The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Bachelor Countdown Day 8: Grant Ellis

Episode Date: January 27, 2025

It's almost time to start handing out those roses, so Grant Ellis is joining Ashley and Ben to dive into his big, therapeutic season! From falling in love with multiple women to rekindling things with his dad, he spills on it all while also addressing why Jesse called him indecisive.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Let's start with a quick puzzle. The answer is Ken Jennings' appearance on The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs. The question is, what is the most entertaining listening experience in podcast land? Jeopardy-truthers believe in... I guess they would be conspiracy theorists. That's right. They gave you the answers, and you still blew it.

The Puzzler. Listen on the I-Heart. Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The U.S. Open is here, and on my podcast, Good Game with Sarah Spain, I'm breaking down the players, the predictions, the pressure, and of course the honey deuses, the signature cocktail of the U.S. Open. The U.S. Open has gotten to be a very wonderfully experiential sporting event. To hear this and more, listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain, an IHeart women's sports

production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment on the IHeart Radio app, podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Brought to you by Novartis, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports Network. Culture eats strategy for breakfast, right? On a recent episode of Culture Raises Us, I was joined by Valicia Butterfield, media founder, political strategist,

and tech powerhouse for a powerful conversation on storytelling, impact, and the intersections of culture and leadership. I am a free black woman. From the Obama White House to Google to the Grammys, Valicia's journey is a master class in shifting culture and using your voice to spark change. Listen to Culture Raises us on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

podcasts. Hi, my name is Enya Yumanzoor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble.

Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. This is the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcasts with IHart Radio. Hey, everybody's Almost Famous Podcast. We are here today. Celebrating, as we have been celebrating,

the upcoming premiere, January 27th of Grant's season of The Bachelor. And we have Grant with us today. Grant, hello. What's going on, man? How you doing? I'm so good. Hey, we're going to dive into it because we are on a time crunch. You've got a lot of people to talk to today. So I'm just going to jump right in. Is that okay? Yeah, that's cool with me. All right. So we're going to start with this. Are you happy how the season went? Obviously, we sit here now getting ready for the premiere. There's a lot to still happen. But as you sit here, are you happy of how this whole process went on? Yeah, I'm really happy. I'm extremely happy. with how everything went. The whole season was like a big therapy session for me. Honestly,

you know, with my family and the ladies and everything that happened, it was great. And I'm extremely happy. A big therapy session. Now, let me push back on that a little bit. I've been through this process. I get what you're saying. I actually, I do 100% understand what you're saying. I'm not coming against you here. But I think listeners may hear that and they say, wait, this is a dating, show and the lead of this show who's ready for marriage took, you know, the therapy part of this as the biggest highlight. I'm sure there's some other things that stood out to you outside of just, you know, working through some stuff. Yeah, of course. Well, with me not giving away too much, you know, there was some, you know, my family was involved and the woman were involved

and there were so many intricate relationships throughout the course of the season that I learned a lot about myself. And I'm sure that the ladies did too. And in relationships and love, I think that you learn about yourself. So yeah, when I say a therapy session, it was me rekindling with my dad. It was me learning what really makes me, me, and what really makes these women themselves. And then time that all together and involving romance is something that is a really cool experience. It is a time in our life. I think some of the most growth can be done. How was that different than your time on The Bachelorette? You know, obviously that was a, I look back on that time too and that, you know, had a lot of healing, a lot of introspection. The leads different. So how

did the two compare? Yeah, it's totally different because when you're on the side where you're one of the contestants, you're not telling your story. You are, honestly, you're living through the lens of somebody else and you're trying to have a relationship kind of on their terms. When you're the lead, everything is happening on your terms, but also as a lead, you have to be very conscious that these stories are also the lady's stories. So you have to balance both and there's a lot more responsibility on your part. So there's a big difference, but also there's some similarities because, like I said, it's involving love. And that's the common, that's the common ground. Yeah. It's kind of a whirlwind, right? I mean, I think the best leads listen well. So how did you

prepare for this? Leading up to, obviously, that first night, which we're going to watch, as I said, January 27th. How did you prepare for that evening? Yeah, just, honestly, well, luckily, my sister and my mom loved to talk, and I've been growing up being a listener. So that's something that has been something that I didn't have to prepare for. And, you know, I really care about people. And I was, you know, I was single for a long time. So I know what it takes. And prior to me being single, I was in a seven-year relationship. So I know what it takes to make a relationship last. And a big part of that is listening and understanding. So it is a little different and special because there's multiple people,

