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The Bachelor franchise has been around since 2002 and spanned multiple seasons and spinoffs. Now, Fantasy Suites have been a consistent, and often controversial, part of the franchise. However, as the first Golden Bachelorette leading lady, Joan Vassos wants to rewrite history on the reality dating series. The idea behind Fantasy Suites is for the contestants to develop a deeper connection with their love interest without any cameras as the show nears its finale. The lead Bachelor or Bachelorette gets to invite each of their final three picks to this private room for an overnight date. This usually marks the first time the couples get to spend uninterrupted one-on-one time with each other.
Over the years, the Bachelors and Bachelorettes have taken different approaches to what they do with their suitors in the Fantasy Suites. For example, in The Bachelorette Season 21Jen Trann used the privacy of the Fantasy Suites to bring up serious topics such as finances and where she envisioned living after the engagement. On the other hand, The Bachelorette Season 15 leading lady Hannah Brown was caught up in drama when Luke Parker disapproved of her potential intimacy with other contestants. No matter what, with Fantasy Suites, there’s always the pressure of confronting complicated emotions and making tough decisions. But Vassos is changing all of that.
Joan Vassos Wants Fantasy Suites to Focus on Emotional Intimacy
After the premiere of The Golden Bachelorette, Vassos appeared on The View on ABC to talk about what the fans can expect from the show moving forward. One of the major revelations during her interview was that the Fantasy Suites are no longer going to have beds! The reason why the Golden Bachelorette made this change was because she wanted the Fantasy Suite week to be all about emotional intimacy. She confessed that going into this, she was sure that she didn’t want to be physically intimate with more than one man. So, it only made sense to change the format of the Fantasy Suites to draw that boundary.
Vassos added that the men were extremely respectful of her decision and thought it was a good idea. The leading lady clarified that she did not mean to judge anyone who chose to use the Fantasy Suites to develop a physical connection with their suitors, but that just wasn’t what she wanted to do. Vassos’s approach is a fresh take on a long-standing franchise feature. Not just that though, it also sends a powerful message about how older contestants in the franchise can be expected to have different romantic expectations.
This isn’t the first time someone has taken a strong stance against the Fantasy Suites though. Zach Shallcross also imposed a “no-sex” rule during The Bachelor Season 27. The Bachelor wanted to set the boundary to make sure that things didn’t get messy with finalists Ariel Frenkel, Gabi Elnicki, and his eventual fiancé Kaity Biggar. However, things took a nasty turn when he ended up breaking his own rule with Elnicki which obviously led to a lot of emotional drama. However, Vassos has taken a much more decisive stance by removing the beds from the Fantasy Suites. This ensures she stays true to her commitment of prioritizing emotional connection over physical intimacy.
Senior Love Stories on ‘Bachelor Nation’ Stand Out for Their Authenticity
Traditionally, Bachelor Nation has featured younger leads and contestants mostly in their 20s and 30s. However, the franchise has recently broadened its scope with the introduction of The Golden Bachelor in 2023 and its gender-swapped version, The Golden Bachelorette in 2024. These two spinoffs follow the romantic journeys of senior citizens and replace the intense, high-stakes drama of the franchise with a more mature and heartfelt approach to giving love a second chance. Vassos’s honest conversation about her boundaries and her approach to romance brings in a layer of authenticity that is somewhat missing from other Bachelor shows.
Vassos Wants To Be Respectful of Her Family’s Wishes
In an interview with Fox News, Vassos confessed that her children did not want her to kiss anyone when she went on The Golden Bachelor. In fact, Vassos lied to them and told them that she wouldn’t do it, just so they would get off her case. However, she shared that once the show aired, her children saw how dignified the whole thing was. And now, as she leads the first-ever season of The Golden Bachelorette, they’re a little more comfortable with the idea. But the idea of Fantasy Suites is still a little hard for them to digest. So, to protect her family’s feelings Vassos decided to change the way they work.
The Golden Bachelorette talked about her feelings regarding the matter during her appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark and shared that she has definitely kissed men during her time on the show. In her exact words: “You have to want to kiss a guy for this to work.” At the same time, though, she understands her children’s reservations about the whole thing. But while she definitely broke the no-kissing rule, she made sure to respect her family’s wishes and refused to turn the Fantasy Suites into a purely physical thing.
During the season premiere, Vassos shared how she had spent years grieving the death of her husband, John Vassos after he died of pancreatic cancer back in 2021.The reality star shares four children with her late husband, all of whom were a little worried about their mother finding love on reality TV. So, as she navigates love after the loss of her first husband, Vassos wants to make it clear that physical intimacy is a big deal for her. She doesn’t see herself crossing that boundary for anyone except her final match, hence the big change.
‘The Golden Bachelorette’ Brings a New Perspective To Love on Reality TV
Joan Vassos’s mature approach to finding love doesn’t just end with the Fantasy Suites. It’s evident that the leading lady’s understanding of love extends far beyond just intense passion as seen in most other Bachelor Nation shows. Vassos is on the show to form genuine connections with people based on mutual respect. At her age, she understands that love is about way more than just a grand gesture at the series finale. While the finale engagements have become a signature of the Bachelor franchise, Vassos has made it very clear that she’s not interested in rushing into anything!
The Golden Bachelorette is on the show to find love, but that doesn’t necessarily need to result in an engagement after a few short weeks of dating. While speaking to PEOPLE, Vassos shared that going into the show, her goal wasn’t to leave engaged. She just wanted to find someone she saw a future with, and wanted the two of them to see how their dynamic would work in a world outside of what she called the “ Bachelor bubble.”
All of Vassos’s decisions and how they play out on the show can lead to a broader shift within the Bachelor franchise. In many ways, The Golden Bachelor stands out from the other shows in the franchise since it emphasizes emotional connections that lead to meaningful, long-term relationships that don’t fade away when the cameras stop rolling. In earlier seasons of the franchise, the Fantasy Suites have been the final test of physical chemistry between the couples. But Vassos’s approach removes all that pressure and gives the contestants a chance to explore their emotional compatibility.
The Golden Bachelorette airs every Wednesday on ABC. Episodes are available to stream on Hulu the next day.
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