Bachelor Season 29 Premiere: Grant Ellis Begins Journey to Find Love

The Bachelor season 29 officially kicked off on Monday, January 27. During the debut episode, fans got to watch Grant Ellis meet the 25 women that have signed up to date him and potentially fall in love.

Meanwhile, viewers also had the opportunity to get to know Grant better after he made his reality TV debut during Jenn Tran’s season of The Bachelorette.

Life & Style breaks down all of the memorable moments from the premiere, below.

Grant Explains What He’s Looking for in a Partner

During the episode’s introduction, Grant explained that he was looking to create an emotional connection on the show. “I can’t wait to meet my wife,” he said.

He added that he was “excited” and a “little nervous” to meet the 25 women vying for his heart. “I’m looking for somebody with a kind soul,” he told host Jesse Palmer, saying that he wants someone that’s looking for a serious relationship.

Meeting the Women

Rose Sombke was the first contestant to exit the limo and meet Grant. She made a memorable first impression when she asked if he would “accept this Rose,” pointing to herself.

Following Rose’s entrance, Grant had many more memorable interactions with the contestants. “I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” he said about meeting some of the women. “I’m on cloud 10.”

Another memorable entrance was Alexe Godin, who walked in with her “no drama llama.” While Grant seemed to enjoy his first impression, some of the women, including Natalie Phillips, weren’t impressed with Alexe’s pet.

Bailey Taylor Brown also stood out when she asked Grant to take photos of her, while they also posed for a selfie together.

Sarafiena Watkins was another contestant with a creative entrance. She strutted onto the driveway holding a massive cutout of Grant’s head, promising to always be his biggest supporter but to never let him get a big head.

Zoe McGrady‘s entrance got the attention of both Grant and the other contestants. While spending time with Grant, Zoe shot T-shirts with her and Grant’s faces on them with a gun. “I think we’re probably the best looking couple here,” she said about herself and Grant while holding up the T-shirt.

Grant Gives an Emotional Speech

Before he got to meet with the women one of one, Grant gave a speech assuring the group that he was looking for something serious. He explained that he views love as the little things, like bringing home a single flower. The leading man then challenged the women to consider what they believe the best form of love is.

1st Kiss of the Night

Before he handed out the roses, Grant got to have conversations with many of the women. Allyshia Gupta and Grant had a personal conversation about her childhood and upbringing with a single mother, which led to them sharing the first kiss of the night.

However, Allyshia was not the only woman that Grant kissed on night one. After Juliana Pasquarosa opened up about how she was cheated on in a past relationship in her introduction package, she and Grant shared a flirty moment before they kissed.

The PDA continued when he shared a kiss with  Litia Garr.

A Surprise Appearance

A surprise woman made an appearance halfway through the evening. Many of the women wondered if she was one of Grant’s ex-girlfriends, and he made it clear he knew who she was when she approached him.

After she asked to “steal Grant for a second,” it was revealed that she was his sister, Taylor Ellis.

Taylor quickly took center stage to share baby photos of Grant, which many of the women gushed about. She went on to assure the women that Grant was serious about finding his future wife during his time on the show, and she promised to stick around for a bit to get to know the women.

While speaking to the women, Taylor insisted that Grant “loves hard” when he’s in a relationship. However, she also admitted he could work on his organizational skills.

Taylor and Grant later had an emotional conversation, where she admitted he would have a hard time choosing from the women because they all seemed great.

Grant Hands Out 1st Impression Rose

Before Grant handed out the first impression rose, Jesse explained that the recipient will automatically get to go on the first date of the season.

Not only did Alexe get Grant’s attention by bringing a llama, but she continued to spark a connection when she taught him some words in French. The pair shared a kiss, and he later gave her the first impression rose.

“I really enjoyed our time tonight. Aside from being beautiful, I think that you’re funny, you’re smart and intelligent,” he told her before presenting her with the first impression rose.

Alexe was clearly happy with the decision, and she squealed over getting the opportunity to go on the first date with Grant.

The 1st Rose Ceremony

After the women lined up for the first rose ceremony, several of the contestants admitted they were nervous to see who would get a rose and who would be sent home.

Litia was given the first rose during the ceremony, and several other women were called until Parisa Marie Shifteh got the last rose of the night.

By the end of the rose ceremony, Christina Smith, J’Nae Squires Horton, Kelsey Curtis, Kyleigh Henrich, Neicey Baxter, Radhika Gupta and Savannah Quinn were all sent home.