Meet 'The Golden Bachelorette’s 24 Sexy Seniors Who Will Woo Joan Vassos
The Golden Bachelorette Joan Vassos will have 24 senior men to choose from on the first season of the franchise show featuring an older female star.
The 61-year-old blonde beauty made waves on Gerry Turner’s ratings smash The Golden Bachelor last fall by leaving early due to her daughter’s postpartum crisis.
Joan’s daughter needed her after having a baby in a difficult C-section birth, so she regretfully left Gerry’s show.
"My family will always be first," she told the cameras. "Once you become a mom, you're always a mom, even when your kids are older. Nothing is more important."
But now, the former private school administrator from Rockville, Md., is the star of her own spinoff featuring many male contestants who have aged like fine wine.
Widower Gerry, now 73, touched the hearts of Bachelor Nation fans in his search for romance with an older star and competitors. Although he seemingly found love with his final pick Theresa Nist, 72, and they quickly got married on the lavish The Golden Wedding special, the couple decided to divorce after three months.
Despite Gerry’s fractured fairytale, viewers hoped one of his castoff ladies would get her own shot at love and ABC obliged by naming Joan the first The Golden Bachelorette on May 14.
Like Gerry, Joan has a heart-wrenching story of losing her longtime spouse. Her husband John Vassos died of pancreatic cancer in 2021 after 32 years of marriage.
Joan has four grown children: Allison, Nicholas, Erica and Luke. She also dotes on her three grandkids.
The elegant Golden Bachelorette star is surrounded by loving family members, but understandably still yearns for another partner.
The network unveiled the photos and bios of the 24 guys expected to go gaga for Joan.
The two-hour series premiere will air at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18 on ABC. Episodes will air next day on Hulu.
Read on to find out more about the men who will exit the limos on the first night for Joan!
The Golden Bachelorette 2024 Cast: Meet the 24 Men
Bill, 68, a retired videographer from Portland, Ore.
According to his ABC bio, Bill loves spending time with family, playing guitar, and public speaking. Joan could be in for a conversational treat with this older hunk.
Bill, a father of two, is a big Beatles fan and is watching every movie that ever won an Academy Award for best picture.
“I am Latin; romance is in my blood!” Bill says.
Bob, 66, a chiropractor from Marina Del Rey, Calif.
What about Bob? His interests include surfing, swimming in the ocean, watching Pixar movies, eating dark chocolate and going on walks with his dog, Clarence.
Bob hates fast food, which should resonate with Joan, who has said she loves to cook.
Charles K., 62, a portfolio manager from Palos Verdes, Calif.
Charles K., dad of five children, is very active and could be adventurous if he grabs a one-on-one date with Joan. He kayaks, plays basketball, dances, exercises, and explores the outdoors
The sexy senior is a fashionista and declares that men over 60 “still have game, charm and swag!”
Charles L., 66, a retired financial analyst from Philadelphia
Will Charles L. be a catch for Joan? He loves to fish and grew up making his own fishing nets.
The numbers guy grew up in rural China. He made good after moving to the United States with only $20 in his pocket.
But he has a youthful spirit, too, being an unexpected Britney Spears fan!
Chock, 60, an insurance executive from Wichita, Kan.
Chock has fun with his children and is big on exercising. His favorite team is the Kansas City Chiefs. But unlike some guys, he also loves shopping and "can't resist a good sale."
Chock is an expert on the grill, which would be attractive to Joan who favors hamburgers. Fun fact: He once went nighttime shark diving in Australia.
Christopher, 64, a contractor from West Babylon, N.Y.
This older man spends time exercising, cooking healthy meals, and bowling with his grandkids.
He’d be extra fun to be around on the holidays as his birthday is on Christmas Eve. Christopher 's band choice is Earth, Wind & Fire.
Dan, 64, a private investor from Naples, Fla.
With Joan’s academic background, Dan could be just her type. His ABC bio notes that he loves reading historical biographies. But he’s just as happy having a picnic at the beach.
This well-rounded guy also loves to sing, but not in public!
David, 68, a rancher from Austin, Texas
Talk about active! David’s thing is running marathons and traveling to new destinations as well as ranching.
His 91-year-old mother is David’s hero.
Gary, 65, a retired finance executive from Palm Desert, Calif.
Gary takes spin classes, golfs and watches The View. Other interests include going to spas, listening to disco music and keeping track of the USC Trojans football team.
No stranger to celebrity, this retiree says he is the godson of Tina Turner and boasts his own musical gifts, including a "beautiful" singing voice and "killer dance moves."
Gil, 60, an educator from Mission Viejo, Calif.
Joan should have plenty to talk about with this fellow educator. She might also enjoy some laughs with Gil, who visits comedy clubs with his friends. The Golden Bachelorette hopeful also favors foot massages, taking road trips with his family, and juggling!
