RETURNING FAVORITES

Everything's coming up roses for Joan Vassos, whose search for a new romance begins our annual look at all the shows you love

- Kate Hahn

THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 18, 8/7c, ABC

Being open and vulnerable was very uncomfortable. It took time [to get there], but it's exactly what you need to be when you're looking for love," says Joan Vassos. Fine romantic advice in general, but for Vassos, America's premier single senior, it was imperative for her journey on The Golden Bachelorette. The first-ever star of the new franchise feels "a lot of pressure. Being an O.G. is kind of epic. I hope I did it right."

The 61-year-old widowed mother, grandmother and former school administrator famously left the first installment of The Golden Bachelor in 2023 to help her postpartum daughter, just when Vassos and the guy with all the roses, Gerry Turner, were hitting it off.

"Seeing Joan's journey with Gerry cut short due to her commitments inspired us to give her that second chance," says Bennett Graebner, an executive producer, along with Claire Freeland. Joan's decision to leave, Freeland says, shows how much "she's a caregiver. I've never seen someone so courteous, so kind, so generous with time and being a listener."

Vassos did some serious listening a month before taping of the sister franchise began. She'd remained good friends with Gerry and asked for advice. She shares, "He said to be open, give everybody a chance, find out what they value.