The Bachelorseason 29 starring Grant Ellis premieres on January 27, andthere are several terrible dates that should have been left in the past because the show needs a revamp. Grant, a now-31-year-old day trader from Newark, New Jersey, got hisBachelorNation start on Jenn Tran’sBacheloretteseason. He was falling for her, but she said goodbye to him right before her hometown dates. Grant was heartbroken, but he was ecstatic to become the Bachelor.
Grant was the perfect choice to be the lead ofThe Bachelorseason 29. His biggest goal in life is to become a husband and a father, and he’s ready to find the love of his life. Grant was announced as the Bachelor early, immediately after his elimination from Jenn’s season, so that women had the opportunity to apply for the show to date him specifically. Host Jesse Palmer announced that, after Grant was revealed to be the Bachelor, an additional 10,000 women applied for the show.As Grant begins hisBachelorjourney, here are eight dates that have hopefully been removed from the show.
1The Bachelor’s 2-On-1 Dates Create Producer-Manipulated Drama
Everyone Is So Uncomfortable
The Bachelortwo-on-one date is one of the most infamous dates that appears on the show.It most often involves the lead going on a date with two women who are at odds with each other, and the lead having to make a decision between the two of them. Sometimes he even ends up having to play referee as the women are at each other’s throats. It’s a very uncomfortable situation for everyone involved and pits women against each other, which is something that the show has been guilty of for years. One of the most memorable examples of this was when enemies Genevieve Parisi and Shanae Ankney went on a two-on-one date with Clayton Echard during his season.
20 Best Reality TV Shows Right Now
Reality TV is more popular than ever. With so many to choose from, here are some of the best reality TV shows to stream or watch right now.
In addition, during Joey Graziadei’sBachelorseason, Maria Georgas and Sydney Gordon were involved in an extreme conflict.Sydney inexplicably decided that Maria was a villain, with such over-the-top reactions to Maria that some people thought that she was a producer plant.Of course,Joey wanted to get to the bottom of their drama, so they ended up on a two-on-one date together. He ended up looking more like an exasperated teacher mediating an argument between two students than a man searching for his wife.
In the end, Joey believed Maria’s side of the story, and he sent Sydney home. The whole date was uncomfortable and unnecessary, and it seemed to be completely manipulated by the producers. These two-on-one dates do nothing but continue drama, especially because they almost always involve two people who are in conflict with each other. Because one of them is usually a villain, it’s usually very obvious who’ll be sent home.The two-on-one date does nothing to help the lead find his wife. Hopefully, Grant won’t be subjected to this ridiculous date because it’s a tired concept that should be left in the past.
2The Bachelor’s Adrenaline-Filled One-On-One Dates Create Heightened Feelings
People Think They’re Falling In Love
TheBachelorfranchise loves its adrenaline-filled one-on-one dates, and skydiving or bungee jumping together can certainly make two people feel bonded. When facing fears together, people often feel very connected, and the heightened feelings right after the event can give people the false feeling that they’re falling in love.
During Jenn’sBacheloretteseason, Jenn went skydiving in Melbourne, Australia, with her runner-up, Marcus Shoberg, even though she’s afraid of heights. Conquering that fear with him made her feel very emotionally bonded with him. Although Marcus had expressed doubts about theBacheloretteprocess throughout the whole season,Jenn felt a strong connection with him that stemmed from that first adrenaline-filled date. She kept him all the way until the final two, when there were other men who were clearly more suitable for her.
The same phenomenon happened when Jenn jumped off of the Sky Tower in Auckland, New Zealand with Sam McKinney. After the jump, Jenn seemed to forget that she was upset because she’d told Sam that she didn’t want to jump, but he’d forced her into it.Once the adrenaline gets pumping, it sends people on a high that clouds their judgment. Feelings of exhilaration are mistaken for love.
The Bachelor: 8 Fun Facts About Grant Ellis (Interesting Things You Never Knew About The Season 29 Leading Man)
As fans eagerly await Grant Ellis' debut in The Bachelor S29, here are eight things that they might not know about him, including his celebrity crush.
Another downside to these extreme dates is that, sometimes,they can even be dangerous. During Joey’s season, he and his third place finisher Rachel Nance went high diving in Tulum, Mexico for the daytime portion of their Fantasy Suite date. However, during the dive, Rachel injured her jaw, and they spent the first half of the date in the hospital. These dates are unnecessary, and they do nothing to further the lead’s relationships with their contestants.
In fact, the more lowkey dates thatJoey spent with his eventual fiancée, Kelsey Anderson, exploring Spain and hanging out at a bar in Jasper, Canada, really brought them closer. They were real moments, versus the adrenaline-filled illusion that others have experienced. Hopefully, Grant had the chance to have one-on-one dates like when he went horseback riding and spent time on a beach with Jenn in New Zealand, rather than jumping off of buildings or diving out of airplanes.The calmer dates are more like real life, and are therefore more real.
