It’s official! ABC has finally announced who will be the star for the premiere season of The Golden Bachelorette.
We’ve been waiting for months for this news, as the woman-led spinoff was announced on the heels of The Golden Bachelor finale, and fans were left to speculate about who might take the starring role.
It’s safe to say that the announcement comes as a big surprise, as many women were considered fan favorites.
They included Susan Noles, who seems to be everywhere following her stint on The Golden Bachelor and after she acted as officiant for Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s wedding.
Others that were top contenders included Faith Martin, who came in third place, and runner-up Leslie Fhima
But none of those women will be starring in The Golden Bachelorette this fall.
Instead, the leading role was given to an early contender for the top spot, and one that we honestly thought had little chance of actually landing the role.
ABC announces Joan Vassos as The Golden Bachelorette
Filming is set to start soon, and ABC has finally made the official announcement about who will star in The Golden Bachelorette.
They chose Joan Vassos, the gorgeous blonde who famously went home after an amazing date with Gerry Turner because her daughter was experiencing complications after giving birth.
Joan was considered a top contender for Gerry’s heart after forming a connection with him during their night out. But as she told Gerry upon her exit, family comes first.
The 61-year-old school administrator was announced on Tuesday during Disney’s upfronts as they prepare for the fall and winter TV seasons for all their networks, including ABC.
The news brought Gerry to tears, but it’s safe to say that, like her Golden Bachelor co-star, Joan may have dodged a bullet by going home early and saving herself from Theresa Nist’s fate.
And now, she gets to take the lead and navigate a full season of suitors who only have eyes for her. This is the best news we’ve heard all week!
More updates on The Golden Bachelorette
In addition to this exciting casting news, we also learned that The Golden Bachelorette will get a great primetime spot on Wednesday nights, deviating from the typical Bachelor Monday night timeslot as well as The Golden Bachelor’s Thursday night.
This is great news because The Golden Bachelorette won’t have to compete with Monday or Thursday-night football games, which prove to be tough competition when it comes to viewership and ratings.
We also learned that The Golden Bachelorette will be getting an additional 30 minutes per episode compared to The Golden Bachelor, which was criticized for the short episodes, which were over too fast for all the content they were trying to cram into them.
Bachelor Nation can look forward to a more leisurely but still compact 90 minutes per episode when Joan Vassos and her senior suitors make their debut this fall.
The Golden Bachelorette will air on Wednesday nights this fall on ABC.