'The Bachelor' Grant gives out his first impression rose and it comes with a twist
NEW YORK -- What a man, what a man, what a mighty good man! Grant is our new "Bachelor!" We start off by meeting the 30-year-old from Houston and learning about his life. He loves basketball, and drives a hot car, but says he's 30 now, he's got everything aligned to get married and start a family. First thing's first, Grant has a beautiful family! His sister Taylor is gorgeous, and so is his mom and grandmother. He said his parents were married for 30 years, but then they got divorced while he was in college. His dad is recovering from a 30-year addiction. His father, Robert, is so proud of Grant and wants him to meet someone special. Grant loves his family but said his father's addiction, and his mom just putting her head down and working, left him with a lack of emotional connection. He wants a family that he can have dinner with every night. He said he's emotionally ready to take on the role of being a great father and husband. He cried as he said he didn't want to be lonely anymore. Ok, I'm a few minutes in and already crying! Go find your girl Grant!
Gina: Oh, we are so back!! I'm super excited to see Grant find his person. When I met Grant a few weeks ago, he told me his family will play a big part in his journey and I can't wait to see how it all unfolds and how involved they are in this journey.
Jesse Palmer was waiting outside the front of Bachelor Mansion as Grant pulled up. Grant told him he's looking for a kind soul who could be on the same wavelength as him. Grant did a little dance to shake out his nerves and with that, it was time for his journey to begin!
The Limos Arrive
1) Rose, 27, is a Registered Nurse from Chicago, IL she told him that he was tall and handsome. She asked him if she could be the first to say, will you accept this rose? Cute!
Gina: Great entrance and impression!
2) Litia, 31, a venture capitalist from Utah gave Grant a hug as he complimented her hair and shoes. She noted that Grant was open and vulnerable so she decided to be vulnerable too by revealing that she is bad at basketball. If you bring the skill, I'll bring the sparkle she said as she handed him a bedazzled basketball. She was raised Mormon with her big family. She was born in Hawaii, that's where her parents got married and had her. Her father died in a car accident when she was just three months old. I'm guessing her mother remarried because she has a big family!
Gina: I love that Grant said Sparkle and Skill would be their nicknames. There was an immediate connection, could she be one to watch?
3) J'Nae is 28 and an account supervisor from Colorado. She said her first love was basketball just like him, but she hopes she can be his last love. She gave him some chalk and they threw it in the air.
Gina: I believe the chalk is a nod to Grant's favorite player and LA Lakers/NBA legend, LeBron James.
4) Parisa is 29 and a Pediatric Behavior Analyst from Michigan. She told Grant he seemed loving and kind. She wanted him to know that she's there for him.
5) Carolina 29 Public Relations Manager from Puerto Rico. She lived there until she was a teenager but then moved to the US for the opportunities. She loves her little dog. Her last boyfriend was a DJ and she realizes that was a dumb decision (no disrespect to the DJ's out there). She told him in Spanish that she would be his future wife. "I have to invest in some Rosetta stone," Grant said.
Gina: I had to laugh when Grant said "when all else fails, I say 'si!'" He's probably smart to pick up some other words and phrases!
6) Alli Jo, 30, is a boxing trainer from Manalapan, NJ. She pulled up beeping in a Jeep and she had a heart-shaped pizza and asked him if he would like a "pizza her heart." Grant loved it and ate a piece.
Gina: Look, we all know NJ and NY pizza is supreme! And we know a way to a man's heart is through his stomach. So win/win for Alli Jo! I also think she's got a lot of personality. It'll be interesting to see whether it becomes endearing to the other girls or whether they'll turn on her for it.
7) Dina, 31, from Chicago told Grant that he would love Chicago too. Her parents lived in Romania until their 20's and then in the US they had 11 kids! She's a civil litigation defense attorney. She seems tough! She said she was always told she had beautiful hands and told Grant she's a size 6 ring, haha.
Gina: Good line, good line!
8) Radhika, 28, is an attorney from New York City. She did a Bollywood dance up to Grant. She said that every moment together would be as fun as a Bollywood dance.
9) Allyshia 29, an interior designer from Tampa, gave Grant a genie in a bottle, and that they could make a wish together "to be granted."
Gina: Is this where ABC got the tagline from for this season? Things that make you go "hmmm."
10) Natalie, 25, is a PhD student from Louisville, Kentucky. She gave Grant a worry stone.
Gina: I actually thought the worry stones were a good idea!
11) Beverly, 30, is an insurance salesperson, from Howard Beach, NY. She wore a beauty queen sash that said Mrs. Ellis.
12) Alexe, 27, is a pediatric speech therapist from Canada. She's French-Canadian and grew up on a farm. She brought Linda, her no-drama llama with her! The llama was so nervous and making all kinds of noises.
Gina: Immediately love her and the llama! Also, is this a Bachelor first, having a llama join night one?
