First Golden Bachelorette revealed as Joan Vassos

Joan Vassos is getting her second second chance at love.

ABC just announced that the 60-year-old private school administrator from Rockland, Md., will be the first-ever star of The Golden Bachelorette, which will air Wednesday nights this fall. Vassos was a contestant on the network's successful first season of The Golden Bachelor, but she had to end her "journey" with widower Gerry Turner early due to a family situation.

Joan's casting comes as a bit of a surprise, given that many fans in Bachelor Nation saw Golden Bachelor runner up, Leslie Fhima, as the frontrunner for the Golden Bachelorette gig. While attending the Golden Wedding between Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist earlier this year (may their marriage rest in peace), EW asked Leslie if she would be open to the Golden Bachelorette gig, and her answer was succinct: "Yeah, I would."

But just as they did with the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, ABC decided to defy expectations with their choice of lead. That said, Joan became a fan favorite on The Golden Bachelor early on. After reciting a poem called "I Just Hope I Don't Vomit on Your Shoes" at the episode 3 talent show, Joan earned a one-on-one date with Gerry — and the two of them bonded over the difficulty of getting back into dating after losing a spouse. The next day, however, Joan got a call from her daughter, who just had a baby and was struggling with postpartum issues. A tearful Joan decided that she needed to go home and support her child. "I don't want to leave our journey," she told Gerry, "but I've got to be a parent."

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ABC has not yet announced a premiere date for The Golden Bachelorette, but we know that the episodes will be 90 minutes long and will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m.