After many months of anticipation, The Golden Bachelorette Episode 1 is finally here! Leading lady Joan Vassos met 24 eligible senior bachelors on night one, which didn’t disappoint! Joan was the perfect choice for The Golden Bachelorette, as she has charm, beauty, and most importantly kindness. While Joan didn’t find love with Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner, she has a great chance at finding love as the Golden Bachelorette! Here’s everything that went down during the historic series premiere, just in case you missed it.
A little bit about Joan
Before meeting the men, Joan tells a little of her story as she gets ready. Joan feels incredibly happy to be the Golden Bachelorette, mixed with some nervousness and excitement. The night is emotional for Joan, however, as it makes her think about her late husband John.
Joan explains that she met John when he was 21 and she was 20. John made Joan’s life fun and always lit up any room he walked into. Unfortunately, after 33 years together, John tragically passed away from pancreatic cancer. Joan tearfully remembers the night he passed away but admits that she still feels John’s presence through hawks. While John will always have a special place in Joan’s heart, she says she is ready for a second great love.
Bring on the men!
After meeting host Jesse Palmer outside the mansion, it’s officially time for Joan to meet the men! While all 24 men had a creative entrance, some of them stood out more than others. Pascal was the first suitor to meet Joan, who wooed her with his Parisian accent. Chock also made a notable first impression, by introducing Joan to his famous “Chock a noodle soup”. It looked delicious! Gary kept the energy high by pulling Joan into a dance, while Jack stepped out of the limo singing to Joan.
Guy immediately caught Joan’s attention and further intrigued her by telling her to remember him from his cologne. Joan admitted that Guy was “handsome” and appeared quite starstruck by him. David chose to take a different path by riding in on a horse, which went perfectly until it ran away! Another notable suitor from the jump was Keith, who identifies as a proud girl dad. Keith opened up about his ex struggling with addiction in his intro, which led him to take on an even stronger parental role for his girls.
Last, but certainly not least was a familiar face for Bachelor Nation. The Bachelor Season 28 winner Kelsey Anderson showed up to introduce Joan to her beloved father, Mark Anderson. Mark told Joan that he raised his kids to take chances and that he wanted to do the same thing on this journey. Joan was elated to meet Mark and the two had an instant connection.
The night kicks off
The men are thrilled to see Joan again as she comes in to give a toast before kicking things off. Joan talks about how her experience on The Golden Bachelor changed her life and how she really thinks this can work. Seconds later, Pascal steals Joan away for the first chat. He always has to be first! Joan likes Pascal and says that he makes her “feel hopeful”. Back in the common room, the men are trying to figure out how many fake hips are in the room. Oh, how I love this show.
Next up is Dan, who tells Joan about how his daughters encouraged him to do the show. Greg tells Joan his happy place is with her, while Charles K takes her for a race on some electric scooters. Jordan feels worried about getting tongue-tied during his entrance but quickly wins Joan over by giving her a gift for her grandson. He continues to stand out by taking her to play some pickleball, which the rest of the men soon end up crashing. Of course, The Golden Bachelorette wouldn’t be complete without pickleball!
Back inside, Jack is amazed by how luxurious the mansion is. Charles L, on the other hand, is loving the kitchen. Iconic much? Alright, let’s get back to Joan. Kim jokes that he hopes Joan will find a prince among the frogs, and hopes that the prince might be him. Guy continues to make a strong impression on Joan, who already wants to talk to him again. Mark is excited to get to learn more about Joan, while Jonathan flatters her with a poem.
Time for the first impression rose
As Jesse brings out the first impression rose, the pressure is on! Jack tries to shoot his best shot at Joan by cooking her a meal, while Charles L charms her with dessert. Christopher keeps the trend going by bringing Joan some chocolates and Michael connects with her by sharing pictures of his gardening. Keith steals Joan away for a game of corn hole and beams that she is “easy to talk to”. Chock is the last man to get time with Joan and uses it to open up about family.
After some suspense, Joan eventually gives the first impression rose to Keith! Joan explains that the conversation with Keith “felt easy”. Furthermore, Keith won Joan over by expressing a desire to go grab some wine, cheese, and crackers and head to the beach with her. Well done Keith! The night ends with a sweet surprise for the men from Joan. They watch on in tears as their family members back home share video messages encouraging them to make the most of their journey. This show never ends with the tearjerkers!
At the rose ceremony, Joan feels happy but stressed. She’s really dreading having to send some of the men home and doesn’t want to “hurt anyone’s feelings”. After taking a quick break, Joan finishes handing out roses to 17 more men. Unfortunately, Bill, David, Ken, Pablo, RJ, and Thomas were sent home. Joan hugs the men goodbye and ends with a toast to her 18 remaining suitors. Let the journey begin!
The Golden Bachelorette continues Wednesdays at 8/7c on ABC.
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE EPISODE 1? WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE SUITORS SO FAR?
