When The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist decided to end their marriage just three months in, skepticism arose about the future of The Golden Bachelorette. After all, many contestants on these shows are senior citizens with deeply rooted lives in their respective hometowns — reportedly one of the reasons behind Turner and Nist’s split. But Joan Vassos, recently announced as the first Golden Bachelorette, offers a refreshing perspective on this chapter.
Vassos, who competed for Turner’s heart in his season, watched their love story unfold up close. “I loved watching their journey. I saw them fall in love. I believed just, like – they did that. They were like the perfect couple,” she shared with CNN. “I applaud that they jumped into this process with both feet and they were ready to find love and they knew what true love was. They both had it in their previous lives. So, I applaud them for doing that.”
For Vassos, their decision to part ways is neither a failure nor a cautionary tale but a brave acknowledgment of their reality. “I also applaud them when they discovered it wasn’t perfect. That they called it quits and it’s not the end of the world, and we have to let them live their journey and follow their hearts and it wasn’t right for them,” she emphasized.
Addressing a broader societal view, Vassos believes The Golden Bachelor challenges age-old stereotypes about aging and romance. “I think there’s cultures in the world that revere the older people and they think that they have knowledge and they have this experience of life, and I don’t think that’s super true in our society,” she noted. “Growing old now is very different. We were all very fit, we exercised, we shared great stories about raising our kids and we learned so much from each other.”
When it comes to her own quest for love, Vassos is both optimistic and pragmatic. “If it ends up in engagement, I’m open to that. I do believe this process works. I’ve seen it work for so many couples on ‘The Bachelor,’ so I believe in the process,” she expressed. However, she’s cautious about rushing into marriage, especially after witnessing Turner and Nist’s experience. “Out in the wild, in the real world, you need to spend some time there.”
Vassos, a 61-year-old school administrator from Maryland, carries a wealth of life experiences. She lost her husband of 32 years to pancreatic cancer in January 2021, and it took two years before she decided to jump back into the dating pool in a big way. One evening, while dining with a friend, she decided to take a leap and apply for the show. Now, as the Golden Bachelorette, she’s poised to demonstrate that love and adventure have no age limit.
Before you go, click here to see the most dramatic splits in Bachelor and Bachelorette history.
