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Joan Vassos is happily in love with Chock Chapple, the man she chose at the end of The Golden Bachelorette season 1. While it’s clear that both Joan and Chock are fans of the dating competition, Joan recently discussed the competition’s limitations, even revealing that she almost axed one of the men who made it to her “final four.” Apparently, night one in the mansion can lead to some pretty poor first impressions.

Joan Vassos Almost Sent Home a Finalist on Night One of ‘The Golden Bachelorette’

The inaugural Golden Bachelorette star, who got engaged to Chock Chapple at the end of her 2024 season, has revealed that one of the men who made it all the way to her final four very nearly didn’t survive the first rose ceremony. The confession certainly casts night one in the Bachelor Mansion in a fresh light.

Joan, along with Chock, recently sat down on Two Be Continued… and opened up about finding love in front of millions of viewers. She recounted how brutal the first night in the mansion was, and how her job and the job of her suitors are very different. Joan said that, going into night one, she was looking for men she needed to eliminate, not the man she wanted to spend her life with. She found the job really tough.

Vassos said she had such a hard time with night one that she had asked producers if she could keep all the contestants after the first rose ceremony so she could get to know them better. They declined, forcing her to cut six men. One of those on the bubble would go on to reach the top four. As she put it, “Like the one guy that I almost eliminated ended up in my final four.”

Why Did She Almost Cut Him?

The reason she hesitated? Nerves. “He was really, really nervous,” Vassos recalled. “And that’s not a reason to eliminate somebody, but I couldn’t get to know him because he was so nervous. He was shaking, he had sweaty palms, he couldn’t remember anything that he had planned to say, which is typical.” She opted against dinging him because she remembered feeling the same way when she appeared on The Golden Bachelor to vie for Gerry Turner’s affection.

Joan opted not to reveal which of the final four was the man who stumbled his way through the night. Her top four were Chock, Pascal Ibgui, Guy Gansert, and Jordan Heller. Pascal Ibgui was not nervous at all, so fans presume she was not referencing him. Guy Gansert was the runner-up, though we could see nerves getting the best of him initially. Chapple and Heller could have been the man in question, but neither is copping to it.

What’s Next for the Franchise?

Vassos made history as the very first Golden Bachelorette. After being a contestant on The Golden Bachelor and quitting in week three due to a family emergency, she was announced as the inaugural lead in May 2024. Filming began that June in Los Angeles and wrapped in Tahiti, with Vassos accepting a proposal from Chock Chapple. The two remain together, splitting time between Maryland and Kansas, though wedding plans are still at least a year away.

Joan Vassos in promotional art for 'The Golden Bachelorette'
Joan Vassos in promotional art for ‘The Golden Bachelorette’ | Disney

While fans are hoping for a second season of The Golden Bachelorette, ABC has not announced plans for more. The series did not appear in a peek of the fall schedule, and ABC is currently dealing with PR headaches across the entire franchise. It’s possible the franchise is simply paused while the network figures out a new direction. Only time will tell.

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