Grant Ellis was announced as the lead of The Bachelor Season 29 following his recent departure from The Bachelorette Season 21. On The Bachelorette, Grant made a great impression on both viewers and Jenn Tran. Grant could redefine what it means to be The Bachelor with his personality and connection of emotions as we saw in Season 21. The producers choosing Grant wasn’t a surprise and now Grant’s casting is a significant moment marking him as the second Black Bachelor.
There are many reasons why Grant Ellis is a great choice for The Bachelor. On The Bachelorette, Grant showed kindness and empathy to Jenn and the rest of the men. It makes sense for Grant to be the next Bachelor, as he went far on the show and had a positive reputation. However, the announcement of Grant taking on the role of the next Bachelor came at a strange time.
Grant Ellis became a fast favorite on The Bachelorette Season 21
Grant is originally from Newark, New Jersey, but now lives in Houston Texas. The New Jersey native played basketball for several colleges and the game was his passion. Grant’s passion hit a dead end due to an injury, which eventually led him to the field of finance as a day trader. Despite his enthusiasm for his new profession, he still enjoys watching basketball games.
During Season 21, Grant formed a quick connection with Jenn. Grant earned the first group date rose of the season, which labeled him as a front-runner early on. In New Zealand, Grant had a one-on-one date with Jenn where he opened up about his family. Grant revealed that his father had struggled with addiction, but had recently made the decision to stay sober.
When Grant reached the final seven, he confessed to Jenn that he was falling in love with her. After hearing Grant express his desire to be loved and start a family, Jenn didn’t feel that she was the right person for him. As a result, Jenn sent Grant home, who was heartbroken. Luckily for Grant, he now has a second chance to find love on The Bachelor Season 29.
Grant’s Bachelor announcement came at an unexpected time
While many fans were elated to learn that Grant would be the new Bachelor, they were confused with the timing. Typically, the Bachelor and Bachelorette leads aren’t announced until the end of their respective seasons. For instance, Jenn was revealed as the Bachelorette during the finale of Joey Graziadei’s season. Similarly, Joey was unveiled as the next Bachelor at the end of Charity Lawson’s season.
Grant, however, was announced as the next Bachelor before Hometowns even aired. This was unusually early and out of the norm. Furthermore, Grant was only announced as the Bachelor online. This was somewhat strange, as the leads usually get a big announcement at some point in the show. However, there wasn’t an opportunity for this, as Grant didn’t know he would be the next Bachelor during filming.
Why was Grant Ellis announced as the Bachelor so soon?
While Grant’s Bachelor reveal came at a surprising time, there is a reason behind it. According to US Weekly, now that Grant is officially the next Bachelor, producers want women to apply for him specifically. Many girls will likely be interested in him after seeing the way he treated Jenn, as well as his infectious personality.
In the past, some seasons have had issues with contestants not being there for the lead. For instance, Sam McKinney recently exposed himself to this during Jenn’s season. During the group date in Seattle, Sam admitted that he was hoping the Bachelorette would’ve been Daisy Kent or Maria Georgas. Sam surprised everyone by going a step further and saying that Jenn wasn’t his type, and it was evident that he didn’t know she would be the Bachelorette when he applied.
Hopefully, the early announcement of Grant as the lead will attract a group of women who are interested in him. Grant deserves a group of Bachelorettes who want to get to know him, rather than women who just want to be on TV. While Grant’s Bachelor announcement was nontraditional, Bachelor Nation fans can finally stop speculating as to who they hoped it would be!
TELL US – ARE YOU EXCITED TO SEE GRANT AS THE NEXT BACHELOR?
