Who is ABC’s first-ever ‘Golden Bachelorette’? Meet 61-year-old grandma Joan Vassos from Maryland

Shift more than, Gerry Turner!

ABC has officially located its initial-ever “Golden Bachelorette.” Joan Vassos from Rockland, Maryland, will star in the inaugural season following her time on Turner’s “The Golden Bachelor” was cut limited.

Vassos, 61, still left Turner’s time early in week 3 to treatment for her daughter who had lately supplied birth.

Vassos is a mom of four, grandmother of two and a faculty administrator. Her late husband John, whom she was married to for 32 decades, died in January 2021 from pancreatic cancer.

“He was the spouse that normally made me experience risk-free and cherished,” she wrote by way of Instagram in January. “He was the mum or dad that was often the enjoyable 1 since that is all he knew how to do…lucky little ones because entertaining in his ebook was generally epic. I could go on for hrs.”

In her spare time, the new guide enjoys paying time with her dog, cooking and listening to Elton John.

In February, the network verified options to solid for “one radiant woman’s second probability at adore in her golden decades.”

“Now, as she actions into the golden spotlight and commences her journey to request like as soon as more, Vassos envisions a future filled with shared moments by the beach and cherished time with household,” a push launch read on Tuesday.

Turner, 72, formerly led “The Golden Bachelor,” which premiered in September 2023. He and contestant Theresa Nist married in an ABC-televised ceremony on Jan. 4. On April 12, they declared their divorce following a few months of relationship all through a “Good Morning America” job interview.

Turner went on to formally file for divorce from Nist on the exact working day their sit-down aired.

Nist stated that they appeared at residences in South Carolina and deemed New Jersey to settle down, but nothing at all arrived of their original strategies.

“Theresa and I have experienced a amount of heart-to-coronary heart discussions … and looked carefully to our living predicaments,” Turner mentioned at the time. “We just feel like it’s very best for the contentment of each of us to live aside. I however enjoy this person. There’s no doubt in my intellect.”

Turner reacted to Vassos’ casting shortly immediately after it was declared.

“Dear Joan, congratulations on being named the initial ever Golden Bachelorette,” he shared by means of Instagram on Tuesday. “You will be phenomenal as the new representative of a era. From a person golden to another … rest, breathe and take pleasure in.”

He captioned the article: “And, ABC will make Historical past, as soon as once again!!!”

“The Golden Bachelorette” will run for an hour and a half on Wednesdays this tumble, up from “The Golden Bachelor’s” a person-hour episodes previous calendar year. It will air at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and stream subsequent day on Hulu.