Season 28 of The Bachelor premiered moments ago, and one woman has already made quite an impression on Joey Graziadei.
Her name is Lea Cayanan, and the 23-year-old accountant manager from O’ahu, Hawaii, received the first impression rose.
The stunning brunette already had a leg up on the competition because she got the opportunity to meet Joey before the other women.
Lea was in the audience at Charity Lawson’s After the Final Rose special for Season 20 of The Bachelorette, which aired in August 2023.
She not only met and snapped a photo with Joey at the event, but host Jesse Palmer also gave her a mystery envelope, which she was instructed to open on premiere night.
It wasn’t a rose or immunity, but Lea didn’t need any of that because she left a memorable impression on Joey and snagged the most coveted prize of the night.
Lea Cayanan got Joey Graziadei’s first impression rose
Lea Cayanan’s mystery envelope caused a stir among the women, but ultimately it was the way she handled what was inside that really impressed The Bachelor.
She received a card that gave her a chance to steal someone else’s one-on-one date later on in the competition.
While the other contestants would have loved that opportunity, Lea wasn’t happy about it.
A tearful Lea told Joey about her mystery prize and reasoned that she was sad about having to do that to one of the women.
In the end, she rejected the prize and tossed the envelope into the fire.
Although Lea and Joey already had a spark, he was so impressed by her heartfelt reaction, that the 28-year-old gave her the first impression rose.
Who is The Bachelor front-runner Lea Cayanan?
The Bachelor front runner is the daughter of two immigrant parents from the Philippines as she proudly noted in her intro video.
Before her time on the show, she attended Gonzaga University and left with a triple degree.
In May of 2022, Lea shared snaps from her graduation.
“4 years later & I’m closing my favorite chapter 3 degrees hotter 🎓😚. ✨Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance, Marketing, Law & Public Policy,” she wrote.
While Lea grew up in Hawaii, she currently lives in Los Angeles, California.
The brunette beauty enjoys the outdoors and spends a lot of time at the beach when she’s back home in Hawaii.
Lea is excited about her journey on The Bachelor
There is no trace of any previous romances on Lea’s Instagram page and at age 23, it’s unclear if she’s had a serious relationship.
Either way, she’s ready for her new journey on The Bachelor.
“I could not be more excited, anxious, or hopeful for this insane journey unfold,” she revealed online. “It has been incredibly humbling and empowering to have already received so much love and support from the communities that raised me.”
“Y’all mean the absolute world to me 🤍🇵🇭🌺 just a small town girl from Oahu, looking for love <3,” she added.
The Bachelor airs on Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.