Can Joan return to the Bachelor franchise? (Can self-eliminated contestants appear in other shows?)

The Golden Bachelor broke our hearts with its third episode. It’s already been an emotional ride due to Gerry Turner and the contestants sharing their past hurts regarding the loss of a spouse, and the beautiful but difficult journey of trying to find love again. We’re not even at the halfway point of the season and two women have chosen to self-eliminate. Marina Perera left in episode 2 because she wanted to be home to support her family’s needs and now Joan Vassos has had to bow out of the dating series because of a family issue as well.

Joan‘s departure rocked Bachelor Nation because it came on the heels of a spectacular date between her and Gerry. According to Decider‘s recap of events, the two had shared a one-on-one dinner where they were able to open up to one another in a way that made them hopeful for the possibility of building a lasting connection. Joan, however, had to cut their journey toward love short because of her daughter’s needs.

As she had told Gerry during their date, her daughter had given birth 15 days earlier and it was a difficult decision for her to be away from her family at this time to do the show. By the next morning, Joan was packing her bags. Not because she wanted to go or because she and Gerry didn’t click but because she’d received a phone call from her daughter. She’d had a C-Section in order to bring her child into the world, and she was struggling. Joan felt that she needed to be there as a mother more than pursuing the possibility of love on The Golden Bachelor.

Gerry was overcome with emotion while saying goodbye to Joan. He’d been happy, even describing himself as getting out of bed dancing because of how well their dinner went. Joan thanked him for giving her the experience of having a deep romantic connection which is something she hasn’t had since her husband passed away. Even after they parted, Gerry remained outside coming to terms with her departure.

Now that Joan is gone from The Golden Bachelor, fans of the series who connected with her are wondering if it’s possible for her to return to the franchise despite self-eliminating. Could she get another chance at love on another show? Here’s what we know!

Self-eliminating doesn’t mean Joan can’t appear in another show in The Bachelor franchise

The good news is, making a personal choice to leave one of the series in The Bachelor franchise doesn’t mean a former contestant can’t return for another show. Past The Bachelor and The Bachelorette contestants have gone on to appear in Bachelor in Paradise including Michael Allio, Greg Grippo, Clay Harbor, Lace Morris, and Serena Pitt. So, if ABC decides to do spin-offs like The Golden Bachelorette or even The Golden Bachelor in Paradise, Joan could make another go of it with love.

In the meantime, we’re holding out for her to be in the running for a potential The Golden Bachelorette, with the success of Gerry Turner’s season it’s not outside of the realm of possibility that the network would decide to green light a series led by one of the fabulous ladies a part of The Golden Bachelor‘s inaugural season. We’ll keep an eye out for news. Stay tuned to Hidden Remote!