'The Bachelor' Star Grant Ellis Isn't Worried About Your Criticism

Fans are already questioning if the leading man is here for the right reasons, but he's ready to set the record straight.

Grant Ellis was having lunch with his sister when his day took an unexpected turn. He received a life-changing call: an offer to be the next star of “The Bachelor.”

Now, Ellis is starring as the ABC franchise’s second Black male lead. In Season 29, many Black fans hope that the reality dating show will correct its previous mistakes.

Matt James, the first Black Bachelor, starred in 2021, and his groundbreaking season was overshadowed by a racial scandal. Photos circulated of the winning contestant, Rachael Kirkconnell, attending an Antebellum South-themed party when she was in college, leading to a wave of backlash from audiences. The couple stayed together until January, when they announced the end of their four-year relationship. The scandal highlighted the show’s lengthy history of being unequipped to handle racially sensitive topics and the lack of diversity in its casting.

That’s one reason why all eyes are on Ellis. For many, this season symbolizes the franchise’s attempt to make amends for its past failures in protecting Black leads and expanding diversity; notably, almost half of the group in the current season are Black women or other women of color.

“Production did their due diligence and took their time,” Ellis said about the show’s approach to his season. “I think they took things into account. It was never a conversation that I had with them, but it was in the back of our minds. And I think that we did a good job.”