“All My Children” alum Susan Lucci once had a chance at searching for love on “The Golden Bachelorette” — but she turned it down.
“I believe that they contacted my publicist and it wasn’t for me,” the actress, 77, told People in an interview published Friday.
Despite declining ABC’s offer, Lucci said she loved watching the debut season of “The Golden Bachelor,” which starred Gerry Turner.
“I really enjoyed watching ‘The Golden Bachelor.’ This is a new addiction for me,” she gushed.
Lucci has watched the “Bachelor” franchise for several seasons. She told People her assistant convinced her to watch and she was instantly intrigued.
“I was immediately engaged. I cared. I wanted to know more about these people,” she recalled.
Lucci’s disinterest in actually joining the franchise allowed one of Turner’s contestants, Joan Vassos, to land the gig.
“The secret is out! I’m honored to be #TheGoldenBachelorette!” she penned on her Instagram Story on May 14 when the exciting news was announced.
Vassos, 61, was an early fan-favorite on Turner’s season as the pair connected over the mutual loss of their spouses. Turner buried his wife in 2017 after she succumbed to a bacterial infection, while Vassos’ husband died in 2021 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Despite their deep connection, Vassos left the show three weeks in to help care for her daughter, who was struggling with postpartum depression.
She is now returning to reality television to meet a “family man with whom to blend her life,” according to her ABC bio.
Turner, 72, proposed to Theresa Nist during his season’s finale and they went on to walk down the aisle in January.
They announced their divorce three months later.
