Joan Vassos Starts Her Golden Bachelorette Journey With 24 Men — and an Emotional First Kiss

The Golden Bachelorette made its television debut last night with 24 men vying for the love of 61-year-old Joan Vassos, the Maryland-based school administrator. The mother of four and grandmother of three first stole hearts on the debut season of The Golden Bachelor when she competed for Gerry Turner’s heart, but now, she’s taking love into her own hands as she searches for Mr. Right. 

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Vassos, who lost her husband to pancreatic cancer in 2021, struggled with her initial pursuit of love on The Golden Bachelorette. However, it was thanks to the team of psychiatrists from the show that allowed her to see this journey in a different light. 

“They said, ‘You don't have to let go of John,” she explained to PEOPLE. “Picture it like this: you have two balloons, one in each hand, and John is in a balloon in this hand, and your potential person that you're going to fall in love with in this hand. You don't have to let go of him from this hand to pick this one up and have a life with this one.’” 

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Here, let’s take a look at what went down as Joan met her new suitors on last night’s episode. 

‘The Golden Bachelorette’ premiere recap

In true Bachelor/Bachelorette fashion, each contestant went out of their way to leave an impression on Vassos, some efforts being more outlandish than others — but who can blame them? No one wants to blow their shot at love!

Some of the most notable entrances were those including Mark, 57, who’s actually the father of none other than Kelsey Anderson, who stole Joey Graziadei’s heart on the most recent season of The Bachelor. Escorted by his daughter, the Army veteran was adorable. 

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Other memorable contestants included Parisian Pascal, the 69-year-old salon owner currently living in Chicago – and Vassos couldn’t resist that accent! Some of the other swoon-worthy potential suitors included Kim, 69, the retired Navy captain who stole hearts in his crisp uniform, Chock, the 60-year-old insurance executive who made his mark with none other than a jar of his homemade chicken noodle soup, Jonathan, 61, who entered blind-folded and Bob, who met Joan with a video camera in hand to capture the moment for his children. 

What might seem like awkward encounters for some viewers at home looked like a walk in the park for Vassos, who met each of the men with open arms, positivity and optimism at what could be on the horizon for her. 

Who did Joan Vassos send home?

Vassos gave her first impression rose to Keith, telling him that despite how scary this entire journey and experience feels, his presence made her feel safe with his calm voice and “teddy bear” vibe. She even sealed the moment with a kiss! 

However, every rose has its thorn, and Vassos said goodbye to six of the men she met that night: Bill, the 68-year-old videographer, David, the 68-year-old rancher, Ken, a property management treasurer, Pablo, a UN agency director who has since retired, RJ, a financial advisor and Thomas, an FDNY chief. 

For Joan Vassos, this is only the beginning, and we have our fingers crossed that this season will bring her nothing but love and prosperity as she embarks on this exciting journey!

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