Why Did Charles Leave The Golden Bachelorette? Here’s A Week 4 Recap

Last week on The Golden Bachelorette, Joan Vassos tearfully shared that she might never be “100%” again after the loss of her husband, John.

Buoyed by the supportive reactions of her suitors, she went into Week 4 with renewed optimism, and some lighthearted fun at a Chippendales-themed group date. But there were several heavy moments to follow the strip tease, including the death of a contestant’s loved one and the elimination of several fan-favorite suitors.

Here’s a recap of The Golden Bachelorette Week 4, including why Charles Ling, Gary Levingston, Gil Ramirez, and Dan Roemer went home.

The Golden Guys Bared All

Joined by franchise alum Kaitlyn Bristowe, Joan watched several of her suitors perform a steamy strip tease for Stand Up to Cancer.

Gary opted for a delightful Nutty Professor costume, Mark Anderson brought the heat as a firefighter, and Jonathan Rone went as Sargeant Sexy — to name a few stand-out performers.

After many shirts were torn to Lady Gaga’s “LoveGame,” Joan took time to chat with her suitors, several of whom had personal connections to the cancer cause. Chock Chapple opened up about his mother at home and her experience with Stage 4 cancer.

Joan ultimately gave Chock the Group Date Rose and made a significant statement about their relationship, describing it as her “deepest connection” in a confessional. “Chock is the first person that I can picture a future with since John has passed away,” she said.

Chock’s Devastating Update

Sadly, the next morning, Chock received news that his mom had passed away. “I knew the potential was there. I just didn’t think it was going to happen this quick,” he told the guys before departing to be with his family.

Joan understood immediately, and the pair embraced before Chock set off. “I appreciate you more than you’ll ever know,” he said.

Joan & Jordan’s Very Cool Date

The week’s first one-on-one was an ice-skating date with Jordan Heller. Here, he opened up about meeting his ex-wife in college and raising three kids together before “serious breaches of marital trust” ended their marriage.

Jordan talked about helping his three children heal during the difficult transition, and Joan resonated with his dedication to family, saying in a confessional that “that’s exactly the kind of person [she’s] looking for.”

The sweet one-on-one ended with a performance of “Can’t Fight this Feeling” by REO Speedwagon, which Jordan noted was a childhood favorite. He couldn’t help but point out the lyric “friendship has grown stronger,” which seemed emblematic of the pair’s burgeoning connection.

Joan & Guy Went Back To Basics

Next was a homey cooking date for Joan and Guy Gansert at Sun House Malibu. Joan noted that Guy’s culinary abilities didn’t necessarily match up to his ER skills, but she was pleased to see he could have fun along the way.

Guy opened up about the end of his marriage of 34 years, noting that becoming “semi-empty-nesters” put their communication challenges into sharp relief. “Sometimes I felt like we spent 30 years trying not to hurt each other’s feelings,” he said.

Joan left the date feeling “hopeful” about her connection with Guy and could picture sharing a life with him. “He’s exactly what I’m looking for,” she said.

The Week 4 Rose Ceremony

Despite having an “eye-opening” week, Joan said she was scared going into the Week 4 rose ceremony due to uncertainty about Chock.

“I’m worried about him because I care about him a lot. And I also am worried that he won’t be able to come back,” she said. “Chock is an important part of this to me. And if Chock doesn’t return, he will always be a question.”

With that question hanging in the air, she spent some time with her other suitors at the cocktail party. Pascal Ibgui apologized for not spending more time with Joan during the week’s group date. She confirmed that she was “worried” by his apparent aloofness but ultimately ascribed his “air of indifference” to him being French.

Mark gave Joan a toy fire truck — a cheeky nod to his strip-tease uniform — while Gary treated her to some slow dancing. And finally, Chock returned! “There was no way I was not coming back,” he shared in a confessional.

He asked Joan about a ring he’d observed her wearing — the attention to detail! She confirmed she sometimes still wore John’s ring but tried to do it less on the show. “Well, I support it. And if you do, I’m OK with it,” he said reassuringly.

He also admitted that he’s “crazy” about her. “I feel safe again. I feel comfortable again — like I have a future. Like there’s hope,” she said, going into the final rose ceremony.

A Proper Send-Off

Sadly, this was the end of the road for Charles, Gary, Gil, and Dan.

“I’ll miss each and every one of these men,” Gary said. “We have developed quite the relationship with each other — call each other brothers. And I am such a better man than I was because of them.”

Dan voiced a similar sentiment. “I’m a little choked up because I’ll miss everybody, and that’s the emotional part right now,” he said, saying the experience gave him the chance to live “with a group of brothers.”

Joan told Charles he changed her life, and from his parting words, it sounds like the feeling was mutual. “It really helped me pull myself out from the hardship that I experienced,” he told the camera.

Charles also gave a shout-out to his castmates. “We opened our hearts, everybody helped each other,” he said. “They are all gorgeous people. Lots of good friends.”

Finally, Joan’s remaining men filed out of the mansion to properly embrace their friends. (I’m not crying, you are!) Even without a final rose, Charles declared his time on The Golden Bachelorette a “successful journey,” indeed.

“It’s a different form of love, yeah. I did find it,” he said.