Thirty men have officially met The Bachelorette, but it was one in particular that especially caught the attention of Michelle Young.
It was Nayte Olukoya who swept Michelle off her feet, not only snagging the first impression rose but the first kiss of the season.
Being the first contestant to make his appearance in Palm Springs, the Minnesota educator was all smiles when the 6-foot-8-inch sales executive walked out of the limo.
Their connection only continued to spark during the cocktail party when Nayte got vulnerable and opened up about his parent’s divorce.
Nayte Olukoya admits he ‘had no clue’ the significance of Michelle Young’s first impression rose
Speaking to Bachelorette alums Becca Kufrin and Tayshia Adam’s on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, the 27-year-old was questioned on whether he understood the weight of what the first impression rose carried in the Bachelor world.
“Not a clue,” the Austin, Texas native responded. “First impression rose, you can obviously assume who Michelle had like, a good first impression of, right? But like the world of Bachelor Nation? No, I didn’t have a clue.”
“It wasn’t until Rodney, [who] was my roommate.. later that day he kind of told me ‘man that’s big-time, like you got the first impression rose.’,” Nayte explained. “And he kind of told me, in this Bachelor Nation world, just how, I don’t know, people like to see who gets the first impression rose.”
The Bachelorette has historically gotten engaged to the first impression rose recipient
Lucky for Nayte, he was speaking with major Bachelorette alums, and Becca was able to break down why Bachelor Nation is infatuated with the recipient of the first impression rose.
As the lead of Season 14, Becca explained, “Usually for Bachelorettes, there is a really, really good track record of who gets that first impression rose, is the last man standing who typically she gets engaged to.”
Recalling the three Bachelorettes before her, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Jojo Fletcher, and Rachel Lindsay, she explained, “all gave their first impression roses to the men that they ended up engaged with.”
After snagging the first impression and kiss of the season, there’s a good possibility Michelle Young’s season may follow this pattern.
Do you think Nayte Olukoya will receive Michelle Young’s final rose? Tune in this season of The Bachelorette to find out.
The Bachelorette airs on Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC.