Meet the Next Bachelor For 2025 & See Why Grant Was the *Only* Choice
Jason Pham
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Passing on the rose! After a Bachelorette season of villains, drama, and love bombing, ABC did something right when the network announced Grant Ellis as the next Bachelor for 2025.
Grant, who was announced as the Season 29 Bachelor on the same night as his elimination on The Bachelorette Season 21, was the best—and perhaps only—choice from Jenn Tran’s Bachelorette season. Most of the screen time on The Bachelorette Season 21 went to villains Devin Strader, a 28-year-old Freight Company Owner from Rosenberg, Texas, and Sam McKinney, a 27-year-old Contractor from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
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While Sam M. was an early fan favorite to become the next Bachelor after receiving the First Impression Rose on night one of The Bachelorette Season 21, viewers’ opinions of him soured throughout the rest of the season as he feuded with Devin, another frontrunner, and showed cracks in his relationship with Jenn. Sam M.’s villain status eventually led to his elimination in Week 6 after Sam M. told Jenn “I love you” and she sent him home when he couldn’t explain what he loved about her.
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Devin, for his part, was never in the running to become the next Bachelor due to a spoiler around what happened to him in the end of The Bachelorette Season 21. And while Jenn’s other finalists—like Jonathon Johnson, a 27-year-old Creative Director from Kansas City, Missouri, and Marcus Shoberg, a 31-year-old Army Ranger Veteran from Cloquet, Minnesota—had a shot of becoming the next Bachelor, it seemed like they just didn’t get enough screen time to secure the role as the franchise’s next lead.
That left Grant, who was the most sensible choice to become the next Bachelor. Though Grant didn’t have as much screen time as Devin or Sam M., he definitely won viewers over after his One-on-One Date with Jenn in Week 5 when they bonded over their similar families and background. Grant’s heartbreaking elimination in Week 6 also sealed the deal for him as a contestant worth having a second shot at love.
Who’s the next Bachelor for 2025?
Grant Ellis, a contestant from The Bachelorette Season 21 with Jenn Tran, was announced as the next Bachelor for 2025 after his elimination aired on August 13, 2024. Grant—who is from Newark, New Jersey but now lives in Houston, Texas—will be the lead of The Bachelor Season 29, succeeding Season 28’s Joey Graziadei.
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He’s the second Black Bachelor after Season 25’s Matt James and the sixth Black lead overall following James, Season 13 Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, Season 16 Bachelorette Tayshia Adams, Season 18 Bachelorette Michelle Young, and Season 20 Bachelorette Charity Lawson.
“So thankful for this opportunity, and this shot at love… Let’s make it count,” Grant captioned his first Instagram Story after Good Morning America announced him as the Season 29 Bachelor. The caption was a reference to Grant’s career as a former professional basketball player.
“Good morning, America! My name is Grant Ellis, your newest Bachelor,” he said in a video shared by Good Morning America’s Instagram. “I’m so excited to kick off my journey of finding love and I hope that you guys join me next year when the show premieres on ABC.”
He continued, “I’m looking for a love that’s kind and understanding. Some qualities I’m looking for in a potential partner is somebody who’s adventurous, somebody who’s affectionate and somebody who’s loving,” he continued. “I can’t wait for this incredible journey to get kicked off; it’s going to be so fun and I hope you guys tune in. Peace!”
A press release from ABC Entertainment also described what Grant was looking for as the Bachelor, “As the Bachelor, Ellis is eager to embark on a journey filled with romance, adventure, and genuine connections,” the release read. “He hopes to find a partner who shares his values of loyalty, humor and a deep appreciation for life’s simple pleasures.”
During The Bachelorette Season 21 “Men Tell All,” ABC showed a video of Grant calling his mother to let her know that he would be the next Bachelor. “I’m just calling to let you know I was selected to be the next Bachelor,” Grant said. His mom, who nominated him to be a contestant on The Bachelorette, responded: “No way! Are you kidding me? Tell me you’re kidding. I’m so excited! I’m so happy for you!”
Read Grant’s official Bachelorette Season 21 biography and fun facts ahead:
“It’s easy to see what makes Grant such a catch. His smile lights up every room he walks into and is followed by his positive attitude. Grant is a mama’s boy who loves poetry and reading, and says he’s here to find the love of his life. The former pro basketball player is passionate about his new career as a day trader and hopes to be able to provide for his future family. When Grant isn’t hustling at his job, he loves watching the Lakers, going bowling, and singing his heart out at karaoke. After his last long-term relationship didn’t work out, Grant is excited for the chance to fall in love again and can’t wait for his “Bachelorette” journey to begin.
Fun Facts:
● Grant plans to visit every country in his lifetime.
● Grant is an avid salsa dancer.
● Grant wishes he could live in the year 3000 to see what technology is like.”
What does Grant do for a living?
Grant listed his job on The Bachelorette Season 21 as a “Day Trader,” which is defined as “a type of trader who executes a relatively large volume of short and long trades to capitalize on intraday market price action,” according to Investopedia.
Before his current career, Grant attended Iona University in New York City, where he played on the college’s men’s basketball team as a guard/forward. He majored in Criminal Justice and is 6 feet and 5 inches tall, according to his college basketball profile. After playing for Iona University, Grant transferred to Magnus College in Connecticut where he played for the school’s team, the Falcons. “I’ve been playing basketball since I was about 8 years old,” Grant said in The Bachelorette Season 21 premiere. “I love it. I was actually the first Division I signee at my high school.”
He continued, “I ended up graduating from Albertus Magnus College and then I went overseas and played as a professional athlete. But then I got injured, so my career ended.” Grant explained that, after his professional basketball career was sidelined, he took a shot at a new industry and became a day trader. “When life knocks you down, you have to be able to pivot,” he said. “So, I ended up getting into the finance field and then it’s been off to the races from there.”
When did Grant go home on The Bachelorette Season 21?
Grant was somewhat of a dark horse on Jenn’s Bachelorette season. He received the first Group Date Rose in Week 2 after a comedy roast-themed date in Melbourne, Australia. He had his first and only one-on-one date in Week 5 where he and Jenn went horseback riding in Auckland, Australia, and she gave him the date rose at the end of the night.
During the date, Jenn and Grant opened up about their families and backgrounds. At the end of the night, Grant called the day “the best date I’ve ever been on in my life.” “I know when I have a family one day, I want to have a super close family,” he told Jenn. “I’m ready. I’m on a mission, and that’s what I want.”
Jenn sent Grant home the following Rose Ceremony in Week 6, along with Spencer Conley, a 30-year-old Pet Portrait Entrepreneur from Dallas, Texas. The elimination was the last Rose Ceremony before Hometown Dates.
“I want a family. I want to be happy. I want a life. I want to be in love,” Grant said in his exit interview. “I did not think that was going to happen tonight.”
The Bachelorette airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC. Stream it on Hulu.
