The Golden Bachelorette contestant Pascal Ibgui self-eliminated from Joan Vassos' season, and, in the process of criticizing the show, he threw some shade at The Bachelor season 28 couple Joey Graziadei and Kelsey Anderson's lifestyle, adding to the backlash. Pascal, a 69-year-old salon owner, who was born in France but now lives in Chicago, Illinois, left The Golden Bachelorette season 1 when he realized that he wasn't in love with Joan. Although he felt a connection with her, he didn't feel the spark that he was looking for, so he decided to leave during their Fantasy Suite date.
Pascal emphasized that The Golden Bachelorette doesn't work logistically for older people.
In an interview with Glamour, when asked if he'd consider rekindling his relationship with Joan if she ended up single, Pascal emphasized that The Golden Bachelorette doesn't work logistically for older people. He said, "I said from the beginning, if you take a 25- to 30-year-old kid who doesn’t have a pot to pee on, doesn’t own a car, who are in between jobs, who rent an apartment, who’s looking for an identity…it’s easy to say, 'Hey, I’m going to move to L.A., I’m going to move to New Orleans, and we’re going to make a living together.'"
Pascal seemed to be referring to Joey and Kelsey, who originally lived in New Orleans after his season when he relocated there and moved into Kelsey's home. Now they're living in Los Angeles while Joey competes in Dancing With The Stars season 33. They've faced some backlash for these decisions. Pascal continued, "But when you are like me, established, I have a business, I have real estate, I have my friends, I have my routine, I have my health club, I have my connection…I ain’t going to move anywhere."
Pascal gave an idea about how Golden seasons could be handled going forward. He suggested, "They should do The Golden Bachelor of Chicago, The Golden Bachelor of New York, The Golden Bachelor of L.A., The Golden Bachelor of Miami. Chicago’s got 13 million people. You tell me you can’t find 25 widowed or divorced people in that age group? Because in my age, I want to wake up with somebody, I want go to bed with somebody. I want to take a walk with somebody. I don’t want to get in a plane to go see somebody every two weeks."
Pascal went on to say that the concept of The Golden Bachelor "needs to be modified" in order to accommodate older generations. "To me, if I meet somebody who lives in [another suburb of Chicago], okay then. We could go spend every weekend together. We could spend a couple nights a week together. But if you live in Washington DC, when am I going to see you?" he wondered.
Pascal admitted that location was one of the greatest obstacles in his relationship with Joan. He said, "And I think, to me, that’s the biggest challenge I had with Joan. I didn’t want to invest because I want a partner on a daily basis." Joan currently resides in Rockville, Maryland, while Pascal lives in Chicago, Illinois.
I said from the beginning, if you take a 25- to 30-year-old kid who doesn’t have a pot to pee on, doesn’t own a car, who are in between jobs, who rent an apartment, who’s looking for an identity…it’s easy to say, "Hey, I’m going to move to L.A., I’m going to move to New Orleans, and we’re going to make a living together." But when you are like me, established, I have a business, I have real estate, I have my friends, I have my routine, I have my health club, I have my connection…I ain’t going to move anywhere. They should do The Golden Bachelor of Chicago , The Golden Bachelor of New York , The Golden Bachelor of L.A. , The Golden Bachelor of Miami .
Chicago’s got 13 million people. You tell me you can’t find 25 widowed or divorced people in that age group? Because in my age, I want to wake up with somebody, I want go to bed with somebody. I want to take a walk with somebody. I don’t want to get in a plane to go see somebody every two weeks. So, I think the concept that The Golden Bachelor needs to be modified to a way where they could accommodate the older generation like myself. To me, if I meet somebody who lives in [another suburb of Chicago], okay then. We could go spend every weekend together. We could spend couple nights a week together. But if you live in Washington DC, when am I going to see you? And I think, to me, that’s the biggest challenge I had with Joan. I didn’t want to invest because I want a partner on a daily basis.
What Pascal Taking Issue With Location Means For Golden Spin-Offs
The Golden Bachelor's Gerry Turner & Theresa Nist Faced The Same Problem
Pascal is absolutely right about location becoming an issue for Golden couples. Before her season even aired, Joan made it clear that she'd never move away from her family. In addition, The Golden Bachelor season 1 couple Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist announced their divorce just three months after their Golden Wedding because they couldn't decide where to live since neither one of them wanted to leave their family.
Pascal's concerns are completely valid, and they reflect the feelings of many Golden contestants as well. It was definitely easier for Joey and Kelsey to relocate together at their young age than it would be for someone with children and grandchildren and an established career to do it. Pascal might've sounded like he was throwing shade at Joey and Kelsey because he used somewhat dismissive language to describe their situation, especially by calling people aged 25 to 30 "kids," but he's right about the location issue.
Our Take On Location Becoming An Issue On Golden Spin-Offs
Pascal Has A Fantastic Idea For Future Seasons
Pascal's idea to set a Golden spin-off in one specific city or area is spectacular because it solves the problem of people having to relocate. Long-distance relationships are difficult, but they're especially challenging when people are older with established lives. It's hard to travel by car or by plane so frequently, so it would make sense to keep the contestants local. This would help them to see each other on a regular basis, if not daily, and give them a better chance of making their relationship last.
Although Pascal's implicit use of Joey and Kelsey as an example of the younger generation having more freedom diminished the unique challenges that they face, he's right that it was easier for them to pick up and move than it would be for him as a father, grandfather, and successful businessman to do. Hopefully, the Golden spin-off producers will take Pascal's idea of limiting next season to a specific location into consideration because it would make the most sense and give everyone involved a better chance at living happily ever after.
The Golden Bachelorette airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.