3The Bachelor’s Wedding-Themed Group Dates Are Bizarre
The Women Shouldn’t Be Forced Into Wearing Wedding Dresses
In recent years,theBachelorfranchise has been doing wedding-themed group dates, which have made many of the women very uncomfortable. DuringThe Bachelorseason 25, Matt James and his contestants participated in a wedding-themed photo shoot, during which the women had to wear wedding gowns.
A similar thing happened duringThe Golden BachelorwithGerry Turner, when they did romance novel cover shoots. During the latter show,Nancy Hulkower, who lost her husband, Mark, to colon cancer in 2011, cried to fellow contestant April Kirkwoodbecause she had to wear a wedding dress, and she hadn’t worn one since she married Mark. She said that the best day of her life was getting married to him.
Nancy later opened up to Gerryabout how she didn’t expect putting on a wedding dress and remembering her wedding day to hit her so hard. Gerry could relate, and told her that the smell of cinnamon balls once reminded him of his late wife, Toni. Gerry was so moved by her honesty that he gave her the group date rose. However, the show should never have asked Nancy to participate in this date in the first place.It was as though the producers were trying to force emotions out of her.
The Bachelor Season 29: Grant Ellis Fits His Sagittarius Zodiac Sign (He’s An Honest & Passionate Man)
The Bachelor season 29 star Grant Ellis was born on December 15, which means that his zodiac sign is Sagittarius, and he truly fits the fire sign.
Even though many of the younger contestants haven’t been married before,they also experienced unexpected emotions during Joey’s wedding-themed group date. Not only was it completely bizarre that Joey was pretending that he’d just married nine women and was attending their wedding reception, but wearing a wedding dress was triggering for contestant Lauren Hollinger. She was very upset throughout the date because her father passed away seven months before she joined the show.
While she was on the wedding-themed group date wearing a wedding gown,Lauren realized that she was still in the grieving process when it hit her that her father wouldn’t be at her wedding and wouldn’t be able to see her in her actual wedding dress some day. She didn’t even speak with Joey during the wedding reception because she felt that her energy was so off. She eventually cried as she told Joey how she was feeling, and he was very understanding. However, Lauren ended up self-eliminating from the competition during the pre-rose ceremony cocktail party after all of the stress.
Bachelorwedding-themed dates are inappropriate and very bizarre for many reasons, including that they make the lead and the contestants look desperate to be married. Hopefully, Grant’s season won’t have a date like this because it’s a reminder about how ridiculous the concept ofThe Bachelorreally is.It makes the women seem as though they’d marry any guy who showed up in a tuxedo, which ruins the romance of the show. Grant and his contestants deserve better.
4The Bachelor’s Group Therapy Dates Are Cruel
No One Should Be Forced To Share Their Private Feelings In A Group Setting
During Clayton Echard’sBachelorseason, the women were forced to participate in two separate group dates that were like group therapy. Although the one-on-one dates have become a place in which the contestants share their stories with the lead, that’s a private setting, and they can do it on their own terms. However, manipulating people into share intimate details about their lives in a group setting is just wrong.
8 Things That Bachelor Nation Fans Should Look Forward To In 2025 (There Could Be Romance & High-Intensity Drama)
Bachelor Nation has a lot to look forward to in 2025, including some much-anticipated weddings and new seasons of the beloved franchise shows.
During Clayton’s final group date of the season, he and the women participated in couple’s therapy with an Austrian psychotherapist. During the date, Genevieve was very uncomfortable because she has trouble opening up. Clayton eliminated her because he felt that her walls were up with him. However,perhaps Genevieve would’ve been more vulnerable if she hadn’t been in a group setting.
During Jenn’sBacheloretteseason,Grant was very open with her during their quiet moments together. Those instances felt authentic, and not forced. Hopefully, no one will be coerced into sharing intimate details abouttheir lives during Grant’s season, and all of his interactions with the women will be genuine because he’s very capable of being vulnerable in the right setting.
The Women Shouldn’t Be Degraded
If the goal ofThe Bacheloris for the lead to find love and get engaged, thenthere’s no reason for the aggressive physical group dates that the women are forced to participate in during the show. It’s degrading to watch them battle each other in various sporting events, tackling each other to the ground, and getting injured in the process.
8 Things The Bachelor Franchise Should Leave Behind In 2024 (2025 Should Be An Energizing New Beginning)
The Bachelor franchise had a rough 2024, with a few bright spots. Here’s what producers should leave behind as they look to the future in 2025.
One of the most recent examples of this was during Zach Shallcross’Bachelorseason, when the women played tackle football in the Bachelor Bowl to win extra time with him. During the game, Genevie Mayo played very aggressively, scoring a touchdown, and getting tackled by Kylee Russell.Genevie injured her shoulder during the game, and even had her arm in a sling during the rose ceremony. The worst part was that her team didn’t even win the game, so they didn’t get the extra time with Zach.
It’s insane that the women would go to such lengths to get attention from theBachelorlead, to the point that they get physically injured. Nothing about these aggressive dates is conducive to the lead finding love, and it’s degrading to the women to have to participate in them. It was humiliating for Genevie that she risked her physical well-being for Zach, but didn’t even win the extra time with him.Because Grant was a professional basketball player, there’s almost guaranteed to be a sports-themed date on his season, but, hopefully, it won’t lead to anyone getting hurt, either physically or emotionally.
