The Golden Bachelorette’s Joan Vassos Is Revitalizing The Brand (She'll Do Better Than Heartbreaker Gerry Turner)

The Golden Bachelorette star Joan Vassos may have been part of Gerry Turner’s season, but she’ll make a far better lead than the original heartbreaker, and hopefully revitalize the series. Joan, who appeared on The Golden Bachelor season 1 alongside several other women who were interested in seeing if they could build a connection with Gerry, had a shortened experience on the show. Leaving The Golden Bachelor early to tend to a family emergency, Joan pivoted easily after her time on the show was over. Although she only made it a few weeks, Joan made an impression on Bachelor Nation.

While Gerry’s time as The Golden Bachelor was one of the most watchable seasons of the series in years, things proved more difficult once the season was over. Gerry and his final pick, Theresa Nist, got married in a live wedding special just a month after The Golden Bachelor finale aired. Three short months later, the couple announced they’d be getting divorced, shocking Bachelor Nation. Many were worried about the future of The Golden Bachelorette, but Joan was soon announced as the lead. It quickly became clear that she would have to clean up the mess that Gerry left behind.

Joan’s The New Face Of The Golden Side Of The Franchise

She’s Taking The Spin-Off Over

As the new Golden Bachelorette, Joan is going to be taking on the newest iteration of the Golden series, and she’s ready for the journey of a lifetime. Joan, who shared during her time on The Golden Bachelor that her family was everything to her, has proven that she’s authentic in herself during her time with the franchise. While Gerry was cast to be a lead on Bachelor Nation, Joan was cast to be a contestant, which gave her the opportunity to be the most authentic version of herself on camera during her initial season.

Joan was able to allow viewers to get to know her for her, and even in the brief time she had on screen as she took on The Golden Bachelor, she was someone that Bachelor Nation was interested in getting to know. Joan has shared that she treasures her time with her grandchildren, and loves being a mom to her grown kids, too. She’s been open about the fact that she’s a widower, and while her late husband John Vassos is still someone she loves deeply, she’s ready to make the leap to meet the next love of her life.

Joan Has To Take On What Gerry Left Behind

She Has A Lot Of Pressure To Cope With

Although Joan has a great foundation coming into her time as The Golden Bachelorette, she has to deal with the mess Gerry left behind. Gerry, who Bachelor Nation was also excited about, wound up being less authentic than he claimed during his time as the lead. Lying about his relationships and the fact that he’d dated and dumped someone after his wife’s passing, Gerry’s reputation has tanked for his behavior after The Golden Bachelor season 1, leaving Joan with a major mess to clean up. Joan has to be as authentic as she can to keep Bachelor Nation at bay.

Joan’s Optimism Can Fix What Gerry Broke

She’s Happy To Be Taking On The Challenge

While Joan has a lot to deal with in her time as The Golden Bachelorette, she seems incredibly optimistic about the journey. With Joan knowing that she’ll be able to handle the pressures that come along with being the lead, she’s optimistic she’ll be able to clean up Gerry’s mess and make Bachelor Nation happy to have her as a lead on the show. Gerry may have made a mockery of the Golden process, but Joan’s going to be able to revitalize The Golden Bachelorette and that side of the franchise with her optimistic views and potentially sweet love story.