When Joan Vassos and Chock Chapple got engaged at the end of the year The Golden BachelorI was sure they wouldn’t last. My cynical view was influenced by the stunning failure of the first one The Golden Bachelor couple. 72-year-old Gerry Turner and 70-year-old Theresa Nist got married after this The Golden Bachelor season 1, but their marriage only lasted three months. I was sure that 61 year old Joan and 60 year old Chock were doomed to the same fate, but maybe I wasn’t being fair to Joan and Chock. Maybe I needed to see past Gerry and Theresa’s precedent.
Joan, a private school administrator from Maryland, made her television debut during The Golden Bachelor season 1, but things didn’t work out between her and Gerry. He was elected The Golden Bachelor and kicked off the spin-off’s inaugural season by saluting 24 singles Golden men from all over the United States. When all was said and done, Joan gave her last rose to Chock and she immediately put the diamond engagement ring on his finger. I was initially convinced that Joan and Chock was a completely manufactured show, but I’m starting to change my cynical mind.
Why I thought Joan & Chock was a show
They could be The Real Deal
When Gerry and Theresa got engaged during The Golden Bachelor in the season 1 finale, I was convinced they would be together forever. Like many viewers, I fell in love with the premise of the show. It was the first unscripted dating show to focus on the love lives of seniorsand I liked the idea of seeing widows and divorcees find another chance at love. I was one of the millions of viewers who tuned in when ABC aired the star-studded movie The Golden Bachelor wedding. Gerry and Theresa supported them all over the world.
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With the wedding coming so quickly after the engagement, I was definitely worried that Gerry and Theresa were rushing things, but I wanted to believe otherwise. When Gerry and Theresa announced their separation, I was disappointed but not surprised. The truth is, the disappointment with Gerry and Theresa has made me less likely to believe that Joan and Chock actually fell in love during The Golden Bachelor season 1. Unlike Gerry and Theresa, Joan and Chock are in no rush, which makes me think I could be wrong about them.
Joan & Chock are blissfully happy
They have both been through so much
Ever since you broke up with Iconic Bachelor Mansion, Joan and Chock have seemed blissfully happy. It’s nice to see, especially considering how much they’ve both been through over the years. Before appearing inside The Golden BachelorJoan was married to John Vassos for 32 years before he passed away in 2021. Before Chock joined the cast The Golden Bachelor in season 1, he was engaged to Katherine Goree for nine years until her death in 2022.
Their shared loss was one of the things that bonded Joan and Chock at the beginning of the season.
In addition to losing his fiancee, Chock lost his mother while filming the show. He had to go The Golden Bachelor season 1 to go with his family. Although it was unclear if he would return, Chock returned at the end of the same episode. Seeing how deeply devoted Chock was to Joan changed my mind a lot about their relationship. Seeing how happy they’ve been since leaving the show really convinced me that they’re a much better couple than Gerry and Theresa ever were.
Another golden bachelor wedding in 2025?
No Reason to Hurry
After the engagement The Golden Bachelor season 1 finale, Joan and Chock gave an interview Life & Stylewhere they made it clear that they were in no rush to get married. Because they were strangers before meeting The Golden Bachelor, they wanted to take the time to get to know each other. They are much more careful and deliberate than Gerry and Theresa never had, which is such a good sign. Although many fans insisted on the second Bachelor’s weddingI strongly believe that Joan and Chock are really doing the right thing by waiting.
Joan Vassos |
61 years old |
Private school administrator |
178 thousand Instagram followers |
Chock Chapple |
60 years old |
Insurance manager |
74.7 thousand Instagram followers |
The Golden Bachelor season 1 can be streamed on Hulu.
Source: Life & Style