The inaugural season ofThe Golden Bacheloretteended with Joan Vassos and Chock Chapple getting engaged, but they don’t plan to move in together anytime soon. 61-year-old Joan made her television debut as a contestant onThe Golden Bachelor. TheBachelorspin-off made history as the first unscripted dating show to focus on the love lives of seniors. Though things were promising between Joan and 72-year-old Gerry Turner, Joan had to leave the show early to deal with a family emergency. Joan’sBachelorjourney appeared to be over, but it had just begun.
It wasn’t long before Joan was cast asThe Golden Bachelorette.She found herself standing outside the iconic mansion,The Golden Bachelorettecast. Among the men was 60-year-old Chock, who Joan liked right away. She even gave him the highly coveted first solo date. After a season of dates, laughter, and difficult choices,Joan gave her final rose boutonniere to Chock. Though the couple got engaged, they decided on a less traditional union. Read on to learn more about Joan and Chock’s unique living arrangement.
Joan & Chock Come From Different Places
Miles Apart
Before being cast inThe Golden Bachelorseason 1, Joan was living a relatively quiet life as a private school administrator in Maryland. She was married to John Vassos, with whom she had four children, for 32 happy years until he passed away in 2021.John was the love of Joan’s love, and she was devastated by the loss. She never thought she’d open her heart again, but, before he died, John told Joan he wanted her to get married again after he was gone.
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Like Joan, Chock had known profound loss.Chock lived in Kansas and was married to Heather Chapple for 12 years, and the couple had two children together before they divorced. After their split,Chock met Katherine Elizabeth White Goree, and they were engaged for nine years before she passed away in 2022. Chock also lost his mother while filming the season, and he even left to go tend to his family. The moment was similar to when Joan left Gerry’s season, but while Joan never came back, Chock rushed to get back to Joan as soon as he could.
Joan & Chock’s Long-Distance Relationship Dreams
It Was Her Plan All Along
Soon after being announced asThe Golden Bachelorette, she was interviewed byCNN, where she said she wouldn’t be rushing into marriage. She explained she felt people needed more time to get to know each other before entering into such a serious commitment. She told the interviewer she didn’t intend to get married right away,had no intention of leaving Maryland, and was open to being in a long-distance relationship.
Though she insisted she wasn’t being influenced by the terrible ending that befell the firstGolden Bachelorcouple, it had to play a role in her thinking.
The Golden Bachelorseason 1also ended with an engagement. Gerry proposed to 70-year-old Theresa Nist, and she accepted. They were married in a lavish dream wedding that aired on ABC a few weeks after the couple went public with their relationship.The newlyweds were only married for three monthswhen they announced their divorce. They had never lived in the same state, and the long-distance marriage quickly fell apart. Now Joan and Chock are going down the same road, and history may be repeating itself.
Will Joan & Chock Last?
They Have So Much Work To Do
Though it’s impossible to see the future,Joan and Chock have a tough roadahead of them, aside from the long-distance nature of their relationship. One problem is Joan doesn’t seem to be over her late husband yet, as she hadn’t been alone long before she joined the cast ofThe Golden Bachelor.For Chock’s part, the fact that he was in a nine-year-long engagement suggests his divorce could have made him gun shy about walking down the aisle. Regardless of their challenges,The Golden Bachelorettecouple would be better off if they weren’t living in different states.
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Insurance executive
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ER doctor
The Golden Bachelorette
Cast
The Golden Bachelorette: This reality series offers one woman in her later years the opportunity to find love, as a group of seasoned men compete for her affection. Participants bring diverse romantic histories, seeking a meaningful connection and a chance to build a promising future together.
