'Golden Bachelorette’ Star Reveals Shocking Fantasy Suites Twist

As the first Golden Bachelorette, Joan Vassos is taking the senior version of the franchise in a completely new direction.

Her first order of business: Turn Fantasy Suites Week upside down.

Joan, 61, told Parade in an exclusive interview that she banned the bed!

“I saw a value in having a fantasy suite—you really do need to have those off-camera conversations, but I just took [sex] off the table,” she told Parade.

The change will come as a shock to Bachelor Nation fans who have always seen the series star share the suites—and their luxe king-sized beds—with their final picks.

“I decided almost even before I went on The [Golden] Bachelorette that fantasy suites needed to be like my own personal version of them, that I didn’t feel comfortable having a physical relationship with more than one person and so, my fantasy suites were really more about emotional intimacy than physical,” she told Parade.

Fans will see the willowy blonde widow first meet her 24 senior suitors Wednesday, Sept. 18 on the hotly anticipated series premiere.

Her hopefuls included a rancher, firefighter, beauty salon owner, ER doctor and caterer.

The private school administrator said she was thrilled to see the guys' creative entrances as they exited the limos.

As the Los Angeles Times recently teased, one man will serenade Joan with Frank Sinatra’s “My Way,” another will show off dance moves and a third will spontaneously do push-ups to impress the series star.

“That was maybe my favorite night of the season, getting to meet them for the first time," Joan told Parade. "Epic entrances, just like we always have…I was really conscious that this was really hard for them. I tried to make them feel comfortable…they got over that nervousness…we had great conversations right away.”

She also had high-flying dates later in the season, as Parade previously previewed.

Rockville, Maryland resident Joan took a different approach. She still misses her husband John Vassos, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2021 after they’d been married 32 years. They raised four children together.

"I want this to be known that this was truly about emotional intimacy and about talking about the things that you need to know before you make an important decision about a person," Joan said. "So my fantasy suites were different. They were what I needed them to be and the men were very respectful of that.”

The senior star shot to fame as one of Gerry Turner’s contestants on The Golden Bachelor. But Joan self-eliminated from last fall's smash hit when her daughter Erica experienced postpartum depression and needed her mother’s help.

Joan told Parade that Erica and her baby granddaughter, Hartley, 14 months, are now doing wonderfully. That gave Joan the opportunity to launch her own TV search for love.

“I have a zest for life. I love being with my family…[but] I’m also ready to have a life with a partner,” she noted.

The Golden Bachelorette premieres at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, Sept. 18 and will air each on Wednesdays.