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Season 29 of The Bachelor premiered on Monday, January 27, introducing viewers to Grant Ellis, a basketball player-turned-day trader, who is now the lead of the ABC dating series. Ellis, who previously appeared on season 21 of The Bachelorette featuring Jenn Tren, met 25 women who are competing for his affection.
Among the contestants were Rose, Litia, and J’Nae, each making a unique first impression. Rose kicked off the night with a memorable entrance, while Litia brought a bejeweled basketball and J’Nae made a basketball-themed entrance with a LeBron James-inspired bottle of powdered chalk.
The contestants also included Sarafiena, who showed up with a giant cutout of Grant’s face, and Alexe, who brought a llama with her, creating moments that quickly stood out. Other contestants, such as Carolina and Chloe, also made an impact, with Carolina humorously talking about dating a DJ and Chloie confidently speaking about her role as a plus-size model.
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Bailey, a social media manager, asked Grant to take photos of her, and Zoe used a T-shirt gun to send shirts featuring their faces into the mansion. Dina and Juliana impressed with their entrances, with Juliana even bonding with Grant over music as they played the piano together.
In the premiere episode, viewers were given a first look at the contestants and a glimpse into Grant's background.
Grant Ellis leads the way in The Bachelor season 29 premiere
Grant Ellis’ background and personality
Grant Ellis, who is 31 years old, opened the episode by introducing himself and sharing his story with the audience.
"I’m Grant, I’m 30, I live in Houston, Texas, and I’m your next Bachelor," he said while dancing to Salt-N-Pepa’s "Whatta Man."
His introduction was followed by a look at his family, including his mother, who encouraged him to apply for the show, and his father, who has experienced struggles with addiction. Ellis explained that the show would showcase both his lighthearted side and his journey of self-discovery.
"You get the Grant who loves music and that’s happy...But then you also get a Grant that’s going through a struggle and is relearning himself," The Bachelor said in an interview before the premiere.
Contestants and their Limo entrances
As is tradition on The Bachelor, the limo entrances were filled with creative and memorable moments. The first woman to step out of the limo was named Rose. She was followed by Litia, who brought a bejeweled basketball, and J’Nae, who had a LeBron James-inspired bottle of powdered chalk.
Several other women introduced themselves with unique entrances, including Sarafiena, who presented a giant cutout of Grant’s head, and Alexe, who brought a llama with her. Grant noted that these entrances were a reflection of the contestants’ personalities and sense of humor, stating,
“Whatever anybody did I would’ve been OK with. I would, maybe, judge a little bit… but other than that, I would’ve been cool with it.”
The women continued to stand out through their introductions, with Bailey, a social media manager, requesting Grant to take photos of her, and Zoe sending T-shirts with their faces printed on them into the mansion using a T-shirt gun.
Dina and Juliana also impressed Grant with their striking appearances and interactions. Juliana, in particular, bonded with Grant over music, with the two playing the piano together later in the episode.
"I think that we definitely related over music. I think that was something that really stood out to me," Grant said of his time with Juliana during an interview.
The first impression rose and early connections
After the limo entrances, the night continued with one-on-one interactions between Grant and the contestants, where they shared laughs and enjoyed lighthearted moments together.
Rose, for example, had a memorable moment during which she created a blindfolded "ghost" craft with Grant. The evening saw multiple kissing moments, though Grant emphasized that he was going with the flow rather than planning these interactions.
"It’s not like you could make a plan for it, it just happens," he said.
The first impression rose was awarded to Alexe, following an engaging interaction that included a shared sense of humor and a strong connection. The Bachelor star Grant explained,
"There was something about that first night that from the llama to our sense of humor… it was a combination of things that made me give out that rose."
As a result of receiving the first impression rose, Alexe was also granted the first one-on-one date of the season.
As the episode ended, seven contestants were eliminated, leaving 18 women still vying for Grant’s affection. The episode hinted at upcoming drama and emotional moments, with Grant noting that while he is decisive in other areas of life, making decisions regarding matters of the heart is more challenging for him.
"In my life, I’m a really decisive person, but when it comes to matters of the heart and when it comes to letting people down, I struggle with that sometimes," The Bachelor star Ellis Grant said.
The season promises to feature further developments as Grant navigates his connections with the remaining contestants.
Stay tuned for new episodes of The Bachelor every Monday at 8 PM ET on ABC.
