Only time — and roses — will tell if Rockville’s Joan Vassos finds love with a fellow Marylander on the inaugural season of “The Golden Bachelorette.” There’s at least a chance, thanks to a contestant named Pablo, from Cambridge.
On Tuesday, ABC revealed the 24 “distinguished men in their golden era” who will be competing for Vassos’s heart when she steps into her new role at the helm of the show premiering Sept. 18 on ABC and next day on Hulu.
The dating pool includes a 66-year-old chiropractor from Marina Del Ray, California, a 64-year-old private investor from Naples, Florida, a 69-year-old salon owner from Chicago, Illinois — and Pablo.
Pablo’s contestant profile describes him as a 63-year-old retired UN agency director who volunteers as an EMT.
“Pablo is a man of the world who spends his days saving lives and his evenings curled up on the couch watching reruns of his favorite sitcoms,” his profile says. “Pablo is also a sucker for a rom-com and isn’t afraid to admit that he cries in almost all romantic scenes.”
Though a Marylander, Pablo originally hails from Buenos Aires and has kids and grandchildren in California and New York. He’s run ultramarathons, watches rugby and has a geographical engineering degree.
He also “has a tough time controlling himself around ice cream,” according to his bio.
An ABC spokesperson said that the men from Vassos’ season would not be available for interviews until the conclusion of their time on the show, and that Vassos also could not speak about her suitors just yet.
Vassos, 61, began her journey on the reality dating show franchise as a contestant on the first-ever season of “The Golden Bachelor,” the debut of which ABC said attracted more than 43 million viewers. “The Bachelor” first aired in 2002, followed by “The Bachelorette” in 2003. More spin-offs have since followed.
Last year on “The Golden Bachelor,” Vassos forged a bond with Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner, but left the competition early to return to her family. Later, she shared with host Jesse Palmer that her daughter had “a really serious case of postpartum depression and, you know, she needed me.”
A school administrator and grandmother, Vassos lost her husband to cancer after 32 years of marriage.
In a June Instagram video, she packed for the journey ahead and said embarking on the new show felt “bittersweet.”
“But, you know, in the end, I could come back and maybe have the love of my life, and someone to share my great life with,” she said.
![Nurses opposed to their union at Ascension St. Agnes Hospital have asked a federal agency to allow a vote over whether employees can be forced to join and pay dues. Nurses at the Southwest Baltimore hospital voted last year to join National Nurses United. A team of unionized nurses is bargaining with management to reach agreement on a labor contract. At the same time, others say they no longer want to be represented. A hospital nurse has petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to hold a decertification vote, which would strip union officials of their ability to bargain on nurses’ […]](https://www.baltimoresun.com/wp-content/uploads/migration/2023/11/09/MEU2XMJP4JEMDP4Q3AHFMGB5JE.jpg?w=535 "Nurses opposed to their union at Ascension St. Agnes Hospital have asked a federal agency to allow a vote over whether employees can be forced to join and pay dues. Nurses at the Southwest Baltimore hospital voted last year to join National Nurses United. A team of unionized nurses is bargaining with management to reach agreement on a labor contract. At the same time, others say they no longer want to be represented. A hospital nurse has petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to hold a decertification vote, which would strip union officials of their ability to bargain on nurses’ […]")