13) Juliana, 28, is a client service associate from Massachusetts. She told Grant that her Italian roots are important so she brought him a cannoli that they could share. Grant took a huge bite! Grant warned her there was a llama inside. It was funny! She couldn't believe it was true when she walked in.
Gina: As a fellow Italian, she instantly became my favorite. Also, Grant said "oooh, wow" when she got out of the limo. I think he likes her!
14) Chloie, 27, is a model from New York City, but she's originally from Kansas. She wore ruby slippers to remind herself that there's no place like home. She's a plus-size model. She wants to find someone special in her life.
Gina: We love a pop culture reference and she seems super sweet!
15) Bailey, 27, is a social media manager from Atlanta. She has a cute little dog, and she is huge in social media and sharing her life. She calls herself an "acquired taste." She had Grant take some pictures of her for her social account. Then they made a TikTok together.
Gina: This is Coco Gauff's pal from Atlanta! I do like that she said she's an acquired taste. Honesty up front is good!
16) Sarafiena, 29, is an associate media director from NYC. She walked up with a HUGE cardboard cutout of Grant's face. She said she wanted to be his biggest cheerleader but wouldn't let him get a big head.
17) Kyleigh, 26, is a retail manager from Wilmington, NC. She brought salsa and chips for him.
18) Ella, 25, is a luxury travel host from LA. She told Grant she's there for him.
19) Rebekah, 31, is an ICU nurse from Dallas.
20) Christina, 26, is a marketing director from Fargo, ND. She definitely has an accent.
21) Neicey, 32, is a pediatrician from Blythewood, SC. She said that her profession shows that she can commit to something for a long time.
22) Kelsey, 26, is an interior designer from Brooklyn. She wore a basketball jersey that said Mrs. Ellis.
23) Savannah, 27, is a wedding planner from Charlottesville, Virginia. She walked up to Grant with a wedding cake! The cake had figurines of themselves on top! The other women were excited to taste the cake.
24) Vicky, 28, is a nightclub server, from Las Vegas. She drove up in a pink Cadillac holding a sign that said Viva Las Vicky.
25) Lastly, Zoe, 27, is a tech engineer/model from NYC. She shot a t-shirt out of a cannon at Grant. On the shirt was a picture of their faces. She said it was Power Couple merch. Then, they shot t-shirts up at the balcony of the mansion. The women thought it was really funny.
Gina: I thought it was funny too!
Grant Welcomes the Women
Now that all the women have been welcomed, it's time for the games to start! Chloie put on the t-shirt from the t-shirt gun! Grant entered the room and told the women that he wanted to be a husband and father and his intentions were sincere. He said he was there for love! He asked them, "What does love mean to you?" He said it was all the little things and he added that he appreciated a woman's strength. His mom signed him up for the show!
Gina: You can tell from Grant's introduction speech to the ladies that he's really serious about this and is going to be intentional with his choices. He wants them to think about what love means to them and I think that's key to helping him find "the one."
He spoke with Bailey first and she asked him if he liked her bob. He said yes and she said, "Oh good because I got you one to match," and she pulled out a little wig! It was so funny! He looked hilarious. They did 10 fun facts where she talked all about herself. They didn't share his. Operation Bob was a success!
Gina: I'm glad that he had some fun with it- the wig looked good, sir. It looked good.
G+P was up on a screen and Parisa showed off her crystal and rock collection. She said dating in Michigan isn't going well. She's a cat lady. She and her friends make PowerPoint updates for each other, so she made one for Grant. It was so funny, but it made him sweat. It showed them getting married, and having babies, it was great.
Gina: This reminded me of the scene in "How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days" when Kate Hudson's Andie Anderson brings Matthew McConaughey's Benjamin Barry the photo album of their life together where she photoshopped their wedding and kids!
First Kiss
Allyshia with the genie lamp was raised with a single mom and she doesn't know her biological father. Her mom did whatever she could to take care of her and her sister. She said it was great to watch a woman go from nothing to success and have that example. Grant told her that she had a good heart and that he was attracted to her. He went in for the kiss! Grant said there's a connection and a spark. The other women saw the kiss and the mood changed immediately in the room.
Gina: This was interesting since Allyshia told the other girls she doesn't kiss on the first date. But I mean, when you're in the moment, you're in the moment!
Juliana played piano for Grant and he was impressed. Her family is so cute, they're a big Italian family and very close. She said she was in a relationship for a long time where she was cheated on a lot. She said that it really broke her and her family picked her back up and helped her get through it. Grant told Juliana that he's a family guy too and that he's ready for the future. He kissed her too! "Butterflies are exploding out of me," she said.
Gina: Her family reminds me of my family growing up and I love that. They do seem like they clicked right away. She might be one to watch!
