Current:Home > Invest'Golden Bachelorette' Joan Vassos ready to find TV prince: 'You have to kiss some frogs'-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
'Golden Bachelorette' Joan Vassos ready to find TV prince: 'You have to kiss some frogs'
lotradecoin guide View Date:2024-12-25 16:26:25
LOS ANGELES – We already have something of a lying situation, even before Joan Vassos steps up to star in the TV history-making "The Golden Bachelorette" Wednesday (8 EDT/PDT).
Vassos, 61, says her four grown children were supportive when they learned the private school administrator from Rockville, Maryland, would be ABC's Golden Bachelorette – the first senior woman to seek love with 24 similarly aged male candidates, following last year's hit inaugural season of "The Golden Bachelor."
However, the Vassos clan collectively (and unfairly) demanded the grandmother of three could not kiss anyone on TV, and they vetoed Fantasy Suites nights, a franchise staple.
"You have to kiss some frogs to find your prince," Vassos tells USA TODAY. "So I promised them I wouldn't, knowing that I was lying the whole time. They don't know, and I'm not telling them."
'Golden Bachelorette' premiere:Joan Vassos to meet Kelsey Anderson's 'Hot Dad' Mark, who is already a star
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
That's a definite pass for Vassos, who was a brief ray of sunshine among 22 candidates on "Golden Bachelor." Vassos, whose husband of 32 years died in 2021, bonded with widower Gerry Turner over the loss of their respective longtime spouses during an emotional but romantic Episode 3 dinner. Then she tearfully withdrew (or "self-eliminated") from the reality show the next morning due to a family emergency.
While painful at the time, Vassos believes that Bachelor Nation applauded her move to leave the Bachelor mansion to take care of her daughter, who was recovering from a difficult childbirth.
"You have a lot of responsibilities at this age – my kids, my mother is 92, my mother-in-law," says Vassos. "Self-eliminating from the show really resonated with people."
Vassos believes that her sad early TV departure was a big reason she received a surprising call from three show producers asking her to take a second shot at TV love in "Golden Bachelorette."
"There were people that made it far longer in the show that maybe were more deserving," says Vassos. "But that was a good call to get."
'Golden Bachelorette' Vassos felt 'pressure' after 'Golden Bachelor' split
There were downsides to agreeing to the high-profile TV dating experience. As fans know, the wheels fell off the initially exuberant "Golden Bachelor" season, exacerbated by the Nov. 29 Hollywood Reporter exposé of Turner's "not-so-golden past," which claimed the Indiana-based widower had misled viewers about his romantic life and professional qualifications. Turner, who declined to discuss the report, married Theresa Nist in a Jan. 4 wedding, which aired live from Palm Spring, California. However, the couple announced their divorce during an April 12 "GMA" interview just three months later. The experience left the "Golden" brand tarnished.
Vassos remains respectful to Turner and the couple's "journey," as such romances are unfailingly known.
"We all saw that it didn't work out," she says. "And I applaud them for saying it's over now, and that we're young enough to still find love in our life."
Still, Vassos admits the disappointing reality show aftermath raises the stakes for her "Golden Bachelorette" season.
"I feel like it put a little pressure on me; I'm not going to lie," says Vassos. "I wish I could say that I thought, 'No, I'm going on my own journey.' But there was a part of me that thought, 'I need to be the redemption.' And that if this season doesn't go as everybody wants, this may be the end of the 'Golden' franchise."
She relaxed upon meeting the new crop of 24 eclectic men, which includes Mark Anderson, the hunky father of "Bachelor" alum Kelsey Anderson.
"Yeah, I felt pressure, but once I met the guys, I was like, 'This is all gonna be fine,'" says Vassos, who is keeping her already taped ending top secret. "I'm dying to tell you because the journey was so incredible. People will love the show, and love the men."
One clue she will volunteer: Vassos, who professes to be "on the serious side," needs an outgoing guy, like her late husband John Vassos. He lit up every room before dying after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
Vassos admits she struggled with guilt about appearing on a TV dating show after losing her beloved husband. "I was a little worried that I won't be honoring his memory," she says. "And I know that people will be like, 'Well, if you were so in love, how in the world could you go on that show?'"
But she says she found the experience emotionally healing. She talked about the loss with other widows in the "Golden Bachelor" house which was "the group therapy I needed. And when I got out I was good afterward."
She's moved past the notion that "Golden Bachelorette" would in any way disrespect John's memory. After all, he was the major reality show fan of the two, watching "Real Housewives" and "The Bachelor."
"When I told a friend I felt guilty, she was like, 'Oh, that's so stupid!'" says Vassos. "She said that John is going to be looking down from heaven saying, 'That's my wife down there.' He will be celebrating this and loving it, I still do believe. I feel like he's with me, honestly."
veryGood! (7478)
Related
- American Supercar: A first look at the 1,064-HP 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
- Military recruiting rebounds after several tough years, but challenges remain
- Dancing With The Stars’ Carrie Ann Inaba Slams Anna Delvey Over “Dismissive” Exit
- Eric Roberts slams Julia Roberts in 'Steel Magnolias,' says he's not 'jealous': Reports
- How you can get a free scoop of ice cream at Baskin Robbins Wednesday
- Caitlin Clark's spectacular run comes to a close. Now, she'll take time to reflect
- Inside Hoda Kotb's Private World: Her Amazing Journey to Motherhood
- Kentucky sheriff accused of killing judge in Letcher County pleads not guilty
- US unemployment claims fall 7,000 to 227,000 in sign of resiliency in job market
- No forgiveness: Family of Oklahoma man gunned down rejects death row inmate's pleas
Ranking
- Big Georgia county to start charging some costs to people who challenge the eligibility of voters
- Simone Biles Wants Her Athleta Collection to Make Women Feel Confident & Powerful
- Companies back away from Oregon floating offshore wind project as opposition grows
- 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' star Eduardo Xol dies at 58 after apparent stabbing
- Proposal to allow local police to make arrests near Arizona border with Mexico will appear on ballot
- FBI seizes NYC mayor’s phone ahead of expected unsealing of indictment
- Catherine Zeta-Jones Bares All in Nude Photo for Michael Douglas’ Birthday
- Rooting out Risk: A Town’s Challenge to Build a Safe Inclusive Park
Recommendation
-
Charlie Sheen’s Daughter Sami Sheen Undergoes Plastic Surgery for Droopy Nose
-
Ina Garten Details Playing Beer Pong at a Taylor Swift’s After Party
-
Dancing With The Stars’ Carrie Ann Inaba Slams Anna Delvey Over “Dismissive” Exit
-
10 homes have collapsed into the Carolina surf. Their destruction was decades in the making
-
Usher Cancels Atlanta Concert Hours Before Show to Rest and Heal
-
Shohei Ohtani 50/50 home run ball headed to auction. How much will it be sold for?
-
Halsey Hospitalized After Very Scary Seizure
-
Philadelphia mayor reveals the new 76ers deal to build an arena downtown