Once Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist got married after their season of The Golden Bachelor (and eventually called it quits after four months of marriage), the cast weighed in on the possibility of a spin-off series—and it looks like they fully manifested it! Case in point? The Golden Bachelorette is officially coming to ABC in T-minus 1 day! The network made an official announcement ahead of the Super Bowl on Saturday, February 10, during Disney’s Television Critics Association Press Tour panel.
“The moment you’ve been waiting for: #TheGoldenBachelorette is coming this Fall. 💛,” The Golden Bachelor’s official Instagram account wrote.
So without further ado, let’s get into what you really came here for. Find all the details surrounding The Golden Bachelorette (including its cast, release date, and fan theories!) below.
Is The Golden Bachelorette happening?
Yes! The Golden Bachelorette is officially a go, thanks to the success of The Golden Bachelor. According to a press release by ABC, the inaugural season of the spinoff reached 43.4 million total viewers and became the network’s number-one unscripted series premiere ever on Hulu.
The first Golden Bachelor, Gerry Turner, told E! News in December 2023 that any of the contestants from his season would be a great fit for a potential spin-off. “I absolutely do hope that is something that happens,” he told the outlet. “But there’s no way I could recommend one out of those 22 women that would be better than any of the others. They’d all be wonderful candidates for it.”
Who is The Golden Bachelorette?
According to Variety, Joan Vassos is the first-ever Golden Bachelorette!
A March 2024 report from USA Today revealed that ABC’s lead choices were Joan and Gerry’s runner-up Leslie Fhima. How! Ever! The publication stated that “people familiar with the plans” (perhaps ABC execs or producers?) thought Faith Martin was also a contender thanks to her “passion for the dating series” and the fact that she landed in third place during Gerry’s season.
FYI, fans initially thought that Susan (who returned to the program to officiate Gerry and Theresa’s wedding) could be the first Golden Bachelorette. Some even put in the work to search Susan’s name on Twitter—only to suspiciously find one tweet. This ultimately led Bachelor Nation to theorize for quite some time that Susan could potentially hold the title for the spinoff’s first season.
That said, Kathy *also* quickly became a fan favorite on The Golden Bachelor, and fans petitioned for her continued involvement in the series.
TL;DR: It could have been legit anyone, but we’re so happy for Joan. ❤️
When does The Golden Bachelorette come out?
The Golden Bachelorette is set to premiere on September 18 on ABC and will be available for next-day streaming on Hulu. According to a press release from the network, the series will join its Wednesday night lineup before Abbott Elementary.
