The Bachelor’s Grant Ellis opened up about his fantasy suites experience, with the season 29 star revealing that he put a lot of thought into the overnight dates.
“I approached them very carefully. I think any time physical intimacy is involved, it can enhance feelings so I really tried to wait because I didn’t want to make a decision off of that and be confused,” Grant, 31, told Parade about his approach to the fantasy suites in an interview published on Friday, January 24. “I really tried to approach them carefully, and I think I did that.”
As fans of the franchise know, the show’s lead gets the opportunity to spend alone time with the final three contestants during overnight dates towards the end of the season. While many of the stars have chosen to keep what happens during the dates private, others have been outspoken about their decisions to be physically intimate.
Also during the interview, Grant said that he was “happy” with his life and couldn’t “wait for everybody to see how things unfold.”
“I think it’s emotional, I think it’s fun. I think there’s a lot of different stories that come into play. And I think, all in all, it’s a really good season,” he teased about the tone for the upcoming season. “It shows the women’s side of the story, but it also shows mine.”
Going into the show, Grant said he was determined to “be myself” and remained “open and vulnerable.”
“If you go in [the mansion] with preconceived notions, it cuts you off. [You have to] discern what’s going on in the house,” he added.
Ahead of the season’s premiere, ABC released a teaser clip in which Grant seemingly had a hard time choosing between the two final women. However, Grant told the outlet that wasn’t the case.
“I don’t think it was hard for me to choose. I think the hard part was letting somebody down. It was hard for me on night one to send somebody home after I got to know them,” he explained. “And it only gets harder throughout the season as it progresses and people’s story gets involved. Their family gets involved, and their past gets involved, and you start to care for these ladies more and more.”
Fans first got to know Grant when he made his reality TV debut during Jenn Tran’s season of The Bachelorette. He didn’t find lasting love on Jenn’s season, though it was revealed he was getting a second chance at love when he was announced as the next Bachelor lead in August 2024.
While Grant can’t reveal who he gives his final rose to, he did recently tease the red flags he looked out for going into the season.
“It’s really easy for somebody to tell you what they want, but I think that actions speak louder than words,” he previously told People. “I think that there’s a certain maturity level that comes with wanting a family and wanting a long-lasting relationship, so I think that maturity was something that I looked for in these women. And if they’re starting drama, or if they’re gossiping, or if they’re doing certain things, that just indicates a lack of maturity.”
Season 29 of The Bachelor premieres on ABC Monday, January 27, at 8 p.m. ET.
