It was back in February when ABC finally confirmed that The Golden Bachelorette was coming, following the success of Gerry Turner’s season, but fans had to wait quite a bit longer for the network to announce which lucky lady would get another chance at love in her golden years. Joan Vassos, who self-eliminated from The Golden Bachelor in order to go home to care for her daughter, will start fresh on her own journey this fall. As Turner and others reacted to the big news, one ABC exec explained why Vassos’ episodes will run for 90 minutes, rather than the hour given to her predecessor.
Gerry Turner, Leslie Fhima And More React To Joan Vassos Being Named The Golden Bachelorette
Gerry Turner was straight-up distraught when Joan Vassos told him she had to leaveThe Golden Bachelor, later explaining that her daughter had been suffering from a serious case of postpartum depression. It’s no surprise, then, that he was thrilled to be able to welcome her back for the opportunity to lead her own journey on the initial season of The Golden Bachelorette. Following the announcement from ABC, Turner wrote on Instagram:
Dear Joan, Congratulations on being named the first ever Golden Bachelorette. You will be phenomenal as the new representative of a generation. From one Golden to another….relax, breathe and enjoy. Gerry
The 72-year-old retiree has been going through it since announcing his divorce from Theresa Nist after just three months of marriage, but there seemed to be no bad blood between him and his fellow Golden lead, as Joan Vassos commented on his post:
What a beautiful message from my fellow golden. You have taught me so much about being open and vulnerable and how looking for love at this age can be dignified and fun. Thank you my friend for setting the stage for the rest of us Goldens…and I’m open to advice!!! XO
I love seeing that these two are bonding over their unique position! While Joan Vassos did seem like a natural pick for the show given her charisma and how much Bachelor Nation was rooting for her, many people expected Gerry Turner’s runner-up Leslie Fhima to nab the role. No explanation was given as to why the Minnesota fitness instructor wasn’t chosen, but either way, Fhima expressed excitement for her friend on Instagram Stories:
Other words of encouragement for Joan Vassos included:
- My dear Joan, I am so excited for you!! – Theresa Nist
- So happy for you Joan. You are truly golden and can’t wait to see where this journey takes you my friend!❤️❤️ – Kathy Swarts
- I cannot WAIT 🤩🤩🤩 – Jesse Palmer
- Congratulations to my friend on becoming the first Golden Bachelorette! Wishing you luck – Nancy Hulkower
There’s more good news, too, as the length of Joan Vassos’ episodes will be longer than Gerry Turner’s were, and ABC executive Craig Erwich explained why.
Why The Golden Bachelorette Episode Length Was Increased
With The Golden Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise airing on the same night on ABC last winter, Gerry Turner was given just one hour compared to the tropical spinoff’s two hours. With BIP Season 9 being such a disaster — featuring plotlines about poop babies and then all of its couples breaking up immediately following the season finale — that probably should have been switched to allow Turner and his phenomenal women more screen time.
Maybe ABC agrees, as TV Group President Craig Erwich explained why The Golden Bachelorette episodes will run 90 minutes long. He told Deadline:
The first Golden Bachelorette has an incredible story, and although we were thrilled with the results, last year we felt that there were still story elements, characters and aspects of the show that 90 minutes can really capture the full essence of.
The Golden Bachelor did a great job of taking what is traditionally a 120-minute show and cutting it in half; however, nobody would have complained about getting to see more of Gerry Turner and his wonderful group of women, who included new Bachelor Nation podcasters Susan Noles and Kathy Swarts (aka the Kris and Caitlin Jenner lookalikes). Hopefully having an extra 30 minutes will let us get to know Joan Vassos and her eligible bachelors even more!
The Golden Bachelorette will air on Wednesdays on ABC, so stay tuned to our 2024 TV schedule for an exact premiere date.