Who Went Home On The Bachelor? Here’s A Night 1 Recap

A new season of The Bachelor has officially begun, and Grant Ellis wasted no time making the experience his own.

The Season 29 premiere began with Grant getting some pre-filming love and support from his family, including his mom, Renee, and sister, Taylor. He also took a sweet moment to give his grandmother, Corine, the first rose of his season. “This is my first rose I’m ever going to give out,” he said. “It just signifies my love for you, and how much I love you as my grandma.”

Grant also spent some quality time with his dad, Robert — his parents divorced when he was in college — and celebrated embarking on new chapters: Grant going on The Bachelor, and his father continuing his sobriety journey.

The lead opened up about feeling alone growing up and finding solace in basketball. He tearfully expressed his hopes that by going on the show, he might be able to open up and put an end to his “lone wolf” mentality.

Which, of course, brings Grant (and viewers) to the Bachelor Mansion.

Welcome, Ladies!

Fittingly, The first limo arrival brought contestant Rose Sombke. “Will you accept *this* Rose?” she asked Grant.

Other memorable entrances include Alexe Godin and her “no-drama llama,” Linda, and Bailey Brown, who asked Grant to take a quick pic — not of them, but of her. (Icon!)

“I feel like my lifelong partner will know all of my angles… so give it your best shot,” she said.

A Common Theme Emerged

As the evening progressed, Grant spent time with his lineup of women. Parisa Shifteh expressed her desire to find a dad for her cat, Sonny, and even made a PowerPoint presentation of their potential future together—down to what looked like AI renderings of their wedding and growing family.

While her approach might have been very direct, other women also used the cocktail party to illustrate their readiness for a lifelong commitment. (Given that Grant playfully called Jenn Tran “Jenn Ellis” early during his time on The Bachelorette, this focus on the future felt right at home.)

For example, Carolina Sofía corrected Grant when discussing his future hypothetical children. “Our kids ... we us, the kids, the dogs,” she teased. Elsewhere, Litia Garr asked how a car seat would fit in his Ferrari.

“I also have an Acura,” Grant pointed out. A practical king!

There Were Twists In Store

Grant’s sister, Taylor, briefly stopped by to offer guidance. After spending time with the women (and embarrassing him a little), she told her brother she got a “good vibe” and encouraged him to trust his gut.

Jesse Palmer then shared a game-changing twist that the recipient of Grant’s first impression rose would also score the season’s first one-on-one date. The coveted stem went to Alexe, who piqued Grant’s interest with her llama companion. But she ultimately won him over with a game inspired by her speech therapy work, in which she prompted Grant to say, “I’m tired, do you want to end this lesson with a kiss?” in French. Of course, a smooch ensued.

“Alexe showed me the full picture of who she is,” Grant said in a confessional. “She’s funny, really smart, and she works with kids. Alexe is going to make a great mother, and that’s what I’m excited about — building my own family.”

Here’s Who Left The Bachelor Night 1

While Grant made several promising connections, he also had to send a handful of women home. Christina Smith, J’Nae Squires-Horton, Kelsey Curtis, Kyleigh Henrich, Neicey Baxter, Radhika Gupta, and Savannah Quinn left at the end of The Bachelor premiere.