Just two weeks ago, viewers saw Jenn Tranthe first Asian-American star of The Bacheloretteher heart is broken in a devastating way. After being forced to watch her doomed marriage proposal live alongside the final rose recipient Devin StraderThings only got more volatile. Tran’s ex shared an Instagram account with hundreds of her alleged personal text messages after the show, then deleted it. This week, it was revealed that Strader was arrested in 2017 for allegedly robbing an ex-girlfriend’s house, and that his ex had obtained a restraining order against him – casting a shadow over the franchise days before the new show debuted.
Suffice it to say, the first episode of The Golden Bachelorette—a senior version of the successful dating series with the 61-year-old Joan Vassos– had to be a damn good palate cleanser.
Bachelor Nation first met Vassos, a school administrator from Maryland, on the first season of The Golden Bachelor. After an early relationship with a 72-year-old widower Gerry TurnerVassos decided to cut her trip short after learning that her daughter, who had given birth shortly before the series began filming, was suffering. She later confirmed that both her daughter and grandchild are now doing well, and was eventually hired by ABC to meet two dozen eligible suitors, ages 57 to 69, to give a second chance at romance.
A Golden Bachelor Spin-off was inevitable. Turner’s own happy ending with Theresa Nist achieved great ratings for the Bachelor franchise and spawned a spectacular, sponsored, live-televised wedding in early 2024 – although the golden couple divorced just three months later. “I felt like it put a little bit of pressure on this show,” Vassos said The New York Times of Turner and Wist’s precipitated wedding. “It doesn’t have to have an epic ending, but it has to really do justice to the process of finding true love.”
Like Turner, Vassos’ foray back into the dating scene began with a reflection on her first marriage – to her husband John, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2021. “The best 33 years ever,” she said of their union, which produced four children and three grandchildren. While laying flowers on his grave, Vassos said, “I honestly felt invisible after he died,” adding, “I had all these plans with John. And then my future left him.” She admitted, “I don’t know if you can have two great loves in one life – but I hope so.”
Each of the 24 men vying for Vasso’s weary heart brought their own backstory – they told heartfelt tales of death, divorce, illness and commitment. Dad jokes came early and often: Gregga 64-year-old from Florida, offered Vassos a sand dollar and joked: “I work for sand dollars – that’s my euphemistic way of saying I’m retired.” The 66-year-old bob came with a Clark Griswold-style video camera to film his entrance into the limousine like a home movie for his children. Ken60, from Boston called Vaassos “incredibly great,” while the 69-year-old retired Navy captain Kim said she seemed like “a wonderful girl.” Other men seemed suspiciously contemporary: RJ66, referenced the popular TikTok trend “Seeking a man in finance,” while another used the term “vibes.”
Kelsey Andersonwho deal with our youngest Bachelor Joey Graziadeiintroduced Vassos to a candidate: her 57-year-old father Markwho knows that he went viral after appearing regularly Bachelor. “When it aired, Kelsey said, ‘Dad, they’re doing Thirst Traps!'” he said. “At first I thought, ‘What’s a Thirst Trap?'” But Mark has stiff competition from the Charleses, who are both 66: Karl K. did a Willy Wonka by pretending to use a stick before throwing it away and dropping into push-ups while speaking quietly Karl H. (who said he would “like to see Britney Spears perform one day“ in his Bachelorette Bio) declared that with him, “Joan, you’re in charge forever.” And then there was Gary, 65, who entered the villa dancing – perhaps as a tribute to his godmother Tina Turner. (Yes, that Tina Turner.)
But the candidate with the most airtime was undoubtedly the 68-year-old Jacka Chicago caterer who boasts in his biography that he sat front row at Elvis Presley’s last concert. Jack paid tribute to another crooner as he exited the limo by singing Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” before dancing into the mansion and asking, “Did somebody say bourbon?” Later in the episode, he called the men’s living quarters “a hippie cave” and finally decided to whip up some filet medallions for Vassos. “Joan, do me a favor,” his fellow admirer said wedge60. “Let’s leave Jack in the game, because I’m a big, hungry guy.”
Vassos finally gave her first impression rose to 62-year-old “Girl Dad” Keithwho arrived in a station wagon and said he dreamed of driving to the beach with the Golden Bachelorette to drink wine and cheese. How daters of a certain age on The Golden Bachelorthese men don’t let a little competition bother them. While they waited for their time with Vassos, they exchanged ideas about what their grandchildren call them – and after one contestant suggested a game of pickleball with Vassos, they all picked up rackets for a group game. “Balls were flying everywhere!” she said, laughing.
