WARNING! This article contains major spoilers for The Bachelor season 28 premiere episode!
During Charity Lawson’s “After the Final Rose” episode, The Bachelor season 28’s Lea Cayanan was the first contestant to meet Joey Graziadei, and she was given an envelope that contained an advantage, which she was instructed not to open until premiere night. However, now the secret is out courtesy of Reality Steve. Lea, a 23-year-old account manager from Waipahu, Hawaii, met Joey, a 28-year-old tennis pro currently living in Koloa, Hawaii, right after he was announced as the next Bachelor.
Host Jesse Palmer gave Lea the envelope, which he said didn’t contain a Bachelor season 28 date card. However, he did tell her that the contents of the envelope would help her on her journey with Joey, and would change everything. Bachelor Nation has been wondering what was in Lea’s mystery envelope ever since, and now Reality Steve has the scoop about what it contained, and how it affected her experience on the show.
20 Best Reality TV Shows Right Now
Television is being impacted by the ongoing entertainment industry strikes, leaving many turning to reality TV. What are the best shows right now?
Lea Cayanan’s Envelope Gave Her A Huge Advantage
According to Reality Steve, Lea’s mystery envelope contained a card that gave her a big advantage. The card gave her the opportunity to steal someone else’s one-on-one date with Joey at any point during the season. One-on-one dates are coveted in Bachelor shows, so this would definitely have upset whomever she stole the date from.
Lea Rejected The Envelope
Although Lea was given the opportunity to steal one of Joey’s one-on-one dates, she decided against it. She threw the card in the fire. Lea said that she felt like she wanted to be chosen by Joey for a one-on-one date. Therefore, she didn’t want to have to steal one from someone else.
Joey Graziadei Gave Lea His First Impression Rose
Joey respected Lea’s decision to give up her advantage so much that he gave her his first impression rose. The Bachelor lead hands out his first impression rose to the woman with whom he built the strongest connection during premiere night. By giving Lea his first impression rose, Joey ended up giving her an edge over the other women anyway.
Lea made the right decision to burn her advantage in the fire. Not only would stealing a one-on-one date from another woman have created unnecessary drama, but it would’ve forced Joey to go on a date with her that was planned for someone else. The Bachelor producers have a bad habit of manufacturing drama with twists that make the show seem more like a reality competition show than a reality dating show. It’s admirable that Lea put a stop to it. Hopefully, Lea and Joey will build a strong connection that will lead to a lasting relationship, perhaps even an engagement.
The Bachelor season 28 premieres Monday, January 22 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
