It was an eventful first episode of the inaugural season of "The Golden Bachelorette," which premiered Wednesday last week, with the first rose ceremony sending home six men.
"Let this journey begin," Joan Vassos says in her SUV enroute to the Bachelor Mansion greet-a-thon. "Bring on the men!"
After meeting with the group of 24 potential suitors, Vassos said goodbye to six of them, including Texas rancher David, 68, who rode up to the Bachelor Mansion on a horse. The group is now ready to settle into the mansion and "adjust to the close quarters," says ABC.
Episode 2 of the season will see Joan and her suitors "take a nostalgic trip down memory lane to relive their senior prom, with a special performance by Taylor Dayne, as the men compete for the title of prom king, proving they still know how to rock a tuxedo and that their rhythm is as strong as ever," says ABC about the upcoming episode.
After that, Joan and "one lucky man" will head to Disneyland Resort "for a magical day," which will be followed by the Second Annual Golden Talent Showcase, during which the men will showcase their talents and will be guest judged by Loni Love. The winner of the talent show will get a private dinner with Joan.
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"As the week wraps up, Joan and the men swap their cocktail party attire for casual barbecue gear, giving her the chance to see her suitors in a more relaxed light," says ABC.
Here's what to know about "The Golden Bachelorette," including contestants, trailer and how to watch new episodes.
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"The Golden Bachelor" alum Joan Vassos is ABC's inaugural leading lady on the first-ever "The Golden Bachelorette."
A private school administrator from Rockville, Maryland, Vassos, 61, was among the top picks for the show following the success of "The Golden Bachelor," USA TODAY had exclusively revealed in February.
Vassos spent a romantic evening with Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner in last year's show and became a fan favorite after her heartbreaking decision to leave "The Golden Bachelor." Vassos eliminated herself due to a medical concern with her daughter that required her care out in the real world.
During her time on Turner's season, Vassos had passionately talked about her husband, John, who died after 32 years of marriage from pancreatic cancer. "He was the husband that always made me feel safe and cherished," Vassos had written on Instagram in January.
Get to know the 'Golden Bachelorette':Joan Vassos gets second love chance, weighs in on Gerry Turner divorce
New episodes of "The Golden Bachelorette" will air on ABC on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
ABC has not released the full schedule for "The Golden Bachelorette" Season 1, and it not yet clear how many episodes the season will have. "The Bachelor" franchises typically have 9 to 13 episodes per season. "The Golden Bachelor" had 9 episodes followed by a special wedding episode that aired a little more than a month after the finale.
"The Golden Bachelorette" will air on ABC on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. and will be available to stream on Hulu the next day.
Watch 'The Golden Bachelorette': Subscribe to Hulu
The 18 men vying for Joan’s heart include:
'The Golden Bachelorette' cast:Meet the 24 men looking to charm Joan Vassos
"Golden Bachelorette" contestant Gil Ramirez will be edited out from upcoming episodes of "The Golden Bachelorette," despite getting a rose after it emerged that a temporary restraining order was granted against the 60-year-old Mission Viejo, Calif., educator.
The Superior Court of California had earlier granted a 62-year-old woman, who had dated Ramirez, a temporary restraining order on "harassment-emotional" grounds, USA TODAY reported earlier.
“Despite telling him to not contact me, come to my house — he made repeated unwanted contact with me, family members! and friends," the woman wrote in the domestic restraining order request. "25 attempts daily via phone, texts, video. Although (he) lives an hour away — showed up at places I frequent to confront me on a daily basis.”
However, the temporary restraining order was "dismissed" following a July 24 hearing due to "lack of prosecution," according to the Superior Court of California log.
A person familiar with the situation, who was not authorized to speak publicly, told USA TODAY that ABC and "Golden Bachelorette" executives had only "recently" been made aware of the legal filing against Ramirez.
"This filing occurred in the brief period between completion of our thorough background investigation and exhaustive vetting process, and the beginning of production," the person said. "As a result of this newly confirmed information, we have further edited (Ramirez's) already limited screen time and minimized him in promotional assets moving forward."
'Golden Bachelorette':Gil Ramirez's temporary restraining order revelation prompts show removal
Canadian-born TV personality and ex-football commentator Jesse Palmer hosts the show.
Contributing: Gary Levin, Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
