! News reported that the single father of three daughters chose to arrive in an old station wagon instead of the usual sedan, which left Vassos touched.
“The nostalgia of that old station wagon made me think back to my childhood,” Vassos said in an interview with E! News. “We actually had one that looked remarkably similar to that car. That’s how we traveled. We didn’t have much money, so we would pack the car up and drive somewhere as a family. That automatically made me feel good.”
But Vassos, 61, said it was their conversation on the hood of the car that really sparked her feelings.
“We just had a nice, normal conversation and he made me feel comfortable right away,” Vassos added. “And then, honestly, when it was time for us to move on – like I had to say hello to the next guy – I really didn’t want to leave him.”
The episode featured Vassos and Gordon playing cornhole, a favorite pastime the sales executive describes on his Instagram account Keith Gonzo. He is also a “Willow Glen dad” on Instagram who enjoys grilling and attended Roan’s performance at the Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco last month with his daughter Annika Chappell.
During the episode, Vassos and Gordon also chatted by the fireplace. Vassos emphasized her warm feelings for Gordon as she walked past all the other men vying for her attention and presented him with the first rose.
In the world of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, that rose goes to the contestant who makes the best first impression during the first week of the show, meaning that contestant is safe from elimination.
“I loved when you came in in that big, old, stupid station wagon that reminded me of my childhood,” Vassos told Gordon during the ceremony. “And when you came out, it was super creepy for me, and you just made me feel safe. You have this calm voice and you’re just this big teddy bear guy. It just felt good to me. It just felt right. And you said you wanted to grab a bottle of wine, cheese and crackers and go to the beach, which is exactly what I love to do.”
During a confessional portion of the show, Vassos also revealed that she hasn’t felt this way about a man since her husband died of pancreatic cancer in 2021.
“I feel like I’m floating out there,” said the principal, “and he just has this very warm and easy-going manner about him. He’s always quick to laugh. He’s also very genuine and just makes me feel good. I’m more and more confident that this will work.”
Gordon’s official biography for the “Golden Bachelorette” reveals that he sees himself as a “social butterfly with a big personality to match.”
Gordon said he has spent most of his adult life being a single father and raising his three daughters. On the show, he told viewers: “I have really been the sole father to my children for the last 12 years. At that time, we had to separate from my ex-wife. Addiction ran in the family. So I had to try and give my daughters some stability in their lives. I have given them all this time, effort and love over the years and that will never change.”
But he also said that he would soon be an empty nester and would like to fall in love again. His biography states: “When Keith falls in love with someone, he is immediately on fire and hopes that Joan could be the right one for him.”
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