6The Bachelor Talent Shows Make Everyone Uncomfortable
Performing In A Talent Show Doesn’t Prove The Contestants Are Ready For An Engagement
TheBachelorfranchise talent shows are another example of a group date that isn’t really conducive to the lead finding love. Although the talent shows are fun to watch, and they do reveal the contestants' personalities, forcing people out of their comfort zones isn’t the best way for the lead to get to know them.The Golden BachelorandThe Golden Bacheloretteboth featured talent show group dates, along with Joey’sBachelorseason.
During Joey’s talent show,Lexi Young turned the tables on theBachelorproducerswhen, instead of performing a routine on the stage, she declared that her talent was that she was the world’s best kisser. She asked Joey to come on stage to determine if she was right, and kissed him on stage in front of everyone. Lexi won the talent show, which upset some of the women. However, it was actually a powerful moment becauseLexi was implicitly stating that the talent show was a waste of time. By kissing Joey instead, she was furthering her connection with him in the only way she could in such a ridiculous environment.
I’m Worried The Bachelor Producers Will Make Grant Ellis Their New Villain After Gerry Turner’s Cancer Diagnosis
The Bachelor producers love a villain, and, in light of Gerry Turner’s cancer diagnosis, I’m worried they’ll make Grant Ellis their new bad guy.
Although it’s fun to see the contestants sharing their talents in a show, hopefully Grant’s season will skip this group date. It’s been done before, and it creates a distance between the lead and the contestants.Grant won’t be able to interact with anyone during the show, so it’s a waste of precious time. It doesn’t prove that anyone is ready to get engaged either. It’s been done, and it doesn’t need to be done again.
7The Bachelor’s Premature Hometown Dates Are Unfair
Through the years, theBachelorfranchise has had some premature hometown dates that occurred before the official hometown dates. DuringThe Bacheloretteseason 8,Emily Maynard took contestant Ryan Bowers to her home one a one-on-one date so that he could experience what life was like for her as a single mom.
DuringThe Bacheloretteseason 18,Michelle Young brought her runner-up Brandon Jones to her parents' home in Minneapolis for a one-on-one date, where they went in the hot tub. Brandon was hilariously caught by Michelle’s parents wearing her dad’s swim trunks. During this date, Brandon had the advantage of asking for her parents for their blessing to propose to her before meeting them again later in the season.
The Bachelor: Signs Grant Ellis Will Be The Best Bachelor Nation Lead So Far (He’s On The Show For The Right Reasons)
The Bachelor’s Grant Ellis will have large shoes to fill following Joey Graziadei’s season but Grant’s authenticity may make him the best lead yet.
While both of these dates were sweet, they were examples of howno contestant should have a hometown date before the official hometowns. It’s unfair to the other contestants for one person to get such an intimate glimpse into the lead’s life and to meet their families so early. Grant should wait to introduce his contestants to his family and/or friends until he fully knows them.
8The Bachelor’s Movie Tie-In Dates Are Just Giant Ads
They Feel Exploitative & Inauthentic
One of the worstthings aboutThe Bacheloris when it has a date with a movie tie-in.The whole thing just feels like one giant ad, which is exploitative and inauthentic. During Michelle’s season, there was aTop Gun: Maverickgroup date, in which the contestants participated in a G-force simulator challenge, among other things. This led to Will Urena winning an aviator jacket, which Peter Izzo later threw in the pool, much to Will’s dismay.
The Bachelor Producers May Be Setting Grant Ellis Up To Fail (It’ll Be Hard For Him To Live Up To The Expectations)
The Bachelor season 29 star Grant Ellis is an amazing man, but the producers might be setting him up to fail by creating unrealistic expectations.
During Jenn’sBacheloretteseason, she and Marcus had aWicked-themed one-on-one date, which featuredBachelorNation alums, Kelsey, Daisy Kent, Charity Lawson, and Trista Rehn.The whole date felt like one big commercial for the movie, which made it feel fake. Although it wasn’t tied to any specific movie, Joan Vassos and Chock Chapple’sGolden BacheloretteDisneyland date also felt like an ad for the theme park. Hopefully, Grant’s season won’t have any movie or theme park tie-ins, so that it feels more genuine.
Throughout the years,The Bachelorhas made several missteps with its dates, but it can correct these mistakes by avoiding these eight types of dates during Grant’s season. He truly wants to find his wife, and he deserves to do that without any kind of negative interference from the producers.There are high hopes for Grant’sBachelorseason, so hopefully it will have a happy ending.
The Bachelorseason 29 starring Grant Ellis premieres on Monday, June 14, 2025, at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
Sources:Bachelor Nation/YouTube,Bachelor Nation/YouTube,Bachelor Nation on ABC/YouTube,Bachelor Nation/YouTube,Bachelor Nation/YouTube,Bachelor Nation/YouTube,Bachelor Nation/YouTube,Bachelor Nation/YouTube
The Bachelor
Cast
The series centers on a single bachelor selecting a romantic partner from a group of contestants, with episodes featuring various challenges and eliminations.
