Who is Joan Vasos? Meet the first ‘Golden Bachelorette’

America, it’s time to meet your first “Golden Bachelorette.”

As the spinoff of the hit “Golden Bachelor” (which itself is a spinoff of “The Bachelor”) prepares to air, 61-year-old Joan Vasos, the “Golden Bachelorette,” is ready for her moment to shine as she sifts through 24 suitors from across the U.S. in search of true love.

Here’s a quick rundown on all things Joan to prepare you for TV’s first “Bachelorette” over the age of 60.

“The Golden Bachelorette” premieres tonight, Wednesday, September 18, 2024 at 8pm ET/PT on ABC with a special two-hour episode, so bring something new with you.

she is a school administrator

According to her LinkedIn profile, Vasos works as a school administrator at the Landon School in her native Maryland. She focuses primarily on alumni relations and annual donations. She was promoted in 2021 and previously worked as a special projects consultant and interior designer. Vasos received a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Maryland College Park in 1985.

She was married for 32 years

Vasos was married to her husband John for 32 years, until he died suddenly from pancreatic cancer in 2021. She paid tribute to him in an Instagram post in January on the three-year anniversary of his death.

“He was a husband who always made me feel safe and pampered,” she captioned a photo of herself, John and their kids. “He was always the fun parent because that’s what he knew how to do… lucky kids because in his book the fun was usually epic. I could talk for hours though, you all know that.”

“Honestly I think that’s how he would want to be remembered… by not forgetting him,” he added. “Please keep telling the stories, don’t worry, they don’t make me sad… most of them are funny, honestly!”

He concluded the post by saying, “As the Greeks say, ‘May his memory endure.'”

She was a contestant on “The Golden Bachelor”

Vasos was one of the contestants on the premiere season of “The Golden Bachelor,” vying for the hand of the show’s titular bachelor, Gerry Turner. However, she left after three weeks to help her daughter, who was going through a difficult time after a difficult delivery.

“My journey to find love took a turn this week as I traded the mansion for motherhood and moved home to be with my family,” she wrote on Instagram in October 2023. “Family comes first, period. Once a mom, always a mom, I will always choose my kids first. Thank you for all of your love and support, not only for me but for my daughter as well – all healthy and happy now! As for me and my journey to love… guess we’ll just have to see where it takes me next. Until then, stay golden ✨✨🌹.”

Vasos almost returned to the show, but in the end, the timing wasn’t right for all parties.

“I came home, and my plan was to [my daughter] Some care — I needed to get her some mental health care,” Vasos said in an interview with The Wrap. “I was in the process of doing that, and I was contacted, and they said, ‘Do you want to come back?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, I’d love to come back, let me see how I’m doing with my daughter.’”

She is a mother of four and grandmother of three

Vasos has four children with her late husband: Alison, Nicholas, Erica, and Luke. She has often spoken about how much these children mean to her.

“It’s been a blessing to be a mom to four amazing kids and a grandma to two beautiful grandchildren (they call me JoJo),” she said in a statement posted to her Instagram Story when she announced she was leaving “The Golden Bachelor” in October 2023. “But once you’re a mom, you’re always a mom and sometimes the timing isn’t right to find love.”

He added: “Everyone at home is great and I hope to find love again one day.”

She has two grandsons and a granddaughter, whom she kept close to her heart while filming “The Golden Bachelorette,” thanks to a digital picture frame that her daughters Alison and Erica gave her to take with her during the show. “I would come home exhausted from shooting every night,” Vasos told TVInsider. “My little frame would send me pictures of the grandkids on the Fourth of July or at the swimming pool. It was the best.”

He’s still friends with his ‘Golden Bachelor’ co-stars

Vasos has kept in touch with her fellow “The Golden Bachelor” alumni, who call themselves “The Golden Girls.” Vasos also attended Turner contestant Theresa Nist’s “Golden Wedding” (the couple finalized their divorce 5 months after taking their vows). Vasos also appeared on “Celebrity Family Feud” with fellow “Golden Girls” Susan Knowles, Kathy Swarts, Leslie Fima and Natasha Hardy.

He applied for ‘The Golden Bachelor’ after a terrible night at the bar

According to the New York Times profile, Vasos didn’t feel comfortable dating again until two years after her husband’s death. Unfortunately, her friends didn’t know anyone she could date, and she didn’t feel like the men she met on dating apps weren’t telling the truth in their profiles. But when she went to a bar with a friend last year and assumed all the men around her age were married, she was disappointed. Later that night, she saw a casting call for “The Golden Bachelor.” She was a longtime fan of “The Bachelor” franchise and decided to apply, making several typos while filling out the application on her phone, according to the Times. A month later, she received a call from “The Golden Bachelor” casting team.

Her son says that only the most intelligent men can influence her

“The Bachelor” is known for the age-old adage “sex sells,” but Vasos’ son Nick said it will take more than looks and charisma to win over his mother. “She loves to be challenged, and I think that’s what she’s looking for,” he told The New York Times. According to the outlet, Nick believes that “only the smartest men can impress her.”

For her part, Vasos has said she’s looking for someone who is emotionally vulnerable. “I’m very careful about being a gentleman,” she told People in July. “Someone with a big heart, someone who’s generous and also someone who’s humble.”

She felt she had “betrayed” her husband after going on “The Golden Bachelor”

After leaving “The Golden Bachelor,” Vasos felt guilty about rekindling romance for the first time since her husband John’s death in 2021.

“Honestly, I felt guilty for having feelings for someone else,” Vasos told People. “I almost felt like I was betraying John, which is crazy because he’s dead.”

She also worried about what her late husband would think of her decision to go on a reality TV dating show before officially joining the cast of “The Golden Bachelor.”

However, a friend reminded Vasos that her husband loves reality TV. “She said, ‘He’s on there telling everybody: Look, that’s my wife, that’s my wife!'” she told The New York Times.

“The Golden Bachelorette” premieres Wednesday, September 18, 2024 at 8 pm ET/PT on ABC and will air Wednesdays from 8 to 10 p.m.