October 01, 2024 • bachelor insider
EXCLUSIVE: Charles L. Reveals Why He Applied for ‘The Golden Bachelorette’ and What He Loves About Joan Vassos
Learn more about this Bachelor Nation star!
Fans are getting to know Charles L. on Joan Vassos’ season of “The Golden Bachelorette.”
In last week’s episode, all the Golden men attended prom with Joan for the very first group date of the season and Bachelor Nation saw Charles L. open up to Joan about his prom experience and relationship with his former wife.
Now, the Bachelor Nation star just stopped by for an exclusive chat with BachelorNation.com to discuss his prom experience and why he decided to go on “The Golden Bachelorette.”
Check out our full interview with Charles L. below.
Bachelor Nation: Hi, Charles. We love seeing you on “The Golden Bachelorette”! We’re curious: What made you want to try dating in this new way and how did you find yourself on the show?
Charles L: To be honest, it’s really my daughter. When she visited me somewhere around spring, she watched a few episodes of the program in the past. And after dinner one night, she said, “Dad, you’ve got to see this program,” and I said, “What program?” and she said, “The Golden Bachelor.” And I’d heard about it, but I’d never watched it. She said, “Come here, Dad, please take a look. You might find it interesting.” I watched it for probably about 20 to 30 minutes, and then a phone call interrupted. And the next day, she started the topic all over again. We watched it, and she began the conversation of, “Dad, I think this is a very fascinating program and I think you’d find it interesting, plus it’s really time for you to move on… You deserve it.” So I applied myself and after a few days the phone rang and the interviews started.
BN: Love that! And so sweet that you had the support of your daughter. Speaking of “The Golden Bachelor,” what are the qualities in Joan that line up with what you’re hoping to find in a partner?
CL: I think the first thing is her age. You know, our age is very similar and we are at an age where we can have a lot of things in common, and a relationship starts with that. If you don’t have a lot in common, it can be tough. Second, after the first meeting I met with Joan face to face, I realized that she’s a good communicator. She really knows how to talk to other people when they have a little bit of trouble and she will guide you. So she’s a good listener and a good communicator. When you listen to her, she’s very articulate. Plus, I think distance-wise she lives very close to where I live. Joan said during our first meeting that we’re neighbors.
BN: Aw, that’s so sweet! How has it been connecting with the other men?
CL: Great! We have a lot of fascinating men. So nice, so capable, and a lot of them are very successful. And a little bit intimidating in a sense, but I have my own confidence and I think I have qualities that Joan likes.
BN: That’s great! Can you expand more on what those qualities are?
CL: First of all, you have to like the lady and you have to respect her and you have to work out differences when they happen. I think I have the qualifications for this because I’m always nice to other people, plus I know how to deal with people when differences occur.
BN: Has it been feeling difficult to date someone who’s also dating other people at the same time?
CL: To be honest, it has. And I’ve never experienced something like this. But on the other hand, even though it’s a challenge, if it works out, it will be a proven challenge, so I’m delighted to try it out.
BN: That’s a great perspective! What do you think your daughter would think seeing you here at prom?
CL: This is a little bit hilarious, you know. She’ll be like, “Oh, Dad, he’s doing this and that!” I think she’ll be a little embarrassed. And then with the other prom group activities she’ll say, “Oh, wow! We didn’t know you’d be involved in this,” so it’ll be a surprise. The biggest surprise I think will be that I’m on the program. My friends all over the United States or maybe even back in China will be like, “Wow! Charles is on air program!” That’s gotta be a shock — good or bad, I don’t know.
BN: Absolutely! And how was the date? Was that your first prom experience?
CL: This is my first prom and honestly I don’t have much experience at all. But it’s nice, yeah! Very exciting. I like it, it’s great!
BN: That’s so great to hear! Well, thank you for chatting with us Charles, and we can’t wait to see the rest of your journey unfold on “The Golden Bachelorette”!