The 25th season of The Bachelor started off with a bang! The ladies competing for Bachelor Nation newcomer Matt James‘ heart came out swinging on night one. Although this season of the critically-acclaimed ABC franchise looks a little different due to COVID-19 restrictions, it’s still the same show we all know and love at its core.
Many of the women made quite the impression on Matt and viewers alike during the premiere. Despite it being so early on in the season, there are definitely a couple of women to watch out for in the upcoming weeks. So, without further ado, here’s five Bachelor contestants to keep your eye on.
First Impression Rose Recipient Abigail Heringer
Immediately, Oregon native Abigail Heringer won over viewers with her inspiring introduction as one of the 32 contestants on The Bachelor‘s season 25. Not only is she smart and beautiful, but Abigail is also the very first deaf contestant in the entire history of the franchise. The 25-year-old was born with congenital hearing loss. Yet, Abigail’s never let that hold her back and it certainly didn’t stop her from applying for the show.
In fact, her comfort when discussing her deafness with Matt made her stand out among the rest. During her limo entrance, she broke the news to The Bachelor. “I’m going to be reading your lips a lot tonight, but thankfully you have really beautiful lips,” she said.
Abigail managed to steal a little bit of time with Matt along with a piece of his heart. She opened up to him about her older sister, who’s also deaf, paving the way when it came to her deafness. It’s exactly the show of vulnerability that Matt asked of the ladies earlier in the night.
Their conversation was memorable enough to earn Abigail the first impression rose. In Bachelor Nation history, the recipient of the first impression rose typically goes far. So, it looks like we’ll be seeing plenty of Abigail in the future.
Khaylah Epps Stands Out
Another woman that seemed to form an instant connection with Matt was 28-year-old Khaylah Epps. She and Matt happen to both hail from North Carolina, Khaylah from Durham and this season’s Bachelor from Raleigh. Both cities are a mere half an hour away from one another. Could they have crossed paths before?
When Khaylah pulled up in an old pickup truck, she certainly stood out from the rest. Matt seemed impressed that the healthcare advocate could handle a stick-shift. She hoped to remind him of home and her entrance seems to have done the trick.
If her arrival didn’t do the trick, later on, she and Matt James shared some good old-fashioned southern sweet tea in the bed of the truck. When the two of them cheers to the night, Matt pointed out, “What could be more romantic than this?”
‘Queen’ Victoria Might Bring the Drama
If you watched the season 25 premiere of The Bachelor, then you’ll definitely remember Victoria Larson. But in case you don’t, she was the one that four men in masks literally carried up the driveway to meet Matt. There, she practically staked her claim on him right there and crowned him her king.
It seemed like her first chance at an impression was over. That is until Victoria, 28, tripped up the steps on her way inside. “The Queen has arrived,” was the first thing she said to the other contestants and it appeared to rub some of them the wrong way.
Victoria’s outgoing personality continued to cause problems for her with some of the other girls. Not only that, but a lot of viewers found her to be a little obnoxious.
When it came down to the rose ceremony, Victoria just managed to snag the last rose. This could’ve been a move production made to keep this season of The Bachelor interesting.
Socialite Kit Keenan’s There to Win
If there’s one contestant who didn’t come here to play it’s Kit Keenan. The 21-year-old daughter of New York fashion designer, Cynthia Rowley is not afraid to go after what she wants and that’s currently The Bachelor Matt James.
Kit says her name is an acronym for “keeping it together,” but that might be a little bit harder than she expects. Especially because she’s on a reality show dating a man along with a bunch of other women.
Not to mention, there’s already a little beef between her and ‘Queen’ Victoria. As soon as Victoria entered the picture, Kit wasn’t a fan and she made it known to the viewers in her confessional. Plus, at one point in the night, Victoria interrupted Kit’s time with Matt and called her a “princess.” Definitely lookout for the claws to come when these two ladies with strong personalities inevitably clash.
Neven-Been-Kissed Heather Martin Returns
Lastly, is a woman that didn’t meet Matt James on night one of this year’s The Bachelor. We actually met Heather Martin two years ago on Colton Underwood’s season. At that time, the now 25-year-old had her first kiss with Colton, but unfortunately, she decided that she wasn’t ready for the next step and left.
Now it looks like Heather is returning to Bachelor Nation for a shot with the handsome Matt. In a preview for the upcoming season, Heather makes her interest known and the rest of the women aren’t happy about the intrusion.
If there’s one thing we know, it’s that Heather’s appearance won’t come without its full share of drama. So you should be ready for her arrival to turn everything upside down.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.
