Grant Ellis Reveals When He Found Out He Was the Next Bachelor: ‘I Jumped on It’

It was a surprise for fans when ABC announced Grant Ellis as the next Bachelor on Monday, August 12, but the season 29 lead had some time to process the news.

“I found out a couple weeks ago. It was a couple weeks ago,” the 30-year-old revealed on the Thursday, August 15, episode of “The Viall Files” podcast . “The producers called me and they asked me [if I] would be interested, and, you know, I jumped on it. I was like, ‘Yeah, of course.’ I was still recovering from the season, what happened with Jenn, and they called me. And I was just [like], ‘I’m super interested.’”

Noting how things didn’t work out between him and Jenn Tran on the current season of The Bachelorette , Grant added: “I have a chance to write my own story. So, that’s something that I’m interested in.”

Bachelor Nation met Grant on the season 21 premiere of The Bachelorette last month. He scored a coveted one-on-one date with Jenn, 26, during the show’s August 5 episode. He was ultimately sent home by Jenn one week later ahead of her hometown dates.

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“Looking at it back, I definitely saw that she had some strong connections with some of the guys. I thought I was gonna make it to hometowns, you know, so I was surprised when I didn’t,” Grant told host Nick Viall on Thursday. “But it’s just all about perspective and what she wants, and ultimately, she chose to go a different way. So, I’m super happy for her and her journey, but yeah, I just think that she was looking for something different than what I could offer. And, you know, I wasn’t her cup of tea, ultimately, and that’s OK.”

Grant revealed that it was actually his mom who got him started on his Bachelor Nation journey. “She called and she’s like, ‘Oh, by the way. I signed you up for The Bachelorette . So, if you get a call, make sure you answer.’ And I’m like, ‘Are you serious?’” he shared. “So, they ended up calling me, and then, things just progressed. And here we are on ‘The Viall Files.’”

One thing Grant learned during his time on The Bachelorette that he will keep in mind heading into his Bachelor season is “that you can fall in love after one date.” He explained: “I guess being in that environment or the way that Jenn was, I was really attracted to that. So, going into my own journey, it’s like, you don’t think that you could develop feelings after spending so little time with somebody.”

Grant went on to note that he’s most excited to “meet these lovely women and to see what each of them brings to the table and has to offer and to see how we could connect and if we’re compatible.”

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However, there’s one potential aspect of becoming the next Bachelor that Grant isn’t looking forward to. “I’m nervous about jumping out of a plane, if that’s something I have to do,” he joked of the popular one-on-one date activity.

Shortly after the series’ August 12, episode, ABC announced that Ellis would be leading the new season of The Bachelor . After fans were surprised by the casting news, network executive Robert Mills revealed via X that the decision was made quickly so that a great number of women could apply to be on Grant’s season.

The Bachelor will return to ABC in 2025.