Inside 'The Golden Bachelorette' With Joan Vassos

Joan Vassos — willowy, blonde, and 61 years young — is surrounded by 12 senior men who are getting ready to show some skin.

It's early afternoon on a hot Tuesday in July, and Joan is standing on stage at the Avalon Hollywood nightclub with a group of eligible suitors who hope to win her heart during the inaugural season of The Golden Bachelorette (premiering Sept. 18 on ABC ). Right now, though, they'll have to compete for Joan's attention with a chiseled Chippendales dancer named RK. The shirtless Adonis, his pecs and abs glistening in the glare of the spotlight, is teaching the group some moves — and if the sounds coming from the stage are any indication, things are getting pretty steamy.

Okay, maybe sounds aren't the best indication. While these gentlemen will be performing a Chippendales-style strip show for Joan later in the day, the current chorus of moans is the result of something not quite as sexy: Stretching exercises. ⁘ Ohhh ,⁘ groans one man as he rotates his hips in a circle. ⁘ Ooof ,⁘ another grunts as he attempts to limber up his hamstring. ⁘Oh, man.⁘

⁘We talked about a lot of different people,⁘ says Claire Freeland, who serves as executive producer on the Bachelor franchise alongside Bennett Graebner and Jason Erlich. ⁘But Joan's journey was cut short by something that is very relatable. Joan is a caregiver and that's why she left her journey last season. She still has a sincere desire to find her next great love. I don't feel like people got to see enough of her, so I'm thrilled that she's back.⁘

Unlike Gerry Turner, who initially turned down the offer to be the inaugural senior Bachelor, Joan had no qualms about raising her hand for Golden Bachelorette . "I did go into Golden Bachelor a little nervous. I didn't know how they were going to depict us. I didn't know the producers. Now I know what good hearts they have. They're trying to help us find love, and they're not trying to make us look foolish, like, 'Look at the older people dating.' So, I was very trusting coming into this, and I really wanted it."

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