Peter Kraus Reflects on the End of His “Bachelorette” Journey: “I Am Overcome With Emotion”

Love Island USA — 6 seasons

Not only does Love Island USA have everything you want from a dating show, it’s also a reality competition series! Viewers can even vote for their favorite couples to determine which of the island’s singles continue to stay in the villa and who will leave heartbroken.

Where to watch: Peacock, Netflix, and Hulu.

If you’re looking for love, do looks play a factor in who you decide to connect with? Well, for these single men and women, love is completely blind, and an engagement comes before their first face-to-face meeting.

Where to watch: Netflix.

This series serves as a spin-off to The Bachelor, which is one of the most iconic and well known dating shows in TV history. It follows the journey of a woman looking for love. Eliminations and roses are (hopefully) the key to each season's bachelorette finding one perfect match and a lifetime of happiness.

Where to watch: Tubi and Hulu.

​Married at First Sight — 17 seasons

Love at first sight might sound like the ultimate dream but what about marriage at first sight? That’s right, six singles agree to get married the moment they meet with the goal of finding their partner for life. Watch season 18 on Lifetime now!

Where to watch: Sling TV, Prime Video, Lifetime, Freevee, Netflix, Hulu, Discovery Plus, and Philo.

​The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On — 2 seasons

Ultimatum can make or break any relationship, so if you’re faced with the decision to marry or move on, what will you do? With love on the line and other potential matches entering the picture to make things even more complicated, it’s time to make your choice once and for all.

What to watch: Netflix.

​Perfect Match — 2 seasons

Comparability is everything in a relationship, and it’s also everything in this series. Those couples who can prove that they work well together are able to get the ultimate power of controlling the fate of other pairs. Juicy!!

Where to watch: Netflix

​Are You the One? — 9 seasons

10 single men and 10 single women are assessed by a team of professional matchmakers and psychologists in order to discover their perfect match. The matchmakers choose their pairings based on those results at the beginning of the season and then the contestants must figure out who their match is based on dates and competitions.

Where to watch: Pluto TV, Hulu, and Paramount+.

Who is the Golden Bachelorette?

Joan Vassos, a 61 year-old school administrator, will star in the upcoming The Golden Bachelorspinoff as the Golden Bachelorette. She was a contestant on The Golden Bachelor's first season, but chose to leave the show to be with her daughter who was experiencing a medical emergency at the time.

The Golden Bachelor, Gerry Turner, shared his congratulations towards Joan via an Instagram post reading:

"Dear Joan, congratulations on being named the first ever Golden Bachelorette. You will be phenomenal as the new representative of a generation. From one Golden to another... relax, breathe, and enjoy. Gerry."

Winner of The Golden Bachelor, Theresa Nist, spread more love via Instagram Stories. She shared a few smiley photos of her and Joan together with the caption reading: "My dear friend, Joan, I am so excited for you!!"

Who will be part of "The Golden Bachelorette"?

The men of The Golden Bachelorette have been announced and it looks like they're going to keep Joan on her toes because they're hot!

If you don't feel like counting, there's 24 sexy grandpas who'll be competing for a chance to win the #1 spot in Joan's romantic life and they have amazing backgrounds.

According to Entertainment Weekly, here's everything you need to know about them:

Bill, Retired Videographer

Age: 68

City: Portland, OR

Bob, Chiropractor

Age: 66

City: Marina Del Rey, CA

Charles K., Portfolio Manager

Age: 62

City: Ranchos Palos Verdes, CA

Charles L., Retired Financial Analyst

Age: 66

City: Philadelphia, PA

Chock, Insurance Executive

Age: 60

City: Wichita, KA

Christopher S., Contractor

Age: 64

City: West Babylon, NY

Dan R., Private Investor

Age: 64

City: Naples, FL

David H., Rancher

Age: 68

City: Austin, TX

Gary L., Retired Finance Executive

Age: 65

City: Palm Desert, CA

Gil R., Educator

Age: 60

City: Mission Viejo, CA

Gregg L., Retired University Vice President

Age: 64

City: Longboat Key, FL

Guy C., Emergency Room Doctor

Age: 66

City: Reno, NV

Jack L., Caterer

Age: 68

City: Chicago, IL

Jonathan R., Shipping Consultant

Age: 61

City: Oakland, IA

Jordan H., Sales Manager

Age: 61

City: Chicago, IL

Keith G., Girl Dad

Age: 62

City: San Jose, CA

Ken O., Property Management Treasurer

Age: 60

City: Peabody, MA

Kim B., Retired Navy Captain

Age: 69

City: Seattle, WA

Mark A., Army Veteran

Age: 57

City: Leesville, LA

Michael S., Retired Banking CEO

Age: 65

City: Denver, NC

Pablo, Retired UN Agency Advisor

Age: 63

City: Cambridge, MD

Pascal, Salon Owner

Age: 69

City: Chicao, IL

R.J., Financial Advisor

Age: 66

City: Irvine, CA

Thomas H., FDNY Chief

Age: 62

City: New York, NY

When will "The Golden Bachelorette" air?

The Golden Bachelorette airs September 18 on ABC! You'll also be able to stream episodes on Hulu.

Watch The Full Trailer For "The Golden Bachelorette"

How can I watch "The Golden Bachelorette"?

According to ABC, The Golden Bachelorette will air on ABC and be available to stream on Hulu the following day. Historically, the different installments of The Bachelor have aired on Thursdays at 8pm ET.

What is the cast of "The Golden Bachelor" up to now?

It just so happens that our most beloved contestants from The Golden Bachelor, Kathy and Susan, have been working on a podcast titled Bachelor Happy Hour: Golden Hour. They've posted tons of episodes dishing on The Golden Bachelor experience.

The pair definitely showed some real chemistry during the first-ever Golden Bachelor, and the podcast is a true testament to their friendship.

“We can finish each other's sentences,” Susan told PhillyVoice about Kathy. “We're night and day, but yet we're the same in a sense. We just roll off each other, and it's so easy.”

As far as the winners of The Golden Bachelor, Gerry and Theresa, things worked out for a bit, but they mutually decided to end their marriage in April 2024. Many speculated that they split because they had settled down in different places of the country and found it hard to relocate for love.

“We looked at homes in South Carolina, we considered New Jersey, and we just looked at homes after home,” Theresa said during an interview on Good Morning America, “but we never got to the point where we made that decision.”

How successful was "The Golden Bachelor"?

According to Variety, the first installment of The Golden Bachelor reached about 43.4 million viewers, making it ABC’s most-watched unscripted premiere on Hulu. The finale amassed 6.1 million viewers, deeming it the biggest episode in Bachelor history in nearly 3 years.

We had so much fun watching the very first installment of The Golden Bachelor, that we just can’t wait to see the roles reversed for The Golden Bachelorette. The hype is very real!

1. Women with a lot of friends value connection & community.

The one thing everyone with a solid group of friends can agree on is how it feels like you've built your own supportive community. Friends are often the first people we turn to with good or bad news, or the ones we simply want to go on adventures with. Osequeda says, "Women with strong friendship circles often value connection, community, and the power of vulnerability."

There's a realization that women in this unique position are able to "recognize that life is richer with a support system," says Osequeda. This involves "people who will listen, validate, and be there through both the highs and lows" she adds. From the friend who stayed up with you all night after a bad breakup to the one who cheered the loudest at your graduation, women who have a huge friend circle know that life feels better when we can connect with others.

Based on her experience as a therapist, she's "observed how women start friendships by gradually sharing layers of themselves." This can look like "having children at the same school or bonding over shared interests," she adds. This vulnerability is important because it creates a foundation that signals to women they've found their tribe.

2. Women with multiple friendships are open to vulnerability.

Like Osequeda mentioned, vulnerability can deepen our friendships. "These women are open to sharing the 'messy' parts of themselves which builds a deeper, more authentic bond." Also, she notes women with a lot of friends "aren't afraid to shed layers and be real" because "this vulnerability strengthens their sense of community." The more this happens over time, the more it "helps foster the connections" women with a lot of friends "cherish," according to Osequeda.

Honestly, she says "we’re all wired to seek out connection, and friendships provide that sense of community, validation, and belonging." She believes we truly "crave spaces where we can share our thoughts and feelings about what truly matters to us."

Asher believes women with lots of friends are "usually drawn towards one another in friendship" based on two levels:

• Level 1: Shared interests, appearance of confidence, a positive energy that they feel (smiling helps with this!)
• Level 2: (When in conversation) the safety they feel when speaking to another person, [emotional compatibility], how engaged the person is in conversation, and a desire to learn more about them, ultimately to find shared values.

This determines how women move forward in friendships. The approach is often led with "a deep sense of authenticity and care," according to Osequeda. "This is because women want relationships where they can be themselves, sharing hopes, dreams, and frustrations without judgment."

3. Women who have a lot of friends like other people they're friends with.

Again, the fact women with lots of friends actually like the people in their chosen circle is monumental. Asher says, "An interesting Yale study done in 2003 sought to look at 'popularity' in high schools to see if they could find something that all of the most liked and most popular kids had in common (outside of being a jock, etc.,)."

The common thread? "THEY liked the highest amount of people," Asher reveals. I talk about being a people pleaser a lot, but genuinely liking others isn't the same as that. IMO, it's actually admirable when people can respect others regardless of their race, religion, socioeconomic status, or sexuality.

She knows you're likely asking, "How does this apply to women having a lot of friends?" Her answer? "Across the board, the principle here is that women with the most friends are continuously on a hunt to find good and likable things about others."

However, this isn't based on a selfish need or want. "They've determined that the time invested in others is of mutual benefit," says Asher because "the biggest coast in adult female friendships is time — the most finite resource we all share in common."

4. These women also don't mind making new friends.

While making friends as adults shouldn't be hard, it definitely doesn't mean it comes easily. From overthinking to social anxiety, there's so many reasons why we struggle. Also, this idea we're doing fine without friends isn't exactly helpful or positive. Asher says, "The CDC has said that the impacts of loneliness on our bodies are more harmful than smoking 15 cigarettes A DAY! Making time for quality friendships (and the pursuit of it) is just as important for your physical state as working out is."

Where should you start if you want to forge new friendships? Osequeda says, "Start within communities that already resonate with you — whether it’s your child’s school, your workplace, a gym, dog park or a shared hobby. Places where you already belong create natural opportunities to connect." She even suggests giving "apps like Bumble BFF or local meet-up groups" a chance because they "can also help you find like-minded friends." But don't think you're limited to this!

Though Asher agrees that women tend to approach "friendships by trying to find commonalities right from the beginning," she says you don't have to confine yourself to this formula. "The reason I don't think this is best is because we are boxing ourselves in when we do this. The greatest friends could be on the other side of the stereotypes we're creating," she notes. Taking it a step further, Asher shared her own experience with this. "I watched all 3 of my best friends get married and have kids all before I ever got married. On the outside, most women would think 'They don’t have anything in common.' But on the inside, the character traits and values we each were looking for were mutual, and that became a more important compass for our friendship than the stage in life we were each in."

She was even surprised she'd become close to her best friends because of how things looked externally. "We had nothing in common, but I'm so glad I didn't box myself in," she says excitedly.

Here Are Even More Ways To Make New Friends!

Asher has three ways you can open yourself up to new adult friendships if you're interested.

1. The most important place to start is our mindset. We have to first decide “I don’t want to be lonely anymore, and I’m worth having meaningful friendships.” When we make that decision, then we give ourselves permission and the courage to step out and take action in that! Important note about this: there was a study done at Stanford that revealed that people are 1.5x MORE likely to accept us than we think they are! So don’t let the fear of rejection hold you back!
2. Go first. Make the ask, and then make the plans! Saying “We should hang out sometime” is ineffective because “sometime” isn’t a day on the calendar! We cannot wait for other people to want to pursue a friendship with us, because most of us are in this same boat — not knowing where to start! We can pursue connection, get plugged into a community (examples: book club, fitness class, church, etc), or create our own connections by just inviting someone over to our house/apartment. The biggest thing we need to remind ourselves of that is to stop making excuses, or pre-determining how we think people will respond!
3. Again, don’t box yourself in. Don’t let your preconceived notions of what you think your archetype of a friend will look like stop you from spending time with others who don't fit that label. As addressed above, the friendships we’ve been looking for our whole lives could be right behind the stereotypes we’ve created! It’s more about character traits than it is about the external compatibility of hobbies or stages of life.

Osequeda's last piece of advice? "If you already have a friend group, meeting friends of friends is another great way to grow your circle. They key is taking that first step with a little bit of vulnerability — start a conversation, ask a question, and show interest." She's sure "it's these small moments of openness that create lasting connections!"