reality tv

The uncomfortable past of Bachelor in Paradise's Grant.

Yes, well, it’s Wednesday and of course, we’re back it for the fourth time this week.

No ragrats, no life, streams of loyalty and all the rest.

Tonight’s episode of Bachelor in Paradise was a doozy, too. We had a cheating scandal, a love triangle that wasn’t and American Grant’s great big declaration of love for Ali.

Yes, after a total of about four hours in Paradise, Grant, also known as the man who proposed on the American version of the show after about… seven hours… is in love.

What shocking, unpredictable, brand new information!

To his credit, it was nice and sentimental, right? There was a heap of cuddling, endless eye contact and nice background music to cap the entire, love-filled segment off.

Grant is nice, so is Ali and therefore so is their love.

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Right?

… Eh.

Do some digging, and our mate Grant has a little too many rumours shrouding his past and his reputation that, at the very least, is worthy of the odd raised eyebrow.

In 2016, Grant appeared in JoJo Fletcher’s season of The Bachelorette. On the night of his debut, a woman named Erin Aschow tweeted the following:

“Alright, I don’t normally do this kind of thing… but this shit stain is going to be on TV tonight on a show many of you tune into. Grant Kemp was in a serious, long-term relationship with a friend of mine. A beautiful, smart, witty, kind and all around fabulous woman. He applied to be on The Bachelorette when they were dating and broke up with her (no explanation/shut off his phone) to chase fame on TV.

“This awesome girl is actually a producer on Reality TV (girl boss) and introduced him to the producers, who he sneakily went through to get on the show! On and btw that Roman Numeral tattoo on his arm is the flight # he met the amazing girl on. Don’t support him or his douchey bull sh-t by following him on social media. He’s a turd and the only thing he should be famous for is being a giant, stinky turd. Even if you don’t watch the show, let’s all rally together and NOT support such despicable behaviour. Go blow up his feed and comment #YoureADouche.”

Well, then.

If my internet sleuthing serves me correctly, the woman Erin is talking about is a woman by the name of Jen Green. Before TV producer Jen Green, there was another woman Grant was engaged to. Keep up, because this is where things get a little messy.

One friend spoke to TV blog Reality Steve during his appearance on the show and suggested there was overlap between that engagement and his relationship with Green. (Wild speculation and unproven allegations, of course, but interesting to make note of.)

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In that same period, three different women wrote to Reality Steve all alleging they were an ex, or knew an ex, who was cheated on by Grant.

… yep.

Oh, but wait, there’s more.

In 2017, Grant appeared on the US version of Bachelor in Paradise. There, he met a woman by the name of Lace Morris and promptly fell in love. He proposed at the end of the season and, as is apparently customary if your name is Grant Kemp and you think you’re in love, got a tattoo. ‘Grace’ was the tattoo of choice because, well, Grant + Lace and you do the rest.

Michelle Andrews and I recap the glory that is Bachelor in Paradise. Post continues after audio.

Two months after that engagement, and Grant and Lace had called it off, with Grant telling the media their relationship was “volatile”. Charming.

Now, less than a year on, Grant’s back on our screens, declaring his “love” for Australian Ali which would be sweet if none of the above was on the record. Oh, and too, if they were posting together on Instagram.

Instead, there’s a distinct lack of Ali on Grant’s socials and a distinct lack Grant on Ali’s, which is curious given the fact many of the other Bachelor in Paradise couples don’t have an issue reliving their time in Fiji on Instagram.

Considering there’s an engagement at the end of this show, we might just be betting twice-engaged Grant becomes thrice-engaged Grant.

Let’s just hope if it happens, history doesn’t repeat itself like a dog chasing its tail.