Gregg, 64, a retired university VP from Longboat Key, Fla.
Like Gil, Gregg has academics in common with Joan. Gregg has three daughters and they all love watching Bachelor franchise shows together. He has a dog named FlipFlop because he wears flip-flops most of the time.
Other Gregg highlights? He loves root beer floats and recently traveled to Rwanda to hike with gorillas.
Guy, 66, an ER doctor from Reno, Nev.
This Guy’s in love with Joan? We’ll see. Guy, like Joan, has been blessed with four kids.
He’ll show an adventurous side, as he’s planning to hike Mount Kilimanjaro this fall. Guy is a Dallas Cowboys fan and like his fellow contestant Bill, he’s a Beatlemaniac.
Guy "wants to prove to the world that older men still have a zest for life."
Jack, 68, a caterer from Chicago
A retired chef and restaurant owner, Jack is also a father and grandfather. He travels and makes others laugh.
Jack told ABC that his favorite treat is a twice-a-month cigar. And step aside, pickleballer Gerry Turner! Jack is a racquetball champion.
Jonathan, 61, a shipping consultant from Oakland, Iowa
Refined Joan might want to give this suitor a close look. He has many cultural interests, including going to museums and attending live theater.
But Jonathan has a cuddly side, too, spending time with his three pets — a dog, a cat, and a floppy-eared rabbit.
Brains and brawn? Jonathan once considered becoming a bodybuilder. His weakness is amusement park funnel cake.
Jordan, 61, a sales manager from Chicago
What does Jordan do? He walks his dog, Mickey, along the lake, eats deep-dish pizza from Lou Malnati’s and plays ping-pong.
In colleges, Jordan won two “Mr. Legs” contests.
Keith, 62, a “girl dad” from San Jose, Calif.
Standing an incredible 6’5”, Keith is sure to stand out on night one of The Golden Bachelorette. He calls himself the "king of cornhole" and also is fond of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
According to his bio, Keith's life goal is to play a round of golf at Augusta National.
Ken, 60, a property management treasurer from Peabody, Mass.
He runs marathons, plays tennis and cycles. Other interests are Ted Lasso and Boston sports teams. Ken fantasizes about throwing out the first pitch at a Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park.
But surprisingly, Ken also rocks out to Miley Cyrus!
Kim, 69, a retired navy captain from Seattle, Wash.
Joan could share a seafaring date with Kim, as he enjoys spending time on his sailboat.
Kim calls himself an "excellent whistler" and still wants to learn new things like playing the piano.
Mark, 57, an army veteran from Leesville, La.
This father of five is already famous for being the father of Joey Graziadei’s The Bachelor season 28 fiance Kelsey Anderson!
Kelsey previously told Parade.com that her widower dad “has the biggest heart. He’s really goofy, too, and…he has this presence about him…I would love for him to find love again.”
Mark’s wife, Kelsey’s mom, died of breast cancer in 2018.
Mark recently told ABC he loved watching The Golden Bachelor because it made him realize he’s "not alone in his grief."
Michael, 65, a retired banking CEO from Denver, N.C.
Bookish Michael enjoys reading, watching movies and exploring Chicago’s botanical gardens.
He’s also in touch with youth culture. Michael says he went to Lollapalooza three times, all in his 50s. Michael calls himself a "Swiftie," aka a Taylor Swift fan.
Pablo, 63, a retired UN agency director from Cambridge, Md.
ABC has reported that when he isn’t volunteering as an EMT, Pablo, who is originally from Buenos Aires, enjoys visiting his kids and grandkids in California and New York, running ultra marathons, watching rugby, and eating ice cream.
Pablo is multifaceted, holding a degree in geographical engineering.
Pascal, 69, a salon owner from Chicago
Joan would have a blast with Pascal as he’s a fan of going to the theater, trying new restaurants, attending concerts, and taking in the aquarium with his grandson.
If he wasn’t running a salon, he would have loved to have become a fashion designer.
R.J., 66, a financial advisor from Irvine, Calif.
The Golden Bachelorette will feast her eyes on another tall guy as R.J. is 6-foot-5.
He plays poker and golf and dines with friends. Guilty pleasures? Warm chocolate chip cookies and long walks on the beach.
R.J. enjoys watching the movie Die Hard for Christmas! He has been to 47 of the United States and reads spy novels.
Thomas, 62, a fire department chief from New York City
His ABC bio reveals Thomas plays ukulele, eats ice cream and listens to Elton John while walking around New York’s Central Park.
Will he get wild and ride his unicycle on The Golden Bachelorette? It sounds like Thomas is also a foodie like Joan, as he once owned a crêperie in Rhode Island.