On The Bachelorette, some contestants take a while to win over the hearts of Bachelor Nation while others become instant fan favorites on the first night. The latter is true for Season 17 contestant Greg Grippo, who made a great first impression on Katie Thurston and fans across the internet.
Greg’s debut on the show made him beloved for his shy, wholesome, and genuine personality. When speaking with Katie, he expressed his love for his family and even gifted her with a necklace made by his 3-year-old-niece.
Katie was clearly smitten by him, deciding to give him her first impression rose and sharing a passionate kiss with him too, something she only did with two other contestants that night.
However, it’s now known that Greg meeting Katie almost never happened.
Greg was set to appear on Clare Crawley’s season of The Bachelorette
Had the pandemic not occurred, Greg would have been introduced to the world as a contestant on Season 16 of The Bachelorette with Clare Crawley.
He had been cast and was ready to compete for Clare’s love when the pandemic forced production to stall and eventually recast a good chunk of the men they had expected to bring on the show.
This may have been a blessing in disguise for Greg and those other cut men considering how quickly Clare was able to decide on a husband.
As we saw in Season 16, the pandemic forced the show to alter quite a bit. All of the guys stayed at a resort with Clare and then eventually she was swapped out for Tayshia Adams in the middle of the season.
It certainly feels like fate that Katie and this New Jersey sweetheart were able to meet because, not only do Greg and Katie have great initial chemistry, but Greg’s positive attributes would also have likely gone ignored by Clare.
Clare had her sights set on Dale pretty much before the season even had a chance to begin. And despite a breakup, Clare and Dale’s love led them back to each other, with fans speculating that they may have renewed their engagement.
Greg wants a big family with six kids
Interestingly, with Greg being such a family man, he expressed his desire for lots of children. However, Katie has recently been outspoken about her uncertainty on whether kids are what she wants for her life or not.
Katie recently tweeted, “It’s ok to be a woman and possibly not want children or to be unsure at the current stage of your life.”
At 30, Katie has been vocal about redefining the way we expect women to be, believing that her generation of women no longer need to be confined to certain limiting labels of what it means to be a lady.
In The Bachelorette Season 17 premiere, Katie told cohosts Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe that she understood her reputation as a lighthearted open book, but on this journey for love, she was looking for something serious with a grown man.
This season will prove if Greg can be that grown man that Katie has been searching for and if their views on family will eventually align.
Meanwhile, if Greg continues to be his sweet self, he’ll certainly continue to earn the love of Bachelor Nation.
The Bachelorette airs on Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.