The Golden Bachelorette star Joan Vassos has revealed the advice she received from Gerry Turner before leaving to film her journey.

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Joan had quit The Golden Bachelor a couple of weeks into filming last year to help her daughter recover from postpartum depression at home, but the blonde beauty's relationship with Gerry apparently didn't end there.

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"We text all the time. He's a very, very good friend," Joan, 61, told Entertainment Tonight of Gerry, 72, on Thursday, June 20.

"He did this so well. He kind of created the road map that we have now. There's no rulebook, and he kind of wrote it a little bit."

Gerry ended up selecting Theresa Nist as his The Golden Bachelor winner. The couple got engaged during the finale, which aired in November 2023, and then they wed in a live televised special on January 4 on ABC.

Gerry and Theresa, however, announced their split on April 12, and Gerry filed for divorce that same day. An Indiana judge has since finalized the pair's divorce.

While Gerry's search for true love on The Golden Bachelor ultimately ended in heartbreak, Joan apparently believes in the process.

"He exemplified somebody who is very open and vulnerable," Joan shared.

"He said that's what you need to be from day one because you don't have a lot of time. This is a quick journey. You can't leave anything on the table. I feel like day one, starting conversation one, everything you do here is important."

ABC announced Joan, who is a widower, as the first-ever The Golden Bachelorette star in May.

"I so thought that I was going to be that girl who left that nobody remembers. I truly believed that was going to be the outcome," Joan said, reflecting back on her early The Golden Bachelor departure.

"I really was sad about that, honestly, because I loved being here. I think the process worked. I was sad when I had to leave, so having the opportunity to come back and [having] people actually remember me a little bit [is amazing]."

Joan left Maryland to film The Golden Bachelorette earlier this month, and her season will air on Wednesday nights at 8PM ET/PT this fall on ABC.

"Excited, nervous, and overpacked... but, mostly ready to get this golden journey started," Joan captioned a video of herself packing earlier this month.

"Feeling all the feels as I pack up to start my next chapter at the Bachelor Mansion," she continued.

"I've never been this vulnerable and grateful at the same time. I'm thankful to have the most supportive friends, family and viewers a golden girl could ask for."

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Joan said while she's "not sure what this journey holds," she's ready for anything.

"If it's anything like my suitcase, it's sure to be FULL of surprises! Here I go..." Joan concluded.

An exact premiere date for the series and Joan's cast of bachelors have yet to be officially announced.

Joan was optimistic she'd find her forever partner on the show, just like Trista Rehn had found husband Ryan Sutter on The Bachelorette's inaugural season.

"She's an icon. She's the OG," Joan gushed of Trista.

"I don't know if I'm ever going to be revered like her. Her love story was perfect. She has a lovely family, she has a beautiful husband, she has adorable kids. She had the perfect end to this journey, so I hope I have an epic end like she did."

But Joan admitted it's "a lot of pressure" to try to measure up to Trista's happily-ever-after ending.

"If it ends up in engagement, I'm open to that," Joan told CNN on May 14. "I do believe this process works. I've seen it work for so many couples on The Bachelor, so I believe in the process. If it ends up in engagement, that's great."

Joan elaborated, "I probably won't rush into a marriage right away -- and not only because of what happened with Gerry and Theresa. I think it takes some time to really get to know somebody. Out in the wild, in the real world, you need to spend some time there."

ABC said she'll bring "grace and charm" to viewers' television screens this fall.

"She is a remarkable woman whose life has been defined by her resilience, zest for adventure and strong family values. It was those family values that led to her heartbreaking decision to leave The Golden Bachelor," ABC teased.

"Despite that and other challenges she's faced along the way... [Joan] remains an embodiment of strength and grace as a devoted mother of four, grandmother of two, and school administrator, while finding solace in the music of Elton John, spending time with her dog, and cooking."

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)

On The Golden Bachelor: The Women Tell All late last year, Joan got emotional when watching her journey back on the show, and she told host Jesse Palmer how she felt really bad about disappointing and hurting Gerry.

"If circumstances had been different and you stayed, you think it might've worked out with Gerry?" Jesse asked the bachelorette.

"I think we had a good chance," Joan replied.

"Gerry helped make me feel visible. He looked at me and he cared about what I was saying and he wanted to get to know me. Society makes us feel like we've had out chance, we've had our children, and now it's time to support the next generation and kind of take a backseat. And Gerry opened my heart."

Joan told The Wrap in November 2023 that, after leaving Gerry during Week 2 of The Golden Bachelor season, she briefly considered returning to the show and resuming filming once she helped her daughter because she felt like she had "unfinished business."

However, Joan soon came to realize that her daughter's mental health was still suffering after giving birth and she needed to stay by her side.

Even though Joan didn't return to The Golden Bachelor, she admitted to Jesse on The Women Tell All that she "held out hope" Gerry would also quit the show and chase her down.

"I did think a couple times maybe I would come around the corner, coming home from work, and [Gerry] would be sitting on my front porch," Joan confessed.

Joan said she sometimes caught herself thinking about what could have been with Gerry.

"I went from wanting to find somebody to craving it now. It was such a good feeling and I'm working hard to find it; I'm not giving up," Joan shared.

Joan took to Instagram shortly after The Golden Bachelor episode featuring her exit aired on ABC, and she hinted that she'd like to continue her journey to find love on TV, writing, "Sometimes the timing doesn't work out with finding love. I hope one day I will get the chance at love again."

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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