A 61-year-old Maryland grandmother and school administrator has been named ABC’s first-ever “Golden Bachelorette.”
Joan Vassos, who ABC says is from Rockland — but most likely is from Rockville, according to Washingtonian magazine — will lead the network reality TV spin-off of its enormously popular “Bachelorette” series.
“The Golden Bachelorette” focuses on women of a certain age who are looking for a life partner. The show will “spotlight a second chance at love for one radiant woman in her golden years,” ABC said Tuesday in a news release announcing the casting.
Vassos, who lost her husband after 32 years of marriage, is a mother of four and grandmother of two. She enjoys listening to Elton John, cooking and spending time with her dog, ABC said in the news release.
Vassos was originally part of the cast for “The Golden Bachelor,” which the network launched last fall. She left the show voluntarily just a few weeks into the season after her daughter experienced a medical concern.
“The Golden Bachelor” series, which garnered 43 million viewers across all platforms during its inaugural season, concluded with a proposal from senior singleton Gerry Turner to Theresa Nist. The couple were married live in a special broadcast on ABC in January. Just a few months later, however, Turner and Nist announced they would divorce.
“The Golden Bachelorette” episodes will air Wednesdays this fall on ABC and the following day on the subscription streaming service Hulu.
