‘Bachelor’ Week 2: Duke grad has an early ‘villain’ moment during group date with Grant
“Bachelor” Mondays are back — with a familiar face with ties to the Triangle area competing on ABC’s hit reality show.
Wilmington retail manager Kyleigh Henrich and Duke University graduate Zoe McGrady started out the season along with 23 other women hoping to win over Bachelor Grant Ellis.
Though it wasn’t in the cards for Grant and Kyleigh — who got sent home on Night 1 — we’re still following along on Zoe’s journey for the final rose.
Will it really be “the most dramatic season ever?” From the second episode, it could be. Spoiler alert: Here’s a recap of what happened between Zoe and Grant during Week 2 and who got eliminated.
‘It’s time to shoot your shot’
After the girls officially moved into the iconic Bachelor mansion, it was time to kick off the weekly round of dates.
Though Zoe didn’t get the first one-on-one date of the season — which went to “no drama llama” Alexe — she did get to go on the first group date of the season devoted to do what Grant called his first love: play basketball.
With the help of some kid coaches, Zoe and some of the other contestants hit the court alongside Grant and even took part in a slam dunk competition.
But the games got a little intense once Zoe forfeited her dunk shot and stole Grant for some alone time.
“The date card said to shoot your shot. Even though it is a group date, like, you got to make yourself known because you don’t know, like, how long you have and how many opportunities you’ll have to actually get time with him,” she told producers.
Though Grant did say he enjoyed their conversation alone outside of the gym, it didn’t sit well with a lot of the other women after Zoe and Grant “lost track of time” and stayed outside too long.
“Zoe and Grant walk back in, and it’s just so uncomfortable. So uncomfortable,” Natalie explained to producers. “And it honestly just feels ominous of, like, this isn’t maybe the end of this.”
Then the ladies went head-to-head in the “Bachelor Basketball Showdown.”
Zoe a villain? ‘All is fair in love and war’
The game got a little intense.
“Three out of five of my nails are gone...but we’re in a competition in the greater picture for Grant and all’s fair in love and war, and we came to play,” Zoe said during the game.
But it wasn’t long before things got even more tense on the court between Zoe and some of the contestants on the other team — particularly Alli Jo.
“Things got physical because of Zoe, and if you’re gonna push me, I’m gonna push right back,” Alli Jo said.
But as Zoe put it, “Alli Jo was probably salty from the jump when I came back from my time with Grant.”
In the end, Zoe and the rest of the purple team took home the W.
“We did the best we could, but Zoe getting competitive to the point where it got dirty is just so bonkers,” Juliana told producers. “Like get out. Find the door.”
Take notes for next time
The tension between Zoe and the group carried on to the cocktail party afterwards — even when they confronted her about their feelings.
“First off, we have one shot at all of this,” Zoe told the group. “We had one shot at basketball. We have one shot on our group date today. We have one shot at this whole experience. I know, personally, like I gave it my all today.
“I’m very happy that I got time with him. Like, that’s what you got to do. So if one of you guys steals him, like, I’m not going to be like ‘Oh my God. Woe is me.’ Like, you got to do what you got to do.”
Even afterwards, Zoe still didn’t seem to feel any remorse for why the girls felt disrespected.
“I expected the girls would possibly be a little bit upset, but more so in a way of like, they didn’t think of it first and just like maybe take notes for next time,” she said.
“So tonight my plan is to just kind of do what I was doing earlier — getting as much time as I can. Not just waiting around on the sidelines gossiping and holding a grudge for quite literally trying to do what we’re here to do.”
In the end, she did just that when she stole Grant once again.
But you know who came back and played the same game? Alli Jo, who went out of her way to “shoot her shot” and try to steal some time with Grant when he was speaking to Zoe.
But Zoe came back shortly after Alli Jo’s steal to ask for more time again.
“What is your problem? I’ve done nothing to you,” Alli Jo said to Zoe afterward in front of the rest of the group. “I understand you want your time, but guess what babygirl? So do I. And you’ve had it so many times.
“You stepped on all of our toes on the date earlier, you had talked to him before me. Then you took him back when I was talking to him. Like, you’ve talked to him multiple times, so what is your problem with me that you needed to interrupt me? Tell me. Or are you — do you need that much attention, you’re that insecure?”
So, did Zoe get a rose?
Though we didn’t see much of Grant and Zoe together during the cocktail party before the rose ceremony, she did receive a rose to make it to the next week.
Who got eliminated during the rose ceremony?
Of the 18 women who started out on Week 2, here is who did not receive a rose and went home:
- Allyshia
- Ella
Rebekah
Vicky
How to watch ‘The Bachelor’
You can tune in and watch “The Bachelor” every Monday at 8 p.m. on ABC and the next day on Hulu.
This story was originally published February 4, 2025 at 11:05 AM with the headline "‘Bachelor’ Week 2: Duke grad has an early ‘villain’ moment during group date with Grant."
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