women on night one.
And we all know who to thank for this, rose lovers: Linda the No Drama Llama.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How did the night one experience differ from what you had pictured in your mind?
Grant picks up the First Impression Rose on ‘The Bachelor’.Credit:ABC
GRANT ELLIS:There was no difference in what I anticipated.
It was a really good experience, how great these women were.
They exceeded my expectations in their wittiness, how charming they were, how stunning they were.
Grant and Allyshia smooch on ‘The Bachelor’.ABC
It really, really started things off right.
You went in saying you were going to keep it classy what did you mean by that?
“Keep it classy” means just be a gentleman.
Jesse Palmer and Linda on ‘The Bachelor’.ABC
Just be a gentleman at all times.
It’s a unique situation that I’m in, and things can get dicey if you over-promise.
So just be a gentleman.
Alexe gets the First Impression Rose on ‘The Bachelor’.ABC
Some of the women there said they prefer not to kiss on the first date.
What was your attitude about kissing on night one?
You have to really make decisions quick, and that is a factor in the chemistry between somebody.
The way I did it was, if it was there, it was there.
If it wasn’t, then I’m not going to force anything.
I let the woman dictate how things went, and then if it happened, it happened.
Do you remember how many women you kissed that night?
It was seven, by the way.
Okay, so you know!
[Laughs]
Lets talk about some of the entrances.
Carolina arrived and started chattering at you in Spanish.
What did you think she was saying?
I speak a little bit of Spanish, but she was talking so fast!
I tried to catch bits and pieces and put it together.
At the end I just said, “Si,” because I didn’t know what she said.
We also need to talk about Linda the no-drama llama.
What went through your mind when Alexe brought her in?
Yeah, I’m a big animal guy, so I thought that was a really unique entrance.
It was really funny.
It showed her character and it showed her personality.
It really stood out to me.
Did you spend any more time with Linda once you went inside the mansion?
Jesse spent most of the time with Linda.
He was with her a lot.
Now, Linda must have made an impression, because Alexe got the First Impression Rose.
It didn’t affect how I approached things and it didn’t put any more weight on things.
It just added a certain spin to how things played out.
So you were told before night one?
Yeah, I was told leading up to that night.
And it really didn’t affect your decision-making process?
That’s surprising, since getting the first one-on-one date kind of raises the stakes.
Why did you ultimately choose Alexe?
I just think that our connection was there and she made me laugh.
We had a really good chemistry and that’s why I chose her.
And she brought a llama in the house!
She took a risk and it paid off.
My condolences on your grandma Corrine.
Even from the little we saw of her, it’s clear she was a formidable woman.
What did she say to you when you told her you were going to be the Bachelor?
My grandmother was really happy.
It was also really emotional watching you reconnect with your dad.
What was it like watching that back?
Yeah, that is something that was part of my journey during the show, reconnecting with my Dad.
That’s not the last time you’re going to see him.
What’s your secret?
Yeah, so luckily I have a really good stylist.
His name isCary Fetman.
He was helping me take the glitter off along the way.
So that’s a question you got to ask him, because that was his job.
Just keep Cary around, because he’s good at what he does.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Bachelorairs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
