Joan Vassos has a pick of men

A dozen elderly men are preparing to flash some skin around the 61-year-old, willowy, blonde Joan Vassos.

A group of eligible suitors hoping to win Joan’s heart during the first season of The Golden Bachelorette (premiering September) are gathered on stage at the Avalon Hollywood nightclub early on a Tuesday in July, the hottest day of the year. 18 on ABC. But for the time being, they’ll have to fight with a trim Chippendales dancer named RK for Joan’s attention. Things are getting pretty steamy from the sounds coming from the stage as the shirtless Adonis, his pecs and abs glistening in the spotlight, teaches the group some moves.

“Ahhhhhh.”.

“Oh my God, what a relief…”.

“Ughhhhhh.”.

Well, sounds may not be the most reliable indicator. The current chorus of moans is the result of something not quite as sexy as these gentlemen’s upcoming strip show for Joan, which will be performed in the vein of Chippendales later in the day. One man groans, turning his hips in a circle and saying, “Ohhhh.”. Another grunts, “Ooof,” trying to loosen up his hamstring. “Oh my god. “.

After the guys have warmed up, RK starts to show off some of his trademark exotic male dancer moves. There’s the body roll (“Chest, midsection, pelvis, relax!”); “rub the lotion” (gently massaging each pec as if applying Bengay to a sore muscle); and “the shampoo” (both hands running through the hair, or in some cases, the lack of it). The men pay close attention and try their best to carry out RK’s instructions. A man wearing shorts and a golf shirt quickly thrusts his pelvis, and another man slithering his hands sensually over his slightly protruding belly.

From her position on stage, Joan cheers the men on and even tries a few body rolls herself. Despite not being a regular at male strip clubs, the mother of four (and grandmother of two) acknowledges that she has “mixed feelings” about the activities of her dates. She tells Entertainment Weekly, “It would make me feel extremely uneasy to go up there and dance for everyone.”. Also, I want this to be a respectful procedure for folks in our generation. “.”.

Even so, Joan is excited about the guys’ “Bare It All for Cancer” revue because it will benefit her favorite charity, Stand Up 2 Cancer, through fundraising. Her spouse of thirty-two years, John, passed away in 2021 due to it. “It’s all good for me because it’s for a charity. Many of the guys lost loved ones to cancer, and my husband passed away from pancreatic cancer,” says Joan. “They’re doing something really good, not just kind of salacious, so I hope they enjoy themselves with it.”. “.

Kindness, dignity, and the ideal balance of senior sex appeal. From The Golden Bachelorette, fans can anticipate that. There was no question that ABC would produce a female-led season of The Golden Bachelor following the show’s unprecedented success. The Golden Bachelor was the highest-rated new reality series of 2023, averaging 9.92 million viewers weekly (across all platforms). Fans continued to conjecture about who would be the first grandmother Bachelorette, despite the fact that Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s love story ended rather abruptly (more on that later). Would it be the sassy Susan Noles, 67, and her delicious (but toxic) meatballs? The singer-songwriter Faith Martin, 61, who received a “I love you” on hometown dates? Ellen Goltzer, the stunningly smiling 72-year-old retired teacher? “Sexy Dancer” and heartbroken runner-up, Leslie Fhima, 65? Or Joan Vassos, who had an early romantic one-on-one date with Gerry and then decided in episode 3 that her daughter, a new mother dealing with postpartum depression, really, really needed her back at home?

At last, Joan was crowned the first-ever rose queen by ABC on May 15.

Claire Freeland, Bennett Graebner, Jason Erlich, and other executive producers of the Bachelor franchise, says, “We talked about a lot of different people.”. However, something very relatable ended Joan’s journey. Because she is a caregiver, Joan left the journey during the previous season. She still sincerely hopes to find her next big love. I’m so happy that she’s back because I don’t think people saw nearly enough of her. “.

Joan didn’t hesitate to put herself forward to be the first Golden Bachelorette, unlike Gerry Turner who first declined the invitation to be the senior Bachelor. It’s true that I was a little anxious when I entered Golden Bachelor. I had no idea how they would portray us. The producers are unknown to me. I now understand how kind of hearts they are. They’re not out to make us look silly by saying things like, “Look at the older people dating,” instead they’re trying to help us find love. I therefore entered into this with a great deal of trust and a strong desire. “.”.

