Grant Ellis Disney/Matt Sayles
Grant Ellis is going to keep Bachelor Nation on their toes.
At the end of the trailer for season 29, host Jesse Palmer is shown nudging Grant to make a decision between his final two on proposal day. “We got both women, they’re here on standby, and of course, I have to know which to send first,” Jesse says.
While ABC has been known to trick fans with editing before, Jesse confirmed to Us Weekly that he really did have to nudge Grant to make a choice.
“It’s real. And I don’t know if you could tell from watching that from my reaction, [but] I was surprised. That was something that I haven’t encountered yet as the host in the last four years on any of the franchises. Normally, I think, our leads have a little bit more clarity — a lot more clarity — heading into the final day. And I really think that’s how conflicted Grant really was,” the host told Us in January. “Without giving away too much, that was authentic and it’s real and it’s not an edit.”
When Us caught up with Grant, 31, ahead of the premiere, he shed some light on how he got there.
“In my life, I’m a really decisive person, but when it comes to matters of the heart and when it comes to letting people down, I struggle with that sometimes,” Grant told Us. “So even from night one, I didn’t wanna send people home, but it’s something I had to do. And then when you couple that with the amazing women that are on the season, it becomes really hard. And then you add the absence and the lack of time that you have — it’s definitely difficult.”
Grant insisted that indecisiveness is “not a theme throughout the whole season.”
“It really is something that happens towards the end with a woman that I really, really developed relationships with,” he said. Without revealing whether he’s engaged, Grant added: “I’m always happy. … I’m happy with life and I’m happy with the way that things are going and the way that things played out.”
The Bachelor airs on Mondays on ABC at 8 p.m. ET. Keep scrolling for more from Grant about how his journey ends — and come back throughout the season as Us gets more clues:
The Ending Is ‘Unpredictable’
“I think there is a level of it being unpredictable. It’s a very hard decision to make, and the women that were the final two were amazing,” Grant told Glamour. “Honestly, all of the women were amazing. And I think each rose ceremony, it got increasingly harder for me to send people home because you form relationships, and you hear their story, their families’ stories, and you start to really feel for these women. It becomes hard. But I will say that I’m very happy with the way things turned out.”
All the Different Sides
Grant admitted that “there’s going to be a lot to sort through” at the end. “I think that just in relationships in general … trust comes with time and action. So whatever happens at the end, everybody will be able to tell their side,” he told Glamour. “The side of the women that were the final two, my side, even Jesse’s side, I feel like. Everybody will be able to tell their side, and I’m excited for that to happen.”
During an interview with Bustle, Grant added, “Reassurance comes with time, and you have to prove that to somebody through affection and showing them that you’re thinking about them. So I don’t think it’ll be an issue, but if it is, it will heal over time.”
A Nudge From Jesse
When asked about the remark that women are on “standby,” Jesse hinted that he had to push Grant because production needed to get moving on the final day of filming. “It’s not something that I want to say or I should say. I mean, it’s sort of implied. Everybody gets it,” he told Us. “But it got to the point during our conversation where it was so up in the air. I mean, we had to get it going. He’s got to make a decision and we have to have an ending. And I’m sorry I did it and I said it that way and to break that fourth wall, but I had to say it to help him understand. I know Grant understood, but that’s kind of where it went. And that I think shows just kind of how real that was.”
How Grant’s Family Feels
Grant confirmed to Glamour that his family knows what happens in the end. During an interview with People, he added, “They’re happy for me. They’re happy for this whole experience, and I think that they’re happy to see me healing from things that happened in my life and doing it in a way where maybe it’ll inspire some people.”
Denying He Was Scared to Commit
Grant told Elite Daily that his indecisiveness doesn’t have to do with a fear of commitment
“It wasn’t something [I was dealing with] internally, it was just that the women were so great. Everybody poured their hearts out, and I did the same. So those last two weeks, when I meet the families and everybody’s heart is out there, it makes it hard,” he said.
The ‘External Factors’
Denying that he was down to “one hour” to make his decision, Grant revealed in his Us Weekly cover story that “there were external factors that played into me being hesitant” at the end.
“You don’t wanna hurt people. You have a lot of weight in terms of being a lead of a different ethnic group. There’s a different level of pressure that comes with being a man of color in this role — and a different expectation,” he explained. “It leads to some added thinking that deserves a little extra time. There were some things that really weighed and were hard for me. But ultimately, you go with what makes you happy and you go with what you feel is gonna be the best decision for your future.”
Grant later added, “Getting there is one thing. Making the decision and saying it is another thing. And having to live with the consequences of hurting somebody — I’ve been through it, and I know what it feels like — is a third. But I never doubted myself. I knew the connections that I had. [Those] external factors really caused me to sit and think because America’s watching. It’s not just me making a decision in my bedroom by myself.”
No Regrets
“I don’t live with regret. I’m very happy, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. If I could rewind time, I would make the same decision,” he told Us.
Torn Between His Heart and Heart
“When you intertwine logic and emotion, it’s really tough,” Grant told Us. “I think you have to blend a little logic with a little emotion and ask, ‘What’s good for me?’ and ‘What feels right to me?’ Finding that middle ground is challenging, but it’s where you have to start.”
His Dad’s Role
Grant revealed to Us that his father comes back to help him back his final choice.
“When you’re a kid, you think your parents could do no wrong. But then you grow up and you start to realize they’re human, they make mistakes, they need to learn and grow,” he said. “I’m proud of my dad and where he’s at. Throughout the course of the season, you see my relationship with my father come into play. [At the very end], he comes back and gives me some really solid advice — that’s something I’ve been looking for my whole life, and it’s something that helped me get over the edge to make my decision He’s able to come back in my life and help me when I need it the most.”
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