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On Monday night’s season premiere episode of “The Bachelorette,” Danville hopeful Grant Vandevanter was one of seven men sent home after not receiving a rose.
A San Ramon Valley High School graduate, 27-year-old Vandevanter is a fourth generation electrician, sketch comedian, amateur boxer and coach from Danville. He was sent home in the first round of eliminations by Becca Kufrin, the titular Bachelorette.
“I guess you can say I’m the one that got away,” Vandevanter said. “Being on the show was crazy! I’ve never been more nervous in my life than when I got out of the limo to meet Becca.”
While Vandevanter enjoyed his time on the show, and even said he forged some friendships with the other contestants, he is disappointed he did not get the chance to prove himself and tell his story. In fact, he did not even get the opportunity to speak with Kufrin after their initial meeting.
“One of the secrets of me being on the show…was that I never got the chance to talk to her. With the production happening along with all the other guys in line, it’s very hard to find windows of time to get with her,” he said. “It was disappointing leaving without getting that time to speak to her.”
Vandevanter’s journey to the small screen was somewhat a surprise to him. About seven months ago he received an unexpected call from a producer in Los Angeles, and soon after that was accepted to be a contestant on the show’s 14th season.
“Apparently one of my best friends, Scott Miller, signed me up for the show and I had no idea,” Vandevanter said.
Producers pitched him as a celebrity lookalike, emphasizing that he looked like a combination of Matt Damon and John Cena, but Vandevanter believes he was selected to compete due to both his drive and the story he shared.
“About eight years ago, my best friend Chachi Corral passed away in the Marine Corps. The last words he said to me right before he left was ‘keep fighting,'” he said. “I dedicated six hard months of training in Oakland for a boxing match and ended up knocking the guy out. Not everyone has that story and I think that is what stood out compared to the other (candidates).”
Vandevanter isn’t one to dwell on a missed opportunity. He is continuing with his electrician apprenticeship, boxing and living his “same normal life.” He is also continuing his search for love without skipping a beat.
“I am currently talking to a girl right now that I like a lot and am on the verge of asking her to be my girlfriend. What can I say….Becca missed her shot,” Vandevanter said.
Her loss! And God bless Chachi, the Marine Corps, and all of our men and women serving to protect us, thank you.
Hooray for tongue-in-cheekular journalism!