The Golden Bachelorette contestants are ready for a new chapter in their life – even if it means living like they did in college.
The men vying for the affections of Joan Vassos on season 1 of the ABC reality spinoff series are keeping the tradition alive of sleeping in bunk beds at the Bachelor Mansion.
“The struggle with the snoring is next level,” Bennett Graebner, one of the executive producers of the series, told Entertainment Weekly in an interview published on Wednesday, August 14. “There are all kinds of sleep aids that are being deployed.”
The outlet spoke with several of Joan’s suitors at the Avalon Hollywood nightclub, but kept their identity private in order to not leak spoilers. One contestant said the cramped conditions of the competition are “like a frat house.”
“I haven’t slept in a room with other men since college,” the suitor said. “Guys that snore, guys that do other bodily functions while they sleep.”
Another candidate noted that he “got lucky” and is sleeping in a twin bed rather than the bunk — but he’s still having trouble fitting on the bed. “They are so freaking small,” he said. “My feet are hanging off!”
Bachelor Nation met Joan, 61, during season one of The Golden Bachelor, which aired in fall 2023. After landing a coveted one-on-one date with Gerry Turner, Joan left the show to support her daughter, who had recently given birth.
Months later, Joan was announced as the lead of The Golden Bachelorette. After news broke of her casting, Joan opened up about how she’s hoping to redefine her age.
“There’s a lot of knowledge that we have inside of us because we’ve lived life,” Joan told CNN. “In our culture, I feel like growing old is not a dignified thing. You’re just supposed to kind of fade in the back, take a backseat to the next generation. I’m hoping that we change that a little bit. We’re still fun and energetic and we know how to use our phones.”
Ahead of the premiere of The Golden Bachelorette, ABC released a first-look at Joan’s contestants on Tuesday, August 13. Bachelor Nation was quick to spot one familiar face in Kelsey Anderson’s dad, Mark Anderson. (Kelsey, 26, is currently engaged to The Bachelor season 28 lead Joey Graziadei.)
“Welllllll, would you look at that,” Kelsey wrote via her Instagram Story on Tuesday alongside a pic of her dad from the announcement. In a separate slide, Kelsey called Mark, 57, “the sweetest,” referring to a clip of him discussing love.
“To be in love, it feels very warm, like, you just feel it,” Mark said in the video. “Everything just, like, travels out of your heart — fills your body, makes you warm, makes you fuzzy — and it brings a lot of joy and happiness to life.”
The Golden Bachelorette premieres on ABC Wednesday, September 18.
