The Golden Bachelorette: Pascal Ibgui Isn't The Villain He's Made Out To Be (Producer Interference Could Be The Reason Behind His Villain Edit)

The Golden Bachelorette's Pascal Ibgui left the season in disgrace after breaking Joan Vassos' heart, but it's possible that he wasn't the villain he was made out to be. The 69-year-old Frenchman traveled to the iconic Bachelor mansion from his home in Chicago, Illinois, where he runs a luxury beauty salon. The divorced father of two was looking for love, and excited about meeting 61-year-old Joan. She was already a known entity, having been a contestant on The Golden Bachelor season 1. Though she connected with 72-year-old Gerry Turner, she had a family emergency and had to leave early.

It wasn't long before Joan was announced as The Golden Bachelorette, and kicked off the season by greeting 24 single golden-aged men who'd be vying for her affections. In the end, Joan gave her final rose to 60-year-old Chock Chapple, and the two got engaged, but the road there wasn't exactly easy. The most painful moment of the season came when Pascal broke Joan's heart and eliminated himself from the show. He was vilified for the ugly exit, but now he claims producer interference was the real problem.

Pascal Ripped Joan's Heart Out

Joan Was Completely Blindsided

All seemed well when Pascal made it to Joan's final three, but disaster struck during their overnight date. While The Golden Bachelorette season 1 couple were participating in a symbolic bonding ceremony, Pascal panicked. In a scene posted to YouTube by Bachelor Nation, Pascal told Joan that he couldn't love her, saw her as more of a friend, and eliminated himself from the show.

Producers Interfered With Pascal's Breakup With Joan

Pushing A Narrative

Pascal finally broke his silence about his much maligned exit from The Golden Bachelorette season 1 in an interview with Glamour. He explained that he broke it to Joan more gently at first, but the show's overbearing producers kept pushing him to be harsher. "The producer [explained I should be clearer that I wasn’t in love with her], but I was [hesitant] to use that word." He claims that he never wanted to hurt Joan, which is why he tried to stop cameras from capturing the painful moment.

Could Pascal Be The Next Golden Bachelor?

Oui Oui

The witty, charming Pascal would make an excellent choice for The Golden Bachelor season 2. The fact that things didn't work out between him and Joan shouldn't keep him from getting the job, especially since Joan ended up with the man of her dreams in Chock. Casting Pascal would give The Golden Bachelor a fun, international flavor, and the season could even travel to Paris, France.