It’s that time of year, Bachelor Nation! After the whirlwind experience that was Jenn Tran’s Bachelorette season, we’re just a few weeks away from the premiere of Grant Ellis’s season of The Bachelor. Grant was one of the frontrunners during Jenn’s season but was eliminated just before hometowns (interestingly enough, so was Jenn). Upon his elimination, he said, “I want to give everything to somebody, and I want them to give everything to me in return. Through hell or high water, I’m going to find my happiness, and I’m not going to stop until I do.”
Grant’s introduction as the next Bachelor wasn’t without controversy. He’s the second Black lead of The Bachelor, following Matt James, who also had a very controversial season — especially when it was revealed that his final pick, Rachel, had attended an Old South-themed, antebellum-style party. This, coupled with the ongoing conversation about how producers handle leads of color (as seen in Jenn’s season), sparked further debate.
The discourse was reignited when ABC announced Grant as the new Bachelor in a tweet. Yes, you read that right—a tweet. Something that the franchise had never done before, without announcing it live on air. The official on-air announcement didn’t come until after, during the Men Tell All special, and still, fans were a little confused as to why the show didn’t just announce it then. Despite this, Bachelor Nation is excited to see Grant in the spotlight, and rightfully so. However, they’ve also made it clear that they expect ABC to do better.
After his announcement as the new Bachelor, the show received over 10,000 applications. We can only imagine how high that number got to be!
The men of The Bachelorette also gave their endorsement of Grant in a heartwarming Instagram post shared on Sept. 1.
During the Men Tell All episode, fan-favorite Hakeem said, “I was a ecstatic you guys are getting the best Bachelor possible this guy’s been a mentor for me he listens to me with my emotions too cuz you know I wear my heart on my sleeves and he’s always that ear that I can always go to.” Meanwhile, Jonathon said, “[Grant’s] the second person of color coming into this and there’s not somebody I can imagine representing
Bachelor nation and representing a person of color better than Grant.” So, without further ado, here’s everything we know so far about Grant’s Bachelor season.
When will The Bachelor Season 29 air?
Bachelor Mondays will officially be back very soon! In a Dec. 16 promo, ABC revealed that Grant’s season will premiere on Monday, Jan. 27.
The show will continue to air on Mondays and stream the following day on Hulu.
Who’s in Grant Ellis’s The Bachelor cast?
For the most part, this season’s contestants have been kept under wraps in comparison to other seasons. However, ABC did share the names, ages, and hometowns of the women vying for Grant’s heart. As always, once these contestants were found on Instagram, the sleuthing began. The season preview also has all the fireworks, dreamy dates, tears, arguments, and drama that are a staple in the series.
Grant has made it clear that he’s looking for “a love that’s kind and understanding.” His ideal partner should be adventurous, affectionate, and loving. He even wrote a sweet note on Instagram to his future wife on Aug. 28, and it gave us all the feels!
What else should fans know about Grant Ellis?
Grant is from New Jersey but currently lives in Texas. He was formerly a professional basketball player, but after suffering an injury, he pivoted to day trading (talk about being multifaceted!) Unsurprisingly, he’s a big basketball fan and loves the Lakers. He also enjoys bowling and singing which we got a sneak peek of in his season preview!