Television January 27, 2025
Bachelor Grant Ellis Teases a Love Story, Some ‘Letdown’ & That Llama! (Exclusive)

“The Bachelor” star Grant Ellis was feeling excited and nervous ahead of his season premiere!
“Extra’s” Mona Kosar Abdi spoke with Grant in NYC, who opened up about what’s to come in the season.
Ellis couldn't reveal if he’s engaged or not, but he said the season will also focus on another love story!
He explained that it's "a love story of me reconnecting with my father," adding, "It's a really, really empowering story... Emotion and drama and all that, too, but that’s the main thing, the most important thing.”
There will also be some heartbreak. Grant said, “I think it's definitely hard… The women were so wonderful, they were great, and everybody's heart was open. So, there's definitely going to be some letdown on both ends.”
He said of having to send people home, "That is probably the toughest part of this whole journey, especially as it gets toward the end... That was really hard, but ultimately I had to do what was best for me in that situation. But it was tough, it was very tough, and it weighed on me."
Grant's TV search to find his person is just beginning — his experience on “The Bachelorette” with Jenn Tran “definitely prepared” him. He elaborated, “It taught me a lot… that it's okay to wear your emotions on your sleeve. I mean, life, kind of, taught me that, but it reassured that, and then it also taught me that the process, this journey, really does work. It works if you're open to it. In my season, everybody was open to it and everybody approached it with the same mindset."
Now, he is the lead, which gives him new perspective. He pointed out, “It's very easy to judge the lead because you know, number one, if you get dumped, you're like, ‘Well, why didn't they pick me?’ But, you know, it's different to be in a situation where you have to manage so many personalities and emotions and decide, and all this is happening in a short period of time. So, it's definitely different, and I understand a lot more."
The women upped their entrance game big-time for the Season 29 premiere. One contestant even brought a llama named Linda, who she dubbed her "no drama llama"!
Grant commented, “The llama is the talk of the town. That was a really, really clever entrance… Somebody did their research 'cause I'm an animal lover. So, I thought that was the best entrance of the night and I was just hoping I didn’t get spit on.”
Another entrance that caught Grant’s eye was Zoe, who arrived with t-shirts with their faces on them!
He said, “Zoe came in hot. She’s a strong woman. She is really smart, and she did a good job.”
As for what is he looking for in a woman, Grant dished, “Somebody with a kind soul, somebody who cares about people. Somebody who's not too self-absorbed. Somebody with a good sense of humor. You gotta to laugh it off, you can't take yourself too serious.”
Ellis is ready to settle down, saying, “I think for me settling down makes me a better man. It makes me stronger having somebody to support me. A lot of my life is discipline, so I feel like as a man, having that discipline is really important.”
Grant said it was "100 percent" going through his mind on the first night that he could be meeting his future wife!
He shared, "I think that's the exciting part about it. It's not very often that you go into a situation knowing that somebody you're gonna meet is gonna be your future wife."
He added of his journey, "I'm very happy with the way things are. I was being myself, and I think people are gonna get to know me and my personality, but they're also gonna get to know these women. I had some really great women on my season, and I want them to see how wonderful [they are] and how our stories unfolded."
We also got to know Grant better with a game of Red Rose or Red Flag!
“The Bachelor” airs Mondays on ABC.