The Golden Bachelorette's Joan Vassos and Chock Chapple are way more into each other than The Golden Bachelor's Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist ever were, and it could save the franchise. 61-year-old Joan and 60-year-old Chock took circuitous routes on the journey to finding each other, and it was far from a linear path to true love. A wise man once said that it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, and Joan and Chock had certainly had plenty of love and loss in their lives leading up to finding each other.
Joan was married to John Vassos for 32 years before he died in 2021. Finding herself all alone, Joan joined the cast of The Golden Bachelor, and dated 72-year-old Gerry Turner. When Joan had to leave early due to a family emergency, she was cast as The Golden Bachelorette. Before being cast as one of Joan's 24 single Golden men, Chock had lost his beloved fiancée, who passed away in 2022. Now that they've found each other, Joan and Chock are way more into each other than Gerry and 70-year-old Theresa ever were.
Joan & Chock Are Really Into Each Other
In Stark Contrast To Gerry & Theresa
Just a few days ago, US Weekly posted an Instagram clip of Joan and Chock answering fan questions, and it really illustrates how into each other the newly engaged couple is. Throughout the clip, The Golden Bachelorette season 1 duo sit close together and can't seem to keep their hands off each other. This dynamic is replicated in almost every clip and photo of Chock and Joan, and it's clear that this relationship is hot and heavy, in stark contrast to Gerry and Theresa, who never seemed nearly as interested in each other.
What Went Wrong Between Gerry & Theresa
Just Not That Into Each Other
Hopes were high when Gerry and Theresa rode off into the sunset after The Golden Bachelor season 1. A few weeks after going public with their relationship, the septuagenarian couple were married in a lavish Golden Bachelor wedding. ABC paid for the star-studded wedding, and no expense was spared. Gerry and Theresa's relationship came to represent the hope of finding love later in life, so audiences really wanted to believe that they'd love happily ever after.
Hopes were dashed and expectations crumbled when Gerry and Theresa announced their divorce after only three months of marriage. The ill-advised marriage and subsequent divorce damaged the reputation of the Golden Bachelor brand. There was enormous pressure on The Golden Bachelorette to avoid the same mistakes, and it looks like they may have done just that with Joan and Chock's hot and heavy relationship.
In hindsight, it's obvious that Gerry and Theresa were never as into each other as Joan and Chock were.
Though Gerry and Theresa seemed to like each other well enough, they never seemed to be very attracted to each other. Whereas Chock couldn't seem to keep his hands off Joan, Gerry always kept Theresa at a physical and emotional distance. Even photos in which they pose cheek to cheek feel manufactured or even forced. It could be that Gerry and Theresa are just less interested in public displays of affection, but the lack of attraction was also likely to be a factor.
Joan & Chock Are Building Their New Lives Together
Shopping For Property Together
At their ages, Joan and Chock had both found love before, and had suffered a great loss, so they didn't take their love for granted. Since getting engaged at the end of The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Joan and Chock have been shopping for property in New York City, where they plan to spend some of their time. It remains to be seen if Joan and Chock continue to like each other after the flush of new love fades away. If they withstand the test of time, their relationship may just save the Golden Bachelor brand.
