‘The Bachelor’ Grant Ellis Is Unwavering About What He Wants

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[This story contains mild spoilers from the season 29 premiere of The Bachelor.]

After 29 seasons, the question continues to be asked: Why do you agree to participate on The Bachelor?

Or,

Even after 29 seasons, the same query persists: What convinces you to join The Bachelor?

Or,

After 29 rounds, the query still stands: What prompts your decision to take part in The Bachelor?

All three options maintain the original meaning while being easy to read and natural.

One possibility could be: You have an opportunity to find love within a select group of individuals, but you’ll do so under the watchful eyes of a large film crew, with cameras capturing every moment of your romantic journey. Later on, you’ll relive and share this experience – including both the highs and lows – as millions of viewers tune in each week, commenting live on your romance and even drafting fictional teams based on your future relationship prospects.

For Season 29, there appears to be increased expectations for lead actor Grant Ellis. He is ABC’s second Black Bachelor, and there are high hopes that his season will correct the errors from the initial Black Bachelor, Matt James, during Season 25 in 2021. (Unfortunately, James and his winner, Rachael Kirkconnell, recently parted ways after four years as a couple.)

But if you ask Ellis, he’s pretty much shrugged off all that.

Admit it, I wasn’t very familiar with the franchise or reality TV in general. But since I didn’t have any second thoughts, I told The Hollywood Reporter about joining as the lead. After all, it’s a massive platform, where you expose yourself to public opinions and judgments. However, I see it as an opportunity for partnership. I consulted my parents on this matter, and they encouraged me to go ahead, so that’s exactly what I did.

The first episode broadcasted on Monday night featured a main character with an equally firm resolve. Following a lively performance synchronized with Salt-N-Pepa’s “Whatta Man”, a 31-year-old day trader residing in Houston, Texas, shared insights about how his background shaped his intense focus on the reality show.

“I’m ready to get married. I’m ready to have kids,” he says. “But at the same time, I’m nervous.”

Ellis got chosen as the main contestant following his exit from Jenn Tran’s 2024 season of The Bachelorette. Previously a professional basketball player, whose mom enrolled him for the Bachelor show, shared during the debut that his parents separated while he was in college (“It was hard. I learned a lot from their relationship”) and that his dad has been sober for 30 years due to addiction struggles. “His sobriety and my quest for love,” he stated, “it’s a blessing in disguise.

Growing up, when my parents would fight, I found solace in the world of basketball. It was my getaway, a place where I could momentarily forget about the chaos at home. Unfortunately, an injury cut short my professional career after four years.

Now, I’ve had to face many challenges alone. Finding that emotional connection is crucial for me because it’s something I missed out on in my childhood. I’m tired of feeling lonely. That’s why I’m here, seeking that human connection and hoping to find a sense of belonging.

As he engages in conversation with THR, he discards any preconceived notions about himself that might arise at the start of the season.

It’s primarily myself and my family whom I strive to impress, especially when it comes to love or how I conduct myself,” I assert. “I aim to make myself proud through my actions and how I navigate through situations. Being the second Black Bachelor is undeniably exciting, but I believe the crux of the matter lies in being the Bachelor first. I hope that my character will shine on screen and the way I handle situations will be what makes people proud, regardless of my ethnicity.

Ellis’ debut night as the Bachelor was packed with new experiences. His 25 competitors were presented in pre-recorded segments to the viewers once they had already arrived at the Bachelor Mansion to greet Ellis; his sister unexpectedly dropped by, initially unsettling the women (there was also a llama); and Alexe, a 27-year-old pediatric speech therapist from Canada, who received the sought-after “first impression” rose, got the first one-on-one date with the accompanying rose.

He found it gave him an extra spring in his stride,” he comments about the initial rose twist. “It made for a great beginning to the new season.

However, the most enlightening instances occurred in the season’s trailer, where Ellis was seen struggling with his last choice just as the ladies were about to arrive at the proposal location. While editing manipulations should be taken into account, Ellis can be heard expressing his dilemma between his final two women, with merely an hour remaining for a decision. When confronted by both his father and host Jesse Palmer, he admitted his fear of making the wrong choice: “I love both of these women, but I’m terrified of choosing incorrectly.

As I inquire about it now, following the completion of filming when he and his possible contest victor are secretly entangled in a hidden romance to preserve the surprise, Ellis remains tight-lipped about whether or not he discovered love.

He expresses his satisfaction with how things have unfolded, stating, ‘I’m really pleased with the outcome.’ Although this phrase might seem familiar, he insists it’s genuine. He refrains from disclosing whether he’s in love or not, but he does confirm that he is content.

As a gamer, I understand the pain of parting ways with characters you’ve grown attached to. It’s never easy, and there are always feelings involved. So, let’s just wait and see where this journey takes us.

I owe a debt of gratitude to my outstanding production team, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes, and to our casting department for selecting the exceptional women they did. Truly, they were an unparalleled group; I couldn’t have hoped for a more talented and capable team. At times, their brilliance made me feel a bit jittery!

From where he was hidden, he paused to ponder for a while upon being questioned about the thing that took him by surprise the most.

He admits he was amazed by the whole experience,” he explains. “On the surface, you see a show filled with mystery and magic. But once you peel back the layers, you realize there’s someone sincerely seeking a companion. That’s what I was doing, and beneath all the grand dates, airplanes, and other trappings, it was just me trying to find someone I could share my life with.

The Bachelor releases new episodes Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC, streaming the next day on Hulu.

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2025-01-28 06:26