November 06, 2023 • bachelor insider
20 Questions with Joan: Find Out Her Favorite Part of ‘Golden Bachelor’ and What She Kept from the Show
Learn more about this Bachelor Nation star!
Fans got to know Joan on Gerry’s season of “The Golden Bachelor,” and now she’s opening up exclusively to BachelorNation.com, answering 20 rapid-fire questions.
Get to know Joan a little better below!
1. A taboo topic I love talking about is: Dating in your “golden years.” You could make a reality series about the people we meet from dating apps, and setups, and dates you end up on! You just have to laugh!
2. I think a celebrity couple that is the definition of #relationshipgoals is: Such an obvious choice, but I just feel joy watching the love blossom between Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. They look like they are having fun in life and found their perfect partner. But for the 60 and over crowd, I think we all love Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell who have been together for over 40 years but never got married. They found exactly what works for them!
3. My guilty pleasure is: Doughnuts...ugh...I can eat a dozen fresh glazed ones, or a whole bag of those Hostess mini powdered donuts.
4. The best relationship advice I ever received was: I had a great marriage that was far from perfect, and we learned a lot in the 32 years before my husband passed away. But probably the most important thing we both learned was: Be kind when you fight and get good at forgiveness...and then move on.
5. My zodiac sign is ___________ and my most [insert zodiac sign] trait would be: Capricorn and my most Capricorn trait is loyalty. To have good friends you have to be a good friend, and loyalty is essential. I am so blessed to have the best group of friends you could ask for!
6. My biggest pet peeve is: People who don’t listen...from those who always need to be the center of attention to people who look through you or interrupt when you are speaking.
7. My last meal on earth would be: Soft-serve swirled peanut butter and chocolate ice cream!
8. The song that always makes me want to dance is: “Dancing in the Moonlight” by King Harvest!
9. My hidden talent is: I can tie the stem of a cherry in a knot with my tongue. Not a very useful talent but a good party trick.
10. The person that inspires me the most is: My 91-year-old mother who lives independently, still drives, reads the Washington Post from cover to cover every day, and is always up to do something fun!
11. The movie I’ve rewatched the most is: “The Devil Wears Prada”!
12. My favorite emoji is: The palm tree because it’s always used when you are either on a tropical vacation or planning one!
13. My favorite part of being on “The Golden Bachelor” was: Finding my tribe! To be totally honest, I was both excited and terrified to go on the show, because as you can probably guess, dating in your “golden years” can be a humbling and an awkward experience... and who wants to show that side of you on national TV? But my fears quickly dissolved as I met my “tribe” of 21 other women who were navigating this world of dating and finding love at this time in our lives. They helped me come to terms with the fact that you don’t have to settle with what life has dealt you, and you deserve to have a special person and love again in your life. And of course, Gerry, who had an amazing way of making each one of us feel important and that we belonged there.
14. Being on “The Golden Bachelor” taught me: Go all in. If you are willing to go on national TV to find love, you are ready to let someone into your heart and life. Let it happen...I needed to stop holding back and I’m ready now!
15. My celebrity crush is: Can I have two???? I just can’t choose between Kevin Costner and Rob Lowe. I was an extra in the movie “St. Elmo’s Fire” with Rob Lowe and have “loved” him ever since. But Kevin Costner is so darn sexy and my crush on him has grown tenfold since “Yellowstone.”
16. My advice for anyone who goes on “The Golden Bachelor” in the future is: I’ll admit it, I was a bit of a skeptic and had a hard time picturing falling in love with someone in such a short time, and with the Bachelor Nation watching! But I’m here to say that it happens, so let it! Forget about how you are going to look on TV and go all in. Open up your heart to it and you might be the one sitting next to your fiancé on the “After the Final Rose” show!
17. If I had to hang out with only three people from Bachelor Nation for the rest of my life, it would be: Kaitlyn Bristowe, Jesse Palmer, and Wells Adams (“Bachelor in Paradise” bartender/therapist)!
18. Something I still have from my time on “The Golden Bachelor” is:My roses that are withered and dry but are still beautiful to me. They are the visual reminder of that incredible journey that I had the privilege to be part of.
19. When Bachelor Nation fans approach me in person and/or online, the first question they ask is: EVERYONE asks was it fun and I don’t have to think for a second when I answer, “It was the time of my life.” You will never experience anything like it, and I’m so grateful to have been chosen to be on it.
20. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I hope that much of my life is exactly the same, especially spending tons of time with my incredibly fun family, and with my loving and amazing friends. But I hope to be sharing these times with that special someone that I have found love with. Everything is just more joyous when you share it with someone.