Joan Vassos’ Early Exit on ‘The Golden Bachelor’ May Have Secured Her the Lead on ‘The Golden Bachelorette’

Joan Vassos, a 61-year-old Maryland native, is set to become the very first golden bachelorette. Vassos briefly appeared on The Golden Bachelor before self-eliminating from the competition. While plenty of fans are excited to see Vassos take center stage in the fall, her involvement was a bit surprising. Many viewers assumed her early exit made her a longshot for the role of the first-ever golden bachelorette. It might have been more helpful than harmful. 

We think Joan Vassos’ early exit on ‘The Golden Bachelor’ helped her land her new job 

While it is impossible to say for certain, it seems possible that Vassos’s early exit from the series and the reason behind that exit made her more marketable to the team behind The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette. Vassos’ decision to leave in week 3 to help her daughter through postpartum depression was certainly noble. It cemented her in viewers’ minds as a family woman whose overarching focus is still on her children. 

Her early exit also ensured that she had absolutely no drama with the other women in the house, nor was she weighed down by recent heartbreak. Of course, there is plenty more behind the decision. Still, Vassos offers viewers a true “comeback” story. That seems like something ABC will be leaning into as the season premiere gets closer. 

Who did ‘The Golden Bachelor’ fans think would become the first-ever golden bachelorette? 

Following the end of The Golden Bachelor, viewers took to Instagram, Reddit, and X (formerly Twitter) to debate who would become the first-ever golden bachelorette. While viewers tossed around plenty of names, most fans circled back to runner-up Leslie Fhima. Fhima was on board with appearing on the show, and most viewers assumed she was a shoo-in. 

Fhima was well-liked by viewers, and most agree that Gerry Turner led her on. It was expected that ABC would give her a redemption arc. We will never know why ABC went with Vassos over Fhima. It seems possible that the way her storyline played out and how hurt she was by Turner’s rejection played into the final decision. 

While Fhima is not the first-ever golden bachelorette, she is still active on social media, and viewers are hopeful that she’ll weigh in on the season as things progress. Susan Noles and Kathy Swarts will surely be discussing it on their podcast. 

ABC has yet to announce a premiere date for The Golden Bachelorette. The series is a part of the fall 2024 TV schedule, though. The network has yet to announce the men vying for Vassos’ affection.