He spoke with Carolina by the fire and they talked about optimism and believing in the process of the show. Grant said he wants to take his time but is taking it seriously. Carolina talked about spending time with her family and that she wants to start a family of her own. Her parents and siblings are a lot older than her and she doesn't want to be left alone. Aw! Grant completely understood and he loved her genuine heart. He wanted to kiss her, but he felt she didn't want to do that on night one and he wanted to respect her.
Gina: A respectful king, we love that. Another moment that stood out to me was Carolina asking if he thought his wife was in the room, he said yes and then she asked how far away is she in inches! It was cute. She can be serious and also playful.
Grant said he found his time with most of the women to be effortless. He was very happy that the conversation could just flow.
Grant Gets a Surprise Visitor
Surprise, a limo pulled up and the women were instantly jealous! But, it was his sister! They all felt bad for the stuff they had said and then wanted to talk to her too. Jesse Palmer walked in holding photos of Grant throughout his childhood. He was a cutie! Then she spent some time talking with the women and revealed Grant had been in a 7-year relationship. She also said that Grant could be better with organization. Taylor told Grant he had a hard decision ahead of him because she really liked all of the girls.
Gina: I hope we see more of Taylor through the season!
Grant revealed that although he has a sports car, he also has an Acura, a dad car! Litia told Grant that she loved how aware of his feelings he was. She wants someone who can come to the table with emotional awareness. Grant said that she was very beautiful and then kissed her! But then she went out into the crowd of women and told everyone that Grant was a good kisser, "I'd recommend it." Not sure it's a great idea to kiss and tell!
First Impression Rose Arrives
Jesse Palmer dropped off the first impression rose and told them women it was more important than ever because she would get the first one-on-one date! (I was right! In case you didn't listen to our podcast, I predicted that could be why this rose was more important than ever!) Alexe continued to lead her Llama around, but then with that rose on the table, decided it was time to talk to Grant. She liked that he had a calm presence because she had a ton of energy and needed someone grounding. Grant said that he liked her vibe. She taught him some French and one of the questions ended with a kiss! He thought he got the full picture of who she is and he even thought she would be a great mother one day because she works with kids.
Gina: A couple of things here. First, props to the editors for adding llama reaction shots. 10/10, no notes. They were perfection. Second, I love the twist on the First Impression rose. It makes absolute sense. Third, I think Grant and Alexe have a cute connection!
Vicky brought him the VIP Vegas experience with some champagne and sparklers burning. They shared a kiss! Savannah brought her wedding cake in to talk to Grant and was about to interrupt Zoe's time but found them kissing on the couch.
Meantime, Natalie talked about getting her doctorate in psychology and working with kids in the hospital. Grant found her really sweet and liked the breathing exercise she had him do. Smell the flowers and blow out the candles. "You're already attractive, but seeing your heart is even more attractive," he said. He liked how sincere and genuine she is. "Natalie is a keeper in my books."
Rose and Grant worked with some clay to manifest something for the future and they did it blindfolded. They made rings out of clay! They talked about what they want for the future and they seemed to make a connection. Grant said that he liked her a lot and that he wanted to be consistent in giving her reassurance. He put the clay ring on her, took off his blindfold, kept her blindfolded and they kissed! It was a great moment, very sweet.
Alexe Gets the First Impression Rose
Grant walked into the room, picked up the first impression rose, and walked over to Alexe. The no-drama llama lady is getting the rose! She happily accepted it and gave Grant a kiss. He loves her sense of humor and everything about her. She's now going to get the first date next week!
Gina: Seeing their connection, I can understand why she got this rose. They vibe well together and it'll be interesting to see how this progresses.
Rose Ceremony
1) Alexe (First impression rose)
2) Litia
3) Rose
4) Zoe
5) Ella
6) Alli Jo
7) Natalie
8) Juliana
9) Vicky
10) Carolina
11) Beverly
12) Bailey
13) Dina
14) Chloie
15) Rebekah
16) Sarafiena
17) Allyshia
18) Parisa
In case you are wondering what happened to Linda the Llama, Jesse walks her out of the mansion. I kind of wish she could stay!
Coming Up This Season
Grant goes thrill-seeking with his bachelorettes and there are plenty of fireworks! The women fall fast! There's a lot of kissing, and happy tears, but then there's plenty of drama and sad tears. There's a deceitful woman in the house according to Grant and there's also someone who is a backstabber. Maybe they're the same person, it's hard to tell! It's a challenging journey but it leads him to two amazing women. The problem? He can't choose between them! Grant said that he is excited to propose to the woman of his dreams, but he is torn. It looks like he doesn't know what he wants to do right up until the time the limos arrive. That's got to be a tough pill to swallow for the woman he doesn't end up with. They came extremely close to being "the one." I for one can't wait to see who wins Grant's heart!
Gina: This is going to be a fun season - I can't wait to watch it all!
Follow us now and never miss an episode!
Click here to subscribe on Apple Podcasts