Even so, it took a loved one’s prodding to join some of the 12 men here at the Avalon Hollywood today (all of whom will go unnamed to avoid giving anything away). “It seemed like a really good idea to my oldest daughter. A refined man in his late 60s says, “I wasn’t really into it, but she insisted.”. “You’re a handsome guy, Dad, and you have a terrific personality and energy,” she said. You ought to do it, in my opinion. The 60-year-old, who is kind and sincere, admits that he “vacillated” before accepting, but his family’s affiliation with Bachelor Nation persuaded him. “My late wife and my daughter were devoted viewers of the show,” he claims. “Well, I thought, ‘Okay, maybe,’ when my friend nominated me. “.”.

However, at least one man believes that his appearance on The Golden Bachelorette is the result of fate rather than family. “I was using a dating app when I noticed someone who caught my eye. I decided to swipe right,” remembers this tall, dark, and stunning Midwesterner woman in her sixties. “I discovered the following day that I had a match, and she immediately announced that she was The Golden Bachelorette’s casting director. “Would you like to be on it?” totally caught me off guard. I deliberated over doing it for a few days. She said it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, so I considered my options and decided to say yes. “.

According to casting director Jacqui Pitman, a potential suitor had to be “someone you’d be proud to introduce to your 90-year-old mother” in order to advance to the final group of 25 men. We were searching for men who were truly in the process of finding their true love. And even though Joan is only halfway through filming her season, she tells us that romance is already happening that day at the Avalon. She states, “I have some strong connections with some of the guys.”. “I have great hope. “.

But be warned: There will be a ton of bromance in this inaugural season of The Golden Bachelorette. Executive producer Graebner acknowledges, “I had a lot of anxiety before.”. “I was worried that everyone wouldn’t want to watch just a group of elderly men chatting over a grill. I was mistaken, it seems. These men, neither with Joan nor with each other, are scared to discuss tough subjects. This is the most laughing and crying I have ever done in a single day at a production. Freeland continues, “It’s been a lovely surprise.”. We always say that “heart, hope, and humor” are the show’s pillars, and we have all three. ****.

Joan was relieved that her worries were unfounded at first, saying, “I was so worried that they were going to be kind of silent and talking about football and golf and nothing else.”. Every detail is shared amongst them. She is amazed, “They cry.”. Dinners are prepared by them jointly. They follow schedules for dish duty. They are very generous. They genuinely care about one another and are very honest and open. Her laugh escapes her. “Hey, look at me! Remember me?” is how I feel.

Let’s go on our journey once more.

At the age of 59, businessman and philanthropist John Vassos took his own life, leaving Joan Vassos married for more than half her life. The thought of dating again seemed unattainable for a very long time. “Everyone told me you ought to be ready after a year.”. And that wasn’t even close,” she remembers. I passed that year by sort of floating. To be honest, I don’t recall much of it. When year two arrives, I should be ready by now, I tell myself, but my heart wasn’t. I wanted to be because I reasoned that I wasn’t getting any younger, prettier, or more desirable. Although Joan didn’t find a “good match” after she entered the singles scene, she says that it did demonstrate to her that she genuinely wanted to find a partner. “.”.

The Golden Bachelor followed, an event that boosted her self-esteem and made her more noticeable. Joan claims she received a “tsunami” of direct messages from men after her appearance on the show. It was not as enjoyable as it might have seemed. “I struggled to get through that process. They’re somewhat screened and have a profile visible on a dating app. “With direct messages, you’re just messaging complete strangers,” she remembers. “I wasn’t very responsive to those. In small chats, I would express gratitude and say something like, “You’re very flattering.”. However, none of them appeared to be very likely to succeed. Then there were a few strange direct messages. ****.

Strange how, I guess?

She admits, “I got dick pics.”. “I also know people who have a foot obsession. They offered to pay me if I could send them photos of my feet. A single individual proposed to purchase every pair of shoes I donned during Golden Bachelor. It was unsettling. “Give me your phone, mom,” my kids would say. We’re stopping everything. “.”.

Producers saved the day at the beginning of this year, revealing that Joan was “the short list” for a role on The Golden Bachelorette, but it would take months for her to find out. She claims that “they were kind of stringing me along.”. She continues, “Then these strange rumors kept coming in [about] Susan Lucci and Kathy Lee Gifford as potential Golden Bachelorettes.”. “So, I began to worry a little. “(ABC didn’t give either Gifford or Lucci much thought. ( ).

Four months or so after she began negotiating with producers, Joan’s status as the star was eventually revealed by ABC. While many fans were happy with the decision, others expressed disapproval, arguing that a woman who was only recently out of her 50s was not, in the words of one article, “Golden enough.”. “.”.

The producers can’t agree. “You’re golden once you start getting mail from the AARP, and I get it myself,” Graebner asserts. “I hope to see a season starring Ellen. A season starring Susan [Noles], Leslie, and Faith would also be amazing. All of those, I can imagine, would be very different from one another. This was nearly too good to be embarrassed by. “.”.

Don’t even try to convince Joan that she isn’t Golden. Let’s reminisce about her now-famous remarks as she departed the Bachelor estate during Gerry’s season. “My heart got a little fix from Gerry,” she said through tears. You grow increasingly invisible as you age. It seems as though people no longer see you, and your significance has diminished from your youth. Many of the viewers applauded Joan for voicing that difficult truth, and the sentiment received a collective “Amen!”. “I received a ton of messages, and a lot of people found it relatable. I had no idea,” she says. “While it was consoling, I later felt even worse about it because I realized that this was a common issue. “What can we do to address this?”.

Putting an “invisible” woman’s love story on national television may help. In particular, Joan’s sleep schedule has changed as a result of going from contestant to lead. “The days are long and transition into the night. You begin at seven or eight in the morning, and on occasion, we don’t get home until two in the morning. m. “It’s her,” she says. Producers shoot fewer hours a day than on the flagship series, as they did with The Golden Bachelor, and they make an effort to keep dates and activities regional. Even though she goes to bed between 10 and 11 p.m. IRL. me. Joan claims that at the moment, she can survive on roughly five hours of sleep every night. She claims that as long as she is active throughout the day, she is fine. However, I’ll die if I sit still for ten minutes. Yesterday was our day off, so I spent most of the day sleeping in and around the pool. It was really pleasant. “.

The Bachelor Mansion’s notorious bunk beds, where Joan’s prospective partners are sleeping on, are causing them problems. Graebner makes fun of his snoring, saying, “The struggle with it is next level.”. “A wide variety of sleep aids are being utilized. The mansion “is like a frat house,” according to a senior stud at the Avalon who we spoke with. I didn’t share a room with other men while I was in college. Guys who perform other physiological tasks while they sleep, such as snoring. Squeezing into a twin bed instead of a bunk is a challenge for a six-foot-five West Coast senior who claims he “got lucky.”. He bemoans, “They are so freaking small.”. “My feet don’t quite fit right!”.

Yes, the Bachelor Mansion isn’t the Ritz during production. Not only is it hardly a Holiday Inn Express, but according to Freeland, some of the men weren’t exactly thrilled either. Some people have a preference for specific types of linens and bedding. I never imagined that men would be jokingly fighting over closet space. Recall the elegant man we met earlier? He was so mortified to learn he had to do his own laundry that he began hiring a competitor to do it ($100 for a standard load and $150 for an extra-large pile). “I don’t cook, I don’t clean, and I don’t do laundry,” he states decisively and matter-of-factly.

The men utilize their time at the mansion in a variety of ways when they’re not going on dates or doing or contracting out their chores. According to Graebner, in the beginning, “a lot of guys who wanted to fix things.”. “I want the dishwasher fixed,” “I want the hot tub fixed,” and “I want the toilet fixed.”. An abundance of tools were being displayed. The Golden guys like working out, playing football, cornhole, and making good use of the swimming pool, just like the ladies did on Golden Bachelor. (Grabener and Freeland speculate that spectators might witness some “epic cannonballs” and “synchronized swimming.”. (“).