but each person has their own story. And listening to that and finding, like I said, a common ground that relates to you is the main thing that has to happen. Yeah. During my time, I found it unexpected, but one of the biggest gifts was what you just said, hearing so many different people's stories. It opens up, you know, you kind of have this worldview education in just a few months because you have all these different stories that are true coming at you. So how did you handle that? How did you compartmentalize and process as relationships grew? And then also obviously the breakups are a big part of this. And so how did you hear these stories that are from the depths of people's souls and then know that maybe that same week

you're going to have to say goodbye to them? Yeah, that was the hardest part. Saying goodbye. after hearing what people have been through and their stories and how it kind of affected them. But at the same time, everybody has a story. And when you're dating for marriage, you have to find what fits you best. So in the back of my mind, I knew that it wasn't personal. It wasn't something that, you know, just because this person didn't make it that they weren't good enough, it's just I'm one person and I'm looking for.

for a relationship with one person. So at the end of that, I think that, like I said, even the ladies that I got sent home, they learned about themselves. And, you know, just by talking about, you know, just by being in this experience. So, yeah, just I handled it and navigated through it, just knowing that this is what it takes for me to find my person.

Speaking of you finding your person, the rumors have been swirling and even the host of the show, Jesse Palmer has teased this a little bit, you know, again, I know you're not going to tell me how this ends and who you ended up with or if you ended up with anybody or whatever, however this played out. But the word used to describe into your season was that you were indecisive. That isn't exactly the word I would want to be put on me as the season starts. So can you elaborate on that, explain that, and what does he mean by that? yeah that's a big word um i'm very decisive in what i do and when it comes to the matters of the

heart uh emotion is involved so not that i was indecisive i think that the woman and the ladies that were presented during the season were so wonderful and they brought so many things to the table that as time went on it became increasingly difficult to send some of these women home so in the end, right, I made the decision that was best for me. And there was no indecisiveness. It's just that when you're dealing with the lack of time, plus multiple people that you're dating, plus the stakes of the show, you need to take a beat and take a little more time to make a decision. You know, I'm going to ask this question because it's the sword I fell on. And I really don't know how you're a Zinn's. You know, obviously I was, uh,

known for saying, I love you to multiple people. It was a big issue at the time. Could you claim or say to me, did you fall in love with multiple people in this process? Yeah, I think that, especially when you're dating multiple people, it is very possible to develop feelings and to fall in love with multiple people. Now, when you say it, you have to mean it. And I know that that's something that most people aren't really going to understand, right? It's not every day that you fall in love with or that you date multiple people so and there's different levels to love you know there's different there's different levels to love you you could love somebody and know that they're not for you but when you spend you know intricate moments and you have memories and you go on these

extravagant dates you do fall and that's something that the audience maybe they will maybe they won't understand but at the end of the day choosing who's for you requires several different factors it's they have to fit your lifestyle they have to fit your lifestyle they have to fit what you're looking for, and you could still love somebody and not be with them. So to answer that, I mean, I think you would say, yes, you fell in low with multiple people, but you have to choose kind of who is best for you in the end. And that's a whole different type of consideration. Now, going off of that a little bit, there also are rumors out there that your season, maybe not

as an end unlike any season we've ever seen before, but maybe the process to the ending is unlike anything we've seen before. Can you say if that's true or not? Listen, to answer that, I think every season's unique, but there's definitely unique factors in my season. And I don't know if I haven't seen all the seasons, but I do know that it's very unique and that it's exciting. It's exciting.

Oh, my. Exciting for the viewer, exciting for you, exciting for all of us? Well, I don't know how the viewers are going to take it, honestly. Some people might watch it and fall asleep. I don't know. but I know it was exciting for me, and I know that my personality comes out, the ladies' personalities comes out.

You know, there's llamas, and there's rise, and there's everything going on. It's a melting pot. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Oh, wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast,

So, we'll find out soon. This person writes, My boyfriend has been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now, he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Now, hold up. Isn't that against school policy?

That sounds totally inappropriate. Well, according to this person, this is her boyfriend's former professor, and they're the same age. And it's even more likely that they're cheating. He insists there's nothing between them. I mean, do you believe him? Well, he's certainly trying to get this person to believe him because he now wants them both to meet.

So do we find out if this person's boyfriend really cheated with his professor or not? To hear the explosive finale, listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Dr. Joy Harden Bradford. And in session 421 of therapy for black girls, I sit down with Dr. Afea and Billy Shaka to explore how our hair connects to our identity, mental health, and the ways we heal. Because I think hair is a complex language system, right? In terms of it can tell how old you are, your marriage. status, where you're from, you're a spiritual belief. But I think with social media, there's like a hyper fixation and observation of our hair,

right? That this is sometimes the first thing someone sees when we make a post or a reel. It's how our hair is styled. You talk about the important role hairstylists play in our community, the pressure to always look put together, and how breaking up with perfection can actually free us. Plus, if you're someone who gets anxious about flying, Don't miss session 418 with Dr. Angela Neil Barnett,

where we dive into managing flight anxiety. Listen to therapy for black girls on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. The U.S. Open is here, and on my podcast, Good Game with Sarah Spain, I'm breaking down the players from rising stars to legends chasing history, the predictions, well, we see a first-time winner, and the pressure. Billy Jean King says pressure is a privilege, you know. Plus, the stories and events off the court,

And, of course, the honey deuses, the signature cocktail of the U.S. Open. The U.S. Open has gotten to be a very fancy, wonderfully experiential sporting event. I mean, listen, the whole aim is to be accessible and inclusive for all tennis fans, whether you play tennis or not. Tennis is full of compelling stories of late. Have you heard about Icon Venus Williams' recent wild card bids? Or the young Canadian, Victoria Mboko, making a name for herself. How about Naomi Osaka getting back to form?

To hear this and more, listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain, an Iheart women's sports production in partnership with deep blue sports and entertainment on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. I don't write songs. God write songs. I take dictation. I didn't even know you've been a pastor for over 10 years. I think culture is any space that you live in that develops you.

On a recent episode of Culture Raises Us podcast, I sat down with Warren Campbell, Grammy-winning producer, pastor, and music executive to talk about the beats, the business, and the legacy behind some of the biggest names in gospel, R&B, and hip-hop. This is like watching Michael Jackson talk about thoroughly before it happened. Was there a particular moment where you realize just how instrumental music culture was to shaping all of our global ecosystem? I was eight years old, and the Motown 25 special came on. And all the great Motown artists, Marvin, Stevie Wonder, Temptations, Diana,

From Mary Mary to Jennifer Hudson, we get into the soul of the music and the purpose that drives it. Listen to Culture raises us on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. In kind of our closing minutes here, Grant, you know, you have been promoted, and I don't think it's arguable, as an extremely handsome bachelor who is ready for love. but your journey to become The Bachelor is unique. Obviously, we didn't get to know a lot about you on The Bachelorette. And then they announced you as The Bachelor and rumors start to spread that you were no longer The Bachelor. This went all across news networks. I don't know if you were filming at the time, so if you even saw this.

But how did that affect you hearing, because I'm sure you did, of these rumors that you are no longer going to be leading the show? yeah honestly when i was filming i didn't even know that i found out when i came back so when i got back and saw those rumors i was like well i mean i don't know what that was about but when i was filming i was like really locked into the journey and i didn't find out until until i got back but you know with every rumor there's always a little sense of truth so where would these have even come from do you have any idea i definitely do i think i was on instagram one day and I took a picture and I had a ring on my finger that I got at H&M. And I think that, you know, people picked that up as me being already engaged and they took that

and ran with it. And clearly it was false. And, you know, I think that, you know, everything comes to light eventually. So that's just what that was. I didn't even know guys wore rings once we got engaged. That must be something new. Yeah, it's just like, I don't know what's going on. I don't know what's going on. Well, also, as I mentioned, we didn't get to see a lot of you on The Bachelorette. We've got to see the promos. Obviously, your journey's going to start here around the corner. I think it's only fair to you and to the listeners of the show for you to get a few minutes to kind of help them get acquainted with you. I've seen, you know, the first episode. We

do get to see a little bit more of you, but I think one of the concerns going into the season is people just don't know who you are yet. They haven't invested, you know, emotionally into you yet. So can you help them do that? Yeah, of course. So I'm somebody who has been through life circumstances, as everybody has, that has shaped me into the man I am today. There's been some struggle. There's been a lot of happiness. There's been a lot of pain. But the one thing that I could say is that I'm ready for my happiness and I'm ready for, I'm ready to heal. And I think that I've done the work and all I'm missing is somebody that I could help grow and that could help me grow. And I think that in life, that's something that's really important.

So, yeah, I definitely, I'm the season I'm vulnerable. I'm open about my life experiences, about what I'm looking for and I think that the cast of a woman that came were on the same time that I was on. And it just made for a really great story and I'm excited and I hope that everybody's excited to watch also. Well, I'm very excited for it. I want to help out the show here with my final two questions

in any way I can. And I want to get you answering these questions before the show airs because things change once the show airs. And it's not editing. It's just how you, react to it. The first is, was there ever a moment that you wanted to walk off this show, that you were so upset, angry, confused, that you're just like, I want to get out of here. I had it. I wanted to. When I was The Bachelor, I didn't. Obviously, it's a little hard to do,

and I don't really know how I would do it. But I had those moments. Did you ever have one? There was definitely a moment where I was frustrated with certain, a situation that happened. I didn't want to walk off. I wanted to find out what was going on. And, And yeah, there was definitely, you're not in control of everything that happens. You're not in control of what is said when you're not around. You're not in control of, you don't hear everything, and you're not in control of all the situations. But that's in life, you know. So I think that I was frustrated at one point, but I didn't want to leave.

I wanted to find out what was causing the commotion. You're a stronger man than me. You didn't want to leave. You want to dig in. I want to dig this on my personal one. Good. I just want to get out of there. You know, this is the big question that so many viewers have an interest in.

If we ever do a Q&A, this is the number one question that you're going to get now for the next X amount of years of your life. As you sit here today, the show hasn't aired on television yet, but you've been through it. What's the biggest misconception that viewers may have about how the show is produced? You know how the secret sauce is made. You've been the lead. You've seen it all. outside of maybe all the production rooms. But for the viewer, what's the biggest misconception?

I think that the misconception that a lot of people have is that the lead doesn't have as much control over the choices that they make during the season. I think that they do have control. Now, what's done on the back end, they don't have control over. But how you carry yourself, the decisions you make, the choices you make are on you. Now, there's a time element that makes it a little more difficult, but throughout the course of the journey, you know, the decisions you make, they, they mean a lot. And yeah, that's what I would say, that people think that there's a lot of, how am I going to word, that the producers have a big role on the choices you make, but ultimately you make your decisions. Yeah, good.

owning the decisions i love that i mean that's that's the best leads right you just own it good or bad which brings me to my final question we sit here today uh we're obviously um you know in this moment of excitement you're doing this whole media circuit the show's about to air grant are you excited for this to air are you nervous for it to air are is there something that happens this season that you're like goodness this is going to change the way people see me how are you feeling as we get, you know, come to this moment where for the next few months of your life, you are going to be the bachelor on television? Yeah, I think that I'm excited, you know, I think that I'm happy with the way I carry myself.

I know that the situations on the show, they're difficult to navigate, but I think I did a decent job. And I think that I was honest to myself. And however anybody views me, I know, I know, know that I did my best. So that's really all I could, that's all I could say. That's all I could ask for. And now it's up for the people to decide. Well, I truly hope, Grant, this is a season you walk away from with all the growth that you've done and all the growth that we're going to see with a beautiful love story, which is going to be my last question for you, which is everybody's last question probably for you. Are you happy, Grant? Yeah, I'm extremely happy. You know, I'm extremely happy with the way things went.

And I think that it's something that, you know, the audience is going to see and I can't wait for the premiere. Let's go. Well, the premiere is going to be January 27th on ABC. This has been your most recent Bachelor, the one that is going to take over our screens and have a lot of really unbuttoned dress shirt videos and pictures. Goodness, they love showing that tattoo. Grant, we wish you the best here at the Almost Famous Podcast.

Can't wait to talk to you again. Good luck with this season. And we hope you find love. Thank you, man. I appreciate that. Follow the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcasts on IHart Radio, or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Let's start with a quick puzzle.

The answer is Ken Jennings' appearance on The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs. The question is, what is the most entertaining listening experience in podcast land. Jeopardy Truthers believe in... I guess they would be conspiracy theorists. That's right. They gave you the answers and you still blew it. The puzzler.

Listen on the I-Heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Culture eats strategy for breakfast, right? On a recent episode of Culture Raises Us, I was joined by Belisha Butterfield, media founder, political strategist, and tech power. for a powerful conversation on storytelling, impact, and the intersections of culture and leadership. I am a free black woman. From the Obama White House to Google to the Grammys, Belicia's journey is a masterclass in shifting culture and using your voice to spark change.

Listen to Culture raises us on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The U.S. Open is here, and on my podcast, Good Game with Sarah Spain. I'm breaking down the players, the predictions, the pressure, and of course the honey deuses, the signature cocktail of the U.S. Open. The U.S. Open has gotten to be a very wonderfully experiential sporting event. To hear this and more, listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain, an Iheart women's sports production in partnership with deep blue sports and entertainment on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Brought to you by Novartis, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports Network. Hi, my name is Enya Jumanzo. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble.

Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeart Radio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. This is an IHeart podcast.