Moments after Grant Ellis was eliminated from Jenn Tran’s season of The Bachelorette, ABC surprised Bachelor Nation with the announcement that we’ll be seeing a lot more of him in the new year. Ellis, a 30-year-old day trader from Houston, Texas, will be the star of The Bachelor Season 29, becoming the series’ second Black lead. After Ellis officially introduced himself to America on Tuesday, I’m getting really excited for another great season of the reality dating show.
While fans were over the moon about Grant Ellis’ announcement, we couldn’t help but notice how unusual it was for ABC to make his identity known so early. Many bristled at the fact that Ellis wasn’t given Good Morning America as a platform, or announced during The Bachelorette season finale, which is typically how such news is revealed. That was quickly remedied, as Jenn Tran’s ex-boyfriend appeared on GMA remotely to speak out for the first time as The Bachelor. Ellis said:
I’m so excited to kick off my journey of finding love, and I hope that you guys join me next year when the show premieres on ABC. I’m looking for a love that’s kind and understanding. Some qualities I’m looking for in a potential partner is somebody who’s adventurous, somebody who’s affectionate and somebody who’s loving. I can’t wait for this incredible journey to kick off. It’s gonna be so fun. I hope you guys tune in.
OK, so this statement is pretty generic, and I’m a little disappointed that Grant Ellis’ official introduction as The Bachelor didn’t allow more of his personality to shine through. That’s what has endeared Bachelor Nation to him on Jenn Tran’s season, after all. The Bachelorette viewers certainly felt for him after he was sent home from The Bachelorette, as he lamented:
I want a family, you know? I want to be happy. I want a wife. I want to be in love. I want that, you know? I want to give everything to somebody, and I want them to give everything to me in return.
Having seen that level of emotion on top of how much fun he can be and how he handled himself amid all the drama on The Bachelorette, I’m very confident we’re in for a great season.
He’s got some pretty big shoes to fill, too. The Season 28 lead, Joey Graziadei, was widely praised by fans as the best Bachelor ever for the way he treated the women. He and Kelsey Anderson — who Graziadei proposed to in the season finale — are still together, which is a big deal in Bachelor Nation, where few final couples actually make it to the altar.
ABC must see similarities in Joey Graziadei and Grant Ellis’ popularity, too, because that’s allegedly the reason for Ellis' early announcement. Executive Rob Mills took to X (Twitter) amid all the commotion that followed Monday’s episode, tweeting that they decided to reveal the new lead as soon as possible to give interested parties time to apply to be on The Bachelor Season 29. Casting has likely already started, as production should kick off in the next couple of months.
I’m really excited to see another person of color leading The Bachelor franchise, and Grant Ellis seems to be a great option. I’ll definitely be tuning in next January, but in the meantime, we’ve got Jenn Tran’s season to finish out, with new episodes airing at 8 p.m. ET Mondays on ABC and streaming the next day with a Hulu subscription. The Golden Bachelorette, as well, will premiere on the 2024 TV schedule at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, September 18.
