Grant Ellis was having lunch with his sister when his day took an unexpected turn. He received a life-changing call: an offer to be the next star of “The Bachelor.”
Now, Ellis is starring as the ABC franchise’s second Black male lead. In Season 29, many Black fans hope that the reality dating show will correct its previous mistakes.
Matt James, the first Black Bachelor, starred in 2021, and his groundbreaking season was overshadowed by a racial scandal. Photos circulated of the winning contestant, Rachael Kirkconnell, attending an Antebellum South-themed party when she was in college, leading to a wave of backlash from audiences. The couple stayed together until January, when they announced the end of their four-year relationship. The scandal highlighted the show’s lengthy history of being unequipped to handle racially sensitive topics and the lack of diversity in its casting.
That’s one reason why all eyes are on Ellis. For many, this season symbolizes the franchise’s attempt to make amends for its past failures in protecting Black leads and expanding diversity; notably, almost half of the group in the current season are Black women or other women of color.
“Production did their due diligence and took their time,” Ellis said about the show’s approach to his season. “I think they took things into account. It was never a conversation that I had with them, but it was in the back of our minds. And I think that we did a good job.”
Ellis is aware of the added pressure that comes with being the second Black Bachelor. But if you ask him, he says he tries not to sweat what’s out of his control.
“You have a lot of eyes watching, and you have to make the right moves and be really cautious with what you say and how you approach situations,” he said. “Being a Black lead, you have to be a good example. That’s the main thing that I thought about. Luckily for me, I try to do that in my life. So it really wasn’t anything new to me.”
Fans of the reality dating show may recognize Ellis; he was briefly a cast member on Jenn Tran’s season of “The Bachelorette” in 2024. After his exit, the chances of the 31-year-old day trader meeting his forever partner on television were fleeting. He flew back to Houston and returned to his regular life while simultaneously trying to heal from a private-turned-public heartbreak. But before completely walking away from the possibility of finding his future wife on screen, he was given a second chance to finish what he started.
“I talked with my mom and dad, and they said, ‘You only live once,’” Ellis told HuffPost. “Regardless of what you do in life, people are going to have their opinions. That was probably the main motivation for me to go ahead and accept the role. And it was a good decision.”
The premiere episode aired on Jan. 27 and introduced the 25 women vying for Ellis’ heart. Fans’ biggest critique so far, judging from the social media reaction, is the number of women Ellis kissed on the first night — as well as speculation that Ellis, a budding musician, isn’t on the show just for romance. (He released a new song, “Party Girl,” ahead of the premiere.)
Fans learned about his love for music from his limo entrance on “The Bachelorette.” But he told HuffPost that his time on “The Bachelor” isn’t about launching a music career.
“I’m at a phase in my life where I’m doing things that make me happy,” Ellis said. “I’m not trying to be a musician. I just thought it was fun. There’s no singles coming out or anything. I’m just focusing on my life and work and we’ll see where things go from here.”
As for the several kisses he shared on the first night, he said the response from viewers didn’t faze him. While some viewers found his approach off-putting, others welcomed his boldness.
“There’s always going to be mixed reactions,” he said. “People are always going to have their interpretations of what they feel you should do or how they feel things should have gone.”
But perhaps the most surprising twist, sending fans into an online frenzy, was the teaser on what to expect from the remainder of the season. In his final moments, the sneak peek shows a frustrated Ellis unsure about which woman he plans to propose to. “I love both of these women, but I’m scared of making the wrong decision,” he said in the trailer.
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He refrained from spoiling the outcome, but Ellis said he’s had time to reflect on the experience since filming wrapped and what he’s learned about finding a partner. “Love doesn’t have a timeline. With some people, it could be two weeks, two months or two days.”