But it’s not all fun and games. Emotionally, the guys are also growing closer. “Life is a series of therapy sessions. We’re talking about our emotions and past loves while sitting in groups or one-on-one,” the sincere 60-year-old says. “That has such deep meaning. I’ll always have my friends. The men had a recent heart-to-heart, according to Graebner, during which one of them admitted to “harboring an incredible amount of guilt” regarding the death of his wife. According to Graebner, “he realized there was nothing more that he could have done” after having a talk with another man living in the mansion. “That was a lovely occasion. ****.

After he didn’t receive a rose from Joan, Freeland recalled speaking with another competitor off-camera. “I knew I was unique now, even though I wasn’t sure before,” he remarked. ‘” (I’m not crying — you’re crying!).

What follows “happily ever after”.

One month before ABC debuted Joan Vassos as the Golden Bachelorette in mid-May, their first pair of senior stars made an announcement of their own. “Theresa and I have had a number of heart-to-heart conversations… and we’ve kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it’s probably time for us to dissolve our marriage,” Gerry Turner said in a joint interview with Nist on Good Morning America. Not even a week had passed since the extravagant, live-streamed wedding of Jan. and Feb. Gerry and Theresa. 4, had a lot of detractors and some admirers calling it a fraud. Co-host of The View Ana Navarro scoffed, saying, “The mistake was going on national TV to try to feign a relationship and love.”. “My marriage has lasted less time than my pimples have.”. “.

It didn’t look good for The Golden Bachelor after their quick divorce, which Gerry and Theresa attributed to their inability to decide where to live. Even so, the producers of Bachelor Nation claim they are not worried that the fast-moving breakup will harm the nascent senior franchise because it was far from the first. “Whenever one of our couples splits up, I get sad,” Graebner says. But Gerry has no regrets, according to our conversation a few days ago. I don’t feel any regrets if he doesn’t. “.

Despite being “sad” about Gerry and Theresa’s breakup, Freeland claims she was pleasantly surprised to find that their brief marriage still serves as an inspiration for single people. “Right now, we’re casting for the upcoming season of The Bachelor, and many, many of the women that we’re meeting are there because of the impact of Golden on them,” she says. Whatever the outcome of Gerry and Theresa’s love tale, it doesn’t seem to be deterring people from pursuing their own ideal partner. “.

Meanwhile, Joan backs her friends’ decision. “I thought it was great that they got married on the show. We were all witness to it. She remarks, “It was great that they were eager to get started and didn’t want to waste any time. They didn’t waste any more time with it after realizing they weren’t good. It was the right thing to do, in my opinion. ” While the news didn’t cause her to second-guess her decision to look for love on national TV, she does worry that it might have “shaded or dampened” the show’s message that it’s never too late to find love. “Making sure that I demonstrate that this is true is my main goal,” she says. “We all have the right to love and are still full of hope. It’s feasible and worthwhile to pursue. I feel a little more responsible as a result. “.

The Bachelorette will not put up with a hastily planned wedding or arguments about where to purchase a home. Joan has always stated that she intends to remain in Maryland, close to her family, no matter what. According to her, relocation “is not happening.”. “My family comes first, and I don’t want a guy who feels like he has to move. I’m pretty sure he’s not my type of guy if he can uproot his life. Moving back and forth to each other’s houses and maybe “merging someplace in the middle for a few weeks or months” would be the perfect solution, according to Joan. “It will be a while before she says “I do,” even if she gets engaged by the end of the season. “I wish to avoid jumping into anything. “It’s unnecessary! I’m not concerned about my biological clock anymore,” she chuckles. My existence is complete. Determining how to combine lives takes time. It’s worth it if you have the love. ****.

Although Joan is not yet in love, Team Golden Bachelorette is doing her part by taking her on some of the show’s customarily lavish and extravagant romantic dates. One such date was to Disneyland Resort, where they had dinner at the upscale 21 Royal supper club and watched an “epic” fireworks show. Joan was escorted to Vegas by another suitor on a private jet, where they dined at the Paris hotel and casino beneath the Eiffel Tower and were serenaded by none other than Wayne Newton, the Mr. Vegas himself. As part of their group dates, the Golden singles will experience a prom that some have never forgotten, and Graebner describes it as “the most spirited game of kickball that network television has ever witnessed.”.

Joan claims that dressing for these events has been “one of the most fun parts” of the whole process. She exclaims, “Oh my God, the evening gowns, I can’t even begin to tell you.”. I got to wear only eight of the probably thirty things that I fell in love with.”. Joan’s Golden Bachelorette wardrobe is so large that it occupies an entire hotel room, and chief stylist for the Bachelor franchise Cary Fetman claims his star wore some really audacious looks. Fetman claims that Joan was uneasy about wearing anything. “My goodness, she had on a leather gown one night and a totally sheer crystal dress the next!”.

Grandma, get over it! Joan may have a bold style, but she’s far more shy when it comes to making out with a lot of different men on TV. “It’s uncomfortable for me to kiss on camera because I’m a pretty private person,” she says. “However, since you’re constantly on camera, you’ll never kiss if you don’t make a kiss on camera. It’s imperative that you complete it. The men have fortunately been “complete gentlemen. Take this story from the sincere 60-year-old as an example. “I once asked Joan if I could give her a cheek kiss during a conversation, and she said sure. “Knowing that my kids would witness it, I leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek,” he says. But I want to demonstrate that I have” — he pauses and utters air quotes here — “game. When I was younger, I thought I had something. But what kind of game do I have now that I’m sixty years old? It’s not simple. “.

When he performs at the Avalon Hollywood, he’ll have plenty of chances to show that he’s still got it. Approximately 120 ardent fans of The Bachelor have been herded into the theater and seated on either side of the runway as it is now late afternoon. Following selection from a shelf displaying costumes bearing titles such as “Dr. Hunk, “Priority Male,” and “Howdy Pardner,” three of the twelve men who are AARP-eligible, anxious, and anticipating their cue. Serving as the emcee, former Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe welcomes the audience and tells them that the men “have been working hard to create an amazing performance for Joan.”. “.”.

That’s when the stage darkens and Lady Gaga’s “LoveGame” blasts from the speakers. Driven by Gaga’s mesmerizing mantra, “Let’s have some fun/This beat is sick/I wanna take a ride/On your disco stick,” the first Golden bachelor, dressed as “Sargent Sexy” in camo pants and a fitted tank top, walks down the runway to where Joan and Kaitlyn are seated. ****.

We won’t reveal the outcome here, but suffice it to say that it sends a wave of screams and ecstatic gasps through the assembly. Showboating for Joan and the audience, the remaining Golden bachelors go down the runway one by one. A man performs a flawless “rub the lotion” on his large, bare chest, and other men blow kisses and waggle their bottoms. The men are giving a show for the Golden Bachelorette, but they are also enthusiastically supporting each other by giving each other high fives and slapping backs. After the performance, the twelve of them give each other a passionate group hug. “Woo! Woo! Woo!” they exclaim, joyfully bouncing up and down.

Following the audience’s departure, Joan, dressed for the group date afterparty in a shimmering cocktail dress, takes a seat and takes a moment to tell us all about her hot suitors. “I’m really appreciative of how much they accepted it. I was shocked by each and every one of them that came out and exposed everything, both literally and figuratively,” she says. “They simply gave it their all. They set that aside and carried out the task, despite how uncomfortable it must have been. Her sole concern regarding the matter is the potential reactions of her grown children, Nicholas, Erica, Allison, and Luke. The Golden Bachelorette laughs, “Oh please don’t kiss anyone on TV,” so this is going to be a hard one for them. “I may advise them not to watch this particular episode. ****.

Oh no, Joan, don’t be alarmed. All your children need to know is the Bachelor franchise motto: humor, heart, hope, and hip thrusts.

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Director: Mary Jo Smith; Cameraman: Jonathan Williams; Cosmetics: Gina Modica; Hair: Monique Ching; Styling: Linda Medvene; Prop Stylist: Brooke Ashe.