When Joan Vasos Became “The Golden Bachelorette” She had to tell some lies to her family about the procedure.
“They were very adamant that I not kiss men on TV and not think about fantasy suites. So that was very embarrassing for them,” Vasos told Fox News Digital.
“But, you know, I said I wouldn’t kiss anyone. And we all knew that was a lie. So, okay!” she said, laughing.
Vasos first appeared on the “Golden Bachelor” franchise during last year’s premiere season, and she said her family was “a little more nervous” than she was about her taking over as “The Golden Bachelorette.”
“The Golden Bachelorette” Joan Vasos told Fox News Digital that her family didn’t want her to kiss anyone, “But, you know, I said I wouldn’t kiss anyone. And we all knew that was a lie. So, OK!” (Disney/Gilles Mingasson)
‘Golden Bachelorette’ revealed to be Joan Vasos: 5 things to know about the 61-year-old grandmother
“Nobody really knew what it would look like, because it would just look like some older people dating and maybe it wouldn’t be very respectful or, I don’t know, maybe it would be embarrassing for them,” she explained.
“So, when they saw that it was presented in a really good way, and that it showed that, dating at this age isn’t shameful, and it can be really fun. And, the women had great personalities. And on my season, the men are amazing. They were a little less worried about me.”
WATCH: ‘The Golden Bachelorette’ star had to lie to family about kissing contestants on the show
As “The Golden Bachelorette,” Vasos will get to choose from 24 older gentlemen “at the prime of their lives,” according to the show’s synopsis.
Vasos said, “I’m looking for someone who is ready to spend the second half of their life having some adventure. I want to have fun. I want to show on the show that dating is fun and just because we’re a little older doesn’t mean it’s out of the question.”
Vasos said, “I’m looking for someone who is ready to spend the second half of their life having some adventure. I want to have fun. I want to show on the show that dating is fun and just because we’re a little older doesn’t mean it’s out of the question.” (Disney/Gilles Mingasson)
“I also want to be a kind and generous person and someone who embraces my family. And I really want someone who has a family that I can be involved with. So right now, my life is all about family, and I hope I find someone who has the same values as me.”
Vasos is 61, a mother of four and grandmother of three. She says this is her secret to staying young.
“I said I wouldn’t kiss anyone. And we all knew that was a lie. So, okay!”
“They make you happy. I think happiness is very important to staying young. And then I have a dog, so I take him on walks quite often. So I’m out in the fresh air and pretty active,” the school administrator said.
He She lost her husband, Joan lost her husband to cancer after 32 years of marriage and credits her family and friends for supporting her through this difficult time.
Joan Vasos said she wasn’t trying to replace her first husband, John Vasos, by going on “The Golden Bachelorette.” (Disney/Michael Le Brecht)
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“When John passed away, I had an eight-month-old grandson. So, he was a source of solace for me. Honestly, you can’t be sad with an eight-month-old child,” she said.
The Rockville, Maryland, native added that she also has “amazing friends.”
WATCH: ‘The Golden Bachelorette’ star reveals what she wants, gives engagement goals
“They wouldn’t let me sit around saying, ‘I’m not going out next week.’ That wasn’t allowed. They would come and drag me out of my house. And honestly, keeping busy helped a lot. So, you know, you still had the sadness. When you got home, the sadness was still there. But going out and feeling a little bit lighter, you know, going for dinner or going for a walk with a friend really helped.”
What got fan-favourite Vasos involved Gerry on “The Golden Bachelor” He had only one sorrow, the sorrow of losing his life partner.
Vasos was on the first season of “The Golden Bachelor” with Gerry Turner. (ABC/John Fleenor)
“We got along so well. He helped me through that whole grief journey. I imagined a life with someone else for the first time because that’s what you do on the show, like you’re trying to figure out a life with someone else. So, you start to have these real thoughts in your mind, like, could this happen, would this be something that would work out? So, I really imagined that I could possibly have a life with him,” Vasos said.
Vasos had to leave the show early to help her daughter, who was suffering from postpartum depression.
Vasos left “The Golden Bachelor” early to help her daughter overcome postpartum depression. (ABC/John Fleenor)
“Who knows what will happen and if he would have built stronger relationships with other people or maybe our relationship would have been, would it have just remained our friendship, which is what it is now? And he’s one of my favorite people. I love Gary, but just as a friend, so who knows how it would have turned out? But I think it happened the way it was supposed to.”
Gerry marries Theresa Nist in January 2024, but The couple got divorced Just a few months later, many were surprised.
Turner and Nist announced their split on “Good Morning America.” (John Fleener / Disney)
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“I watched their romance and their journey, and I thought they were a really good couple. And it just shows you that when you come out of ‘The Bachelor’ bubble, there’s still work to do. And you have to figure out what life together will look like outside of ‘The Bachelor’ bubble,” Vasos said. “So I’m surprised they didn’t make it.”
“But I’m also not surprised. I mean, what happens is, there are a lot of success stories and there are some failures. And I wouldn’t call them failures. It’s just the revelations that happen once you come out of ‘The Bachelor’ bubble,” she added.
“I’m looking for someone who is ready to spend the second half of their life having some adventure. I want to have fun.”
Vasos doesn’t think there is any way to do that Avoid the So-Called “Bachelor” Curse Because, “I think it takes work.”
WATCH: ‘The Golden Bachelorette’ stars shocked by Gerry Turner and Theresa Nyst’s divorce
“‘(The) Bachelor’ offers therapy, couples therapy. So, if you want to attend that, I think that’s a great idea. I think that the time between when you go, taping, and actually being together in public is a really hard time for a lot of couples, and that’s where it starts to get bad. So I think that doing therapy or making sure that you’re doing something, that you’re connected in a real way, even though you can’t see each other, is really important.”
Vasos said she isn’t worried about getting engaged by the end of her season. (Disney/Gilles Mingasson)
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This is why Vasos isn’t worried about his season ending with the engagement So much as a real partner.
“I know it’s an amazing opportunity and I’m never going to have a selection of men, 24 guys. So I knew it was a great opportunity. And I thought, (it’s) likely that I’ll find a man who’s a good match for me. So, I wanted to come out of this show with a guy that I wanted to explore life with outside of ‘The Bachelor’ bubble … date or, explore what a life situation could be like, what a future could be like with that person, but not necessarily get engaged.”
“The Golden Bachelorette” premieres Wednesday, Sept. 18 on ABC.
