Los Angeles, California - Joan Vassos was announced as the first-ever Golden Bachelorette on Tuesday following the runaway success of The Golden Bachelor.

The 61-year-old was announced as the new series lead by ABC at the 2024 Disney Upfronts at the Javits Center in New York City on Tuesday.

Vassos was a frontrunner on The Golden Bachelor who dramatically bowed out in the third week of The Golden Bachelor to be with her daughter while she experienced a difficult birth.

The contestant had planned to come back to the show if her daughter got better. Unfortunately, "it wasn't in the cards," the new Golden Bachelorette told TheWrap.

Vassos has four children from her first husband, John, who sadly died of pancreatic cancer in January 2021 after 32 years of marriage.

"He was the husband that always made me feel safe and cherished," Vassos wrote about him on Instagram.

Previously, fans largely believed that the new Golden Bachelorette would be Golden Bachelor's runner-up, Leslie – especially since the Bachelor franchise is known for loving a redemption arc!

Coming this fall, The Golden Bachelorette will run for an hour and a half on Wednesdays at 8 PM ET.