'Golden Bachelorette' Says She Had to Lie to Her Family About 'Super Embarrassing' Part of Dating Show

When Joan Vassos became “the Golden Bachelorette,” she had to tell her family a few lies about the process.

“They were very adamant about me not kissing men on TV and fantasy suites. So it was super embarrassing for them,” Vassos told Fox News Digital.

“But you know, I said I wouldn’t kiss anyone. And we all knew that was a lie. So, too bad!” she added with a laugh.

Vassos first appeared on the “Golden Bachelor” franchise during last year’s first season, and said her family was “a little more nervous” about that than seeing her take on the role of “The Golden Bachelorette.”

Joan Vassos holding a rose in The Golden Bachelorette

Joan Vassos, the “Golden Bachelorette,” told Fox News Digital that her family didn’t want her to kiss anyone: “But you know, I said I wouldn’t kiss anybody. And we all knew that was a lie. So, whatever!” (Disney/Gilles Mingasson)

‘GOLDEN BACHELORETTE’ REVEALED AS JOAN VASSOS: 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE 61-YEAR-OLD GRANDMOTHER

“Nobody really knew what it was going to look like, whether it was just going to look like a bunch of old people hanging out and maybe it wouldn’t be very dignified or, I don’t know, it might be embarrassing, I guess, for them,” she explained.

“So after seeing that it was really well presented, it showed that dating at that age wasn’t awkward, and it could be really fun and the women had great personalities. And in my season, the men are amazing. They were a little less worried about me.”

VIDEO: ‘THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE’ STAR HAD TO LIE TO FAMILY ABOUT CONTESTANTS KISSING ON THE SHOW

As the “Golden Bachelorette,” Vassos will have her choice of 24 older men “in the prime of their lives,” according to the series synopsis.

“I’m looking for someone who is willing to spend the second half of their life having an adventure. I want to have fun. I want to show on the show that dating is fun and just because we’re a little bit older doesn’t mean it’s out of the question,” Vassos said.

Joan Vassos at the limousine reception in The Golden Bachelorette

KATHIE LEE GIFFORD TURNED DOWN ‘GOLDEN BACHELORETTE’: ‘THERE’S NOT MUCH TIME LEFT BEFORE THEY WANT YOU IN THE HOT TUB’

“I also want a kind and generous man, someone who will accept my family. And I really want someone who has a family that I can be involved with. So right now, my life revolves around family, and I hope to find someone who has the same values as me.”

Vassos, 61, is a mother of four and grandmother of three. She says it’s the secret to staying young.

“I said I wouldn’t kiss anyone. And we all knew that was a lie. So, too bad!”

— Joan Vassos

“They make you happy. I think happiness is a big part of staying young. And then I have a dog, so I walk him a lot. So I’m outside in the fresh air and pretty active,” the school administrator said.

She lost her husband, John, after 32 years of marriage to cancer and credits her family and friends for helping her through the difficult times.

Joan Vassos clasps her hands while wearing a light green top

Joan Vassos has said she is not looking to “replace” her first husband John Vassos by appearing on “The Golden Bachelorette.” (Disney/Michael Le Brecht)

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

“I had an eight-month-old grandson when John passed away, so he was kind of a comfort to me. To be honest, you can’t be unhappy with an eight-month-old little child,” she said.

The Rockville, Maryland, resident added that she also has “great friends.”

WATCH: ‘THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE’ STAR SHARES WHAT SHE’S LOOKING FOR AND HER ENGAGEMENT GOALS

“They wouldn’t let me sit there and say, ‘I’m not going out for the next week.’ That wasn’t allowed. They would pick me up and drag me out of the house. And honestly, staying busy helped a lot. So, you know, you still had your grief. It was there when you got home. But getting out and feeling a little lighter, you know, to have dinner or go for a walk with a friend, it really helps.”

What connected fan favorite Vassos to Gerry on “The Golden Bachelor” was their shared grief over the loss of a spouse.

Joan Vassos and Gerry Turner holding a rose together

Vassos was present during the inaugural season of “The Golden Bachelor” with Gerry Turner. (ABC/John Fleenor)

‘Golden Bachelor’ Cast Members Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist Share Wedding Details, Admit ‘The Fantasy Suite Was Everything’

“We got along really well. He helped me through this whole grieving process. For the first time, I imagined a life with someone else, because that’s what you do on the show, like you’re looking for a life with someone else. Then you start having real thoughts, like, could this be something that would work? So I really imagined that maybe I could have a life with him,” Vassos said.

Vassos ended up leaving the show early to help her daughter, who was suffering from postpartum depression.

Gerry Turner and Joan Vassos at a table in The Golden Bachelor

Vassos left “The Golden Bachelor” early to help his daughter overcome her postpartum depression. (ABC/John Fleenor)

“Who knows what would have happened later and if he would have formed stronger bonds with other people or maybe our connection, it would have ended up being just our friendship, which it is now? And he’s one of my favorite people. I love Gary, but as a friend, so who knows how it would have worked out? But I think it worked out the way it was supposed to.”

Gerry married Theresa Nist in January 2024, but the couple divorced a few months later, to the surprise of many.

Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist on "The Golden Bachelor"

Turner and Nist announced their split during an appearance on “Good Morning America.” (JOHN FLEENOR / DISNEY)

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

“I witnessed their love story and their journey, and I thought they were really meant for each other. And it shows that when you get outside of the Bachelor bubble, there’s still work to do. And you have to figure out what a life together would look like outside of the Bachelor bubble,” Vassos said. “So I’m surprised they didn’t.”

She added: “But I’m also not surprised. What happens is there are a lot of successes and some failures. And I wouldn’t call them failures. They’re just revelations that happen once you leave the bubble of The Bachelor.”

“I’m looking for someone who is willing to spend the second half of their life having an adventure. I want to have fun.”

— Joan Vassos

Vassos doesn’t think there is a way to avoid the “single” curse because “I think it takes work.”

WATCH: ‘GOLDEN BACHELORETTE’ STAR SURPRISED BY GERRY TURNER AND THERESA NIST’S DIVORCE

“(The) Bachelor offers therapy, couples therapy. So if you want to participate in that, I think it’s a great idea. I think the time between when you leave, when you record, and when you can actually be together in public is a really difficult time for a lot of couples, and that’s when things start to go wrong. So I think it’s really important to go to therapy or make sure that you’re doing something, that you’re staying connected in a real way, even if you can’t see each other.”

A man holding Joan's hand in The Golden Bachelorette

Vassos said she’s not worried about getting engaged by the end of her season. (Disney/Gilles Mingasson)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

This is why Vassos is not so much concerned with ending his season with an engagement as with finding a real partner.

“I know it’s an incredible opportunity and I know I’m never going to have men pre-screened for me, 24 of them. So I knew it was a great opportunity. And I thought, I’m probably going to find a man that’s a good fit for me. So I wanted to leave this show with someone that I wanted to explore a life with outside of The Bachelor bubble… to date or figure out what a living situation could look like, what the future could look like with this person, but it didn’t necessarily have to be an engagement.”

“The Golden Bachelorette” will premiere Wednesday, September 18 on ABC.