Keith Gordon, a 62-year-old, self-described “Girl Dad” from San Jose, captured the attention of Joan Vassos on the season premiere of “The Golden Bachelorette” Wednesday by rolling up in an old station wagon and asking, “Like this sweet ride?”
The strapping, 6-foot-5-inch Gordon then offered to take Vassos on a date to the beach, bringing along a hamper filled with cheese, wine and crackers.
Following Wednesday night’s episode of the ABC dating show, Vassos explained that she chose Gordon, over the 23 other contestants, for the coveted “first impression rose” because of his memorable entrance. E! News reported that single father of three daughters opted to pull up in an old station wagon, instead of the usual limousine, which left Vassos touched.
THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE – Disney’s The Golden Bachelorette stars Keith Gordon. (Disney/Ricky Middlesworth)
“The nostalgia of that old station wagon made me think back to my childhood,” Vassos told E! News in an interview. “Actually, we had one that looked remarkably like that car. That’s how we traveled. We didn’t have a lot of money, so we would pack up the car and go places as a family. So that automatically gave me a good feeling.”
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But Vassos, 61, said it was their talk on the hood of the car that really stirred feelings in her.
“We just had a nice, normal conversation, and he just made me feel comfortable immediately,” Vassos added. “And then, honestly, when it was time for us to move on — like I had to greet the next guy — I really didn’t want to leave him.”
The episode subsequently showed Vassos and Gordon playing cornhole, which the sales director has revealed on his keith gonzo Instagram account is a favorite pastime. His Instagram also documents him being a “Willow Glen dad” who likes to barbecue and who last month took his daughter, Annika, to see Chappell Roan’s performance at the Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco.
During the episode, Vassos and Gordon also enjoyed a fireside chat. Vassos emphasized her warm feelings for Gordon when she walked past all the other men vying for her attention, and handed him the first impression rose.
In the world of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” this rose goes to, yes, the contestant who makes the best first impression during the show’s first week. It means that this contestant is safe from elimination.
“I loved it when you came in in that big old stupid station wagon that reminded me of my childhood,” Vassos told Gordon during the ceremony. “And when you got out, this is super scary to me, and you just made me feel safe. You have this calm voice, and you’re just this big teddy bear kind of guy. It just felt good to me. It felt easy. And you said the thing about grabbing a bottle of wine and cheese and crackers and going to the beach, which is just what I love to do.”
During a confessional portion of the show, Vassos also revealed that she had not felt that way about a man since her husband died of pancreatic cancer in 2021.
“I feel like I’m out there kind of floating,” said the public school administrator, “and he just has this very warm and easy way about him. He has a quick laugh. He’s also very sincere and he just makes me feel comfortable. I’ve become more and more encouraged that this is going to work.”
For his part, Gordon’s official “Golden Bachelorette” biography reveals that he sees himself as “a social butterfly with a big personality to match!”
Gordon said he has dedicated most of his adult life to being a single father and rearing his three daughters. On the show, he told viewers: “I’ve been the sole parent for my kids for really the last 12 years. That’s when we had to separate from my ex-wife. Addiction was in the family. So, I had to try to give my daughters some sort of stability in their life. I’ve given them all this time and effort and love over the years, and that’ll never change.”
But he also said he’ll soon be an empty-nester who’d like to prioritize falling in love again. His biography says: “When Keith falls for someone, he falls hard and fast and is hoping Joan could be the